STATE retrofits an old building, transforming the space into modern offices and laboratories
OSTATE an independent innovation center, located in Vila Leopoldina, west of São Paulo, which houses companies, startups, entrepreneurs and creators whose objective is to transform reality. From a warehouse that housed a metallurgical industry from the 40s until 2010, to a completely modern and innovative space, the place underwent a revitalization, also known as retrofit, a process of modernizing old and historic buildings involving a change of use. In the case of STATE, the focus was to transform the industrial space into an office and laboratory environment, creating a space that inspires innovation and technology, at the same time sustainable and innovative, preserving the warehouse’s original architecture.
Among the references are renowned innovation complexes around the world, such as Station F, in France, or NewLab, in the United States.
Metallurgical Atlas, which operated at the site between 1940 and 2010 (Disclosure/STATE)
With co-investments and support fromOtherreal estate investment platform in theVotorantim Group, STATE renovated the old industrial warehouse, creating a fully air-conditioned environment and an area of 10 thousand square meters. The space offers work positions, an auditorium to accommodate up to 350 people, an arena with grandstands for open events and several meeting rooms with different configurations. The hub was designed by architect Rodrigo Ohtake in the interior design, which brought modernity, while maintaining the warehouse’s originality.
While in Europe and the United States it is common to carry out the retrofit process in old buildings, in Brazil it is more common and, sometimes, more economical, to opt for demolition and construction from scratch. Upon discovering the warehouse, I immediately considered the possibility of applying the STATE concept to carry out a retrofit on site, offering an alternative that was viable and respected the history and architecture already existing in the warehouse, says Jorge Pacheco, founder and CEO of STATE.
(Divulgao/STATE)
GrupoVotorantim’s initial idea was to transform the space into a residential complex, as is already happening in other areas of Vila Leopoldina. However, Jorge, throughout conversations with Altre and Votorantim, convinced them to maintain the structure of the site after presenting the innovation center project.
At first, they had plans to demolish the warehouse, but I presented the STATE proposal and how the innovation center could bring flow and new opportunities to the region, interconnecting my vision of creating an ecosystem of companies, startups, entrepreneurs and creators together. , to be protagonists of new solutions for cities and they decided to invest in my idea, highlights Jorge.
After three years since its inauguration, STATE has become an important center of innovation in São Paulo. With a network of 1,500 members and 62 companies located in the hub, one of the location’s differences lies precisely in the architecture and environment provided.
STATE’s planned environment not only reflects a functional space, but serves as a catalyst for creating relationships between people. This unique architecture, linked to the design of the space, makes STATE an ecosystem not only of ideas, but also an environment conducive to the growth and development of pioneering solutions, through networking and innovative solutions, concludes the CEO.
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