Photographer Cristobal Palma has sent us photographs of the Edificio BIP office building by architect Alberto Mozó, constructed in Santiago de Chile.
The three-story structure is made from laminated timber and can be dismantled and reconstructed elsewhere should it become necessary.
The following text is from Alberto Mozó:
BIP Computer’s office building rises between two old houses, renovated as part a development that occupies a site which allows a construction of a 12 floor building. This municipal regulation determines a high value of the ground and at the same time, depreciates the value of any construction which does not have that height.
With these premises and with a sense of giving an economic value to a new building of just three floors, it was chosen to build an innovative laminated wooden structure, which by defect can be dismounted in case of a future real estate sale, avoiding a contrary demolition.
The laminated wood offers the unavoidable operation of disarming and opens the possibility of re-construction again at another site or location. The design of this tries to potentiate this new condition and put in value sustainable architecture and town planning - something which I personally call “transitivity”.
Other advantages which are incorporated into the design of this structure were the election of the same dimension of a straight beam, for the complete building, which permitted to laminate the wood rapidly. This dimension was chosen from a catalogue of the Chilean “Arauco” Industry and is 9 x 34,2cm - a measure which considers efficiency in the cut of the tree.
Finally it is important to mention that the utilized wood is an incentive for reforestation, since it belongs to the type of wood of a renewable forest, and it is the construction material which produces less carbon emissions for the consideration of our climate changes.
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Posted by Rose Etherington
May 14th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
It would have been a lot more beautiful if they didn’t use the same wooden structure on the floors and staircase. The lightness, simplicity and power of the vertical elements is broken.
But then again, i like the idea.
May 14th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
wow…amazing building
May 14th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
unbelievable! thumbs up!
May 14th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
Very Elegant
May 14th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
awesome corkscrew staircase!
May 14th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Impressive structure, I’m impressed by the idea of being able to reuse the glulam members if needed. As Jelle said, the stairs do break up the verticle expression, but as an object in itself they’re great. If only there was a way of using the same materiality and a lighter appearance for the stairs I’d be completely sold.
Anyway great structure !
May 14th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
beautiful scale! but what succeeds if the building takes fire?
:) 
May 15th, 2008 at 12:27 am
Impressive, what a great environment to work in.
May 15th, 2008 at 1:16 am
You can see the plans and sections here:
http://www.plataformaarquitectura.cl/2008/04/30/bip-computers-alberto-mozo/
it was also featured on the Kanye West blog a few weeks ago…
May 15th, 2008 at 3:38 am
This building is wonderful. If I am not mistaken, where the structure intercepts the flooring is where the mechanical systems are being addressed. through those vents. That attention to detail establishes this project as a complete piece of architecture.
Splendid.
May 15th, 2008 at 4:36 am
I believe the architect has taken the anti-fire design into account.
May 15th, 2008 at 9:35 am
i adore it
May 15th, 2008 at 10:01 am
Felicitaciones denuevo Alberto! Saludos Cristobal
May 15th, 2008 at 10:12 am
As in the text above:
“the election of the same dimension of a straight beam, for the complete building, which permitted to laminate the wood rapidly.”
The idea of constructing all the building from the same material is much stronger than the “power of the vertical elements”, I think it is well done like this! Just think about it: an office building with wood construction, not very common!
May 15th, 2008 at 10:44 am
wow. great idea and beautifully resolved.
and the staircase!! awesome work.
May 15th, 2008 at 11:25 am
Incredible building. Simple, elegant, humble yet original.
This how architecture should be.
Keep it up Mozo. You got a new admirer!
Only one thing, a handrail on the stairs would be useful.
May 15th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
This is a gorgeous project! What simplicity and uniqueness. Amazing staircase, great detailing, wonderfully simple roof and a great visible structure. A building we can all learn from.
Awesome!
May 15th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
South America shows the way. Again.
May 15th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
I love it. It’s an honest wooden structure.
In reference to previous comments, i agree that the stairs is a bit alienated, but dont think expensive, polluting steel should have been used for floor or interior supports just for the sake of complying with some souless corbusian ideal.
May 15th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Fantastic building… I wish I had wood like that!
May 15th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
a building with a soul, nice job !
May 15th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Great to see this kind of work in 21st century, simply beautiful… as everyone loves it here…
May 16th, 2008 at 7:34 am
It would look great on a pier.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:48 am
good simple solid, yet elegant work
see…it’s possible
May 16th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
It’s a covered bridge for the central city.
It’s kinda’ folksy . . . like the Woodstock generation.
May 17th, 2008 at 2:07 am
I like it but just don’t see it passing code here. Especially the stairs.
May 17th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
no words to express how glad i am in seeing such a nice latin project, like some others, published here… again Chile is showing how easy it is to make great architecture without special effects… congrats…
May 19th, 2008 at 10:02 am
Gorgeous, smart and beautiful!
Simply love it!
May 24th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Wonderful scale, clear concept, extremely tactile, and somehow timeless feeling. A humanistic project which offers itself to the senses. Such a refreshing change from the usual corporate starkness or some kind of high tech spacecraft aesthetic. A building for people… what a radical notion!
June 2nd, 2008 at 6:33 pm
precioso alberto!!! felicitaciones!
…La idea de sustentabilidad… muy bien!
June 4th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
I cannot understand if fire sprinklers are part of the building and where are the cooling and heating elements? Does anyone know how they accomplished this? Any idea if how much this cost to build per sq ft? I would love to build this type of building in california - this project is 100% right on!!!