Quilicura Warehouses

Architects

Christian Matzner Thomsen
Nicolás Matzner Weisner

Associate Architect

Jaime Pascual Manchego

Construction Company

Queylén Constructora

Structural Calculation

Bascuñán & Maccioni

Sanitary planning

Ricardo Chehade

Electric planning

Erick Fierro

Date of construction

September 2007 – April 2008

Built Area

3790 m2

Location

Av. Eduardo Frei Montalva 9700 – 
 Quilicura, Santiago, Chile.

This project consists on designing, remodeling and constructing the 3rd  stage of the Artel floor plant, located in Quilicura. The preexisting facilities are 14015 m2 of offices and warehouse space used for stowage of materials and commodities, manufacturing and production of products, as well as stock of imported products.

The increase of imported and manufactured products -as well as their distribution- during the last couple of years,  resulted in the need to have more stowage capacity and office space. In the following floor plan the red areas are the new extensions of Artel.

Extension Volume H

(closed court for unloading)

Since this is a court used to unload containers with imported products, it has an access ramp for the big trucks carrying supplies. The new extension of the closed court was designed to integrate and use the same constructive elements preexistent in this area.

The north front of the court volume (which limits with volume G) has wavy white plates on its lower part, which are protected by a “fender”. On the top part of the front we find the same white plates, but micro-perforated, to allow natural ventilation within the court. The superior beam is covered with a  plastic mesh to block the entrance of birds.

Meanwhile, the south front has transparent plates in its superior part, allowing sight towards the exterior green vegetation.  The lower part of the front is endowed with a series of metallic curtains, the biggest one facing the ramp where trucks can unload. The rest of the curtains have removable guides –made of sliding rails- which makes it possible to remove a whole low area of the front of the volume.  This way, the inner area of the volume fuses itself with the outside, creating an accessible and versatile area of work.

New extension Volume I

(warehouse annexed to finished products area)

the existing configuration of the Artel floor plants were followed. It is similar, construction-wise, to volume A, but its internal distribution changes in the location of a second story.

To access this second level, on the central module of the volume there are two different types of entrances. One is a pedestrian staircase and the other is an open,  inner gateway that can receive big loads from the traveling crane. Since the second floor stores  products of value, it divides –and protects- its internal spaces with partitions of metallic gratings.

To optimize the use of energy within the volume, a series of translucent stripings were installed within the rooftop, between the metallic halide bell-shaped lights.

Transporters’ Facilities

The external companies of transportation hired to distribute products to and from the main Artel factory, proved to have a great quantity of “floating” personnel, who did not have an assigned space during there stay at the Artel head grounds. In addition, the schedule of these workers was completely incompatible with the rest of the Artel employees, having to be on property during “off” hours.

The main concern was to create a work space for the drivers time of wait, which had to function independently from the rest of the factory.

So a former warehouse was used. Vains were opened; accesses were changed. The result is a large facility with two floors, were the first is used as an office space and the second as a kitchen and living room area with tables, dressing rooms and restroom facilities.

Outdoor extensions

(new street, closing volume G with a multiuse court and field)

To enable a more useful area within the factory grounds, a  wall of containment was built and the structural landfill was completed.  The result: a new internal street which gives way to a new sports court.

The excessive solar radiation and the lack of security around the facilities made it necessary to build a firm, yet permeable closure of the north face of Volume G. To do so, white micro-perforated plates were used since they allow the entrance of air and light into the interior of the facilities.  

The construction of Volume I and this closure formed a new outdoor space which was cemented. These new asphalt grounds became the multiuse patio.  

Between Volume I and E (the cafeteria), a multifunctional courtyard was designed for the employees’ exercising purposes.

The closure of this sports courtyard was done by modular detachable gratings, which allows Volume I to fuse with the porch of the Volume E, creating a space used for events and social activities.