1. How would you describe the aesthetics and design of the new space?
The first thing we have to say is that we love tershouse and the idea of participatory coworking in which the space changes according to the needs of its users.
The existing tershouse is a great combination of a good strategy that provides a functional space and DIY solutions that add charm to the space.
When Nermin (the owner of tershouse) showed us the industrial hall that he chose for the new space, a second love happened instantly and those two loves (for the idea and for the space) were the biggest fuel for us in this project.
In order not to be "all of us", Nermin really knows his users very well, what they like/ dislike and he helped us a lot with advice when we were working on the project.
2. How will the new space serve tershouse users; how would you compare it with the old one, what are the main differences?
The short answer would be same idea, bigger scale, better space.
The current house of ters is functional and charming, but at some point, it would become too small for all its users.
We took over the good principles of the current ters, materialized its individuality, transferred it to a larger scale and got this project. We thought that it would only be natural for this bigger, better ters to become a city, and that's why we proposed the name City of Ters. (which we now publicly appeal to remain).
3. How many units does the new terhouse consist of?
When we came up with the name City of Ters, we thought about the main characteristics of a city, and thus functional units for public visitors and/ or coworkers, were created.
All visitors at the entrance pass through the Ters Gate and enter Ters Street. From there, public visitors can continue to Ters Square, which is designed as an event space.
Both Ters ulica and Ters square are aesthetically designed to introduce all those elements that are characteristics of outdoor public spaces into the interior (public lighting, benches, traffic signs, etc.).
Coworkers from Ters Street can go to their own space called Ters Factory, and those who have taken offices work from Ters Labs.
Factory also justifies the name aesthetically because we used materials and elements characteristic of industries: sheet metal reminiscent of industrial containers, industrial lighting and bright colors that clearly indicate space for movement and space for work.
Ters lab is aesthetically more subtle than Factory and it is dominated by pastel colors with some charming details that appear in different variations in every office.
4. Modern coworking spaces highlight the importance of relaxation zones. In this sense, what does the new tershouse space offer?
Through research, we realized that the space for rest and relaxation is very important (for both regular and occasional users), so we planned a recreation area, which we called Ters Bazaar.
It consists of a central space that can be used for yoga or other sports and recreational activities. This area is surrounded by small relaxation cabins where users can separate themselves from other people and take a break in their day.
The rest cabins reminded us of the small shops that we see in bazaars in the east, which is how that part got its name.
5. What were the inspirations for the interior of the new tershouse?
We think that for us in this project, education was much stronger than inspiration. We talked a lot with different people who are freelancing, we reviewed a sea of business space projects, and I think we got to know the current state of the hall so much that we could easily draw it from memory.
All the inputs we collected generated a creative rush to do this project, which we were later told could be side by side with coworking spaces in Berlin or some other large coworking center.
6. What are the biggest advantages of the new space?
This is quite a hard question for us because we find a different quality in each part. If we try to single out something, we would say that the different atmospheres offered by different functional units are the element we are most proud of.
We all spend a large number of hours a week at work and after a while, we have a desire for a change.
In the City of Ters, in no time you will replace your desk with a bench in Ters square, an exercise class in Ters bazaar or a bar in one of the kitchens.
7. The interior of the space is largely based on psychology. What elements were used to make customers feel as welcome as possible?
By analyzing the original Ters, we concluded that the bright yellow color had already become a trademark of Ters and it was important for us to keep it. However, as much as the color yellow stimulates creativity and wakes up, too much can be tiring. That's why we contrasted it with pastel turquoise, which calms and helps people focus better. These are the basic colors we used in addition to gray.
In some spaces where the working atmosphere is essential (such as in the coworking space), yellow dominates, and in the space for relaxation and exercise, where the focus is on relaxation, turquoise dominates.
Likewise, in some spaces, none of these colors appear because we did not want to make the entire space uniform and it is important to us that future users also have a place to express themselves.
8. How difficult was it to combine functionality and the specific aesthetics you were aiming for?
Honestly, it was quite challenging to design this space because, as we stated earlier, we wanted to design a small town, which meant that we had to make each part different enough for the visitor to feel the difference when, for example, entering Ters Street from Ters Street, but still that you can clearly feel that higher idea of the city of Ters as a whole.
Also, we wanted the space to be clearly legible to the visitor and for him/her to be able to intuitively assume the direction of movement in the space and a clear boundary between different entities.
9. How will this space be innovative in BiH and in the region?
We think that in BiH the best things happen somewhere on the edge between the planned and the spontaneous and that this will be what will keep people coming back to this area.
The space is designed to be aesthetically and functionally according to all the criteria for its purpose, but it will surely change and adapt to its users through realization and use.
We think that this space will be special because we created the initial beta version through the project, and now the investor through construction and visitors through use make their mark. The moment construction begins, City of Ters ceases to be just our project and becomes the author's work of all those who build it and later work in it.
Also, we are very proud that the public zone (Street and Square) erases the boundaries between open and closed space and public and private, which is why we think that this space will be a meeting place not only for coworkers but also for the general audience in Sarajevo.
About us:
Archordion is an architectural duo founded in 2021, consisting of Maja Ibrahimpašić and El-Gazija Bajramović. The range of their projects (as well as investors) is diverse and includes villas, residential and commercial buildings, interiors of business buildings and all other projects that intrigue them. They find projecting easier than marketing, so they are still waiting for the website www.archordion.com to stand up or to post the first post on FB or IG. We believe that those who are patient will see it through.
Interview conducted by Ivona Narančić, tershouse Community Manager
