Keen to shape buildings and cities in Southern Europe, BIG has opened its latest office in Barcelona, Spain. Located in Barcelona&#;s Las Ramblas neighborhood, the studio houses nearly BIGsters working on projects spanning from the west to the east of the Mediterranean region, most notably the HQ for Farfetch, and Fuse Valley campus in Portugal, the Joint Research Center in Sevilla for the European Commission, and the Gastronomy Open Ecosystem for Basque Culinary Center.

The Battery’s fusion of architecture and landscape makes up a unique complex that welcomes activity and involvement across age, ethnicity and social status. The development is characterized by a terraced plinth that can be divided into two activities: the plinth either opens towards the streets through large public foyers inviting the pedestrians to wander into and through a bazaar like retail experience or the plinth’s landscaped terraces offer pedestrians to walk over and across the site to connect the diverse neighborhoods surround The Battery. A large promenade along the southern edge of the site offers public functions, retail shops, benches, and landscaping.

BIG HQ is BIG’s first example of fully integrated LEAP design – a collaboration between Landscape, Engineering, Architecture and Product designers. Everything from door handles to concrete columns – from urban design to glass facades has been given form by the BIG LEAP team. The building is designed to achieve the Danish sustainability certification, DGNB Gold, through use of FutureCem concrete, which reduces CO

Sjakket Youth Club is situated in Copenhagen&#;s Nordvest neighborhood, densely populated with old industrial buildings and contemporary housing. In , when BIG and JDS were hired to convert the building, the area was mainly populated by lower income households and immigrant families. BIG decided to refurbish the factory without gentrifying its raw beauty and alienating its original occupants.

The prefabricated elements are stacked in a way that allows every second module an extra meter of room height. By gently adjusting the modules, the living areas open more towards the courtyard while curving the linear block away from the street to expand the sidewalk into a public square. The resulting checkered pattern becomes the trademark of the building. Economical constraints often lead to scarcity — at Dortheavej, BIG managed to create added value for the individual as well as the community.