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Type: Office | Scope: Interiors, Terrace
Client: Boroda Project Creative Agency
Location: Lukov Lane, Moscow
Year: 2019 | Area: 650 sq m
Status: Concept

Friends is a creative agency with a strong portfolio of award-winning projects. Its office is located in a quiet lane in Moscow’s historic center, occupying two adjacent attic-level spaces and an expansive usable rooftop.
As the firm continued to grow, the existing layout no longer supported new workflows and formats. Rather than relocating, the client chose to expand within the building by taking over neighboring areas, allowing the studio to remain in its familiar context while occupying the entire floor. The space offered clear advantages: generous double-height volumes with complex pitched ceilings, abundant daylight through large glazing, and direct access to the roof. At the same time, it suffered from fragmentation, outdated engineering systems, and planning solutions shaped by multiple renovations over previous decades. Careful analysis revealed an opportunity to seamlessly unite three previously isolated sections into a single, cohesive environment.

The new office reflects its flexible working model, where most employees operate without fixed desks. Instead, the layout is organized around a mix of hot desks, private zones, informal lounge seating, and a wide range of meeting rooms, alongside adaptable spaces for events, screenings, and educational programs.
The interior is conceived as a visually continuous structure wrapped in a restrained monochrome architectural shell. Key functions are integrated into sculptural elements that guide movement, encourage interaction, and support collaboration — from a large shared library and window-side tribune to oversized worktables, a coffee-point chill-out zone, and a circular restroom volume. Rather than standing apart, these elements dissolve into the architecture, reinforcing a sense of unity.
Material choices prioritize durability, adaptability, and ease of maintenance. Surfaces accommodate concealed storage and engineering systems, projection and writable walls, and provide a neutral backdrop for art and graphic work.
A generous rooftop terrace completes the project, acting as an open-air extension of the workspace. Used for collaborative sessions, informal meetings, sports, and evening gatherings, it plays an essential role in the agency’s everyday life and culture, reinforcing the idea of the office as a flexible, social, and living environment.

Project team: Evgeniy Shchetinkin, Polina Nikolaeva, Elizaveta Semeonova