EF Corporation is an office project located on the 7th floor of the Dream Plaza building on Centenario Avenue in Panama City. The project has 2,300 m2, which are divided into work areas, an events area, phone booths, a cafeteria, a kitchen, closed offices, and meeting rooms.
EF Education First (EF) is a leading global language and educational exchange company that has distinguished itself through its commitment to “opening the world through education.” With offices around the world, its Panama headquarters was designed by EF’s in-house team, highlighting architectural principles such as symmetry, rhythm, and repetition.
The distribution of spaces was established based on the existing architecture, centering each area between columns and/or aligning it with existing facades, except in certain closed meeting rooms, where a subtle play of heights was explored to maintain harmony and rhythm. The main inspiration for the design was molas (indigenous Kuna fabric in Panama) and containers. both of which played an essential role in the choice of materials and textures used in the project. These are mainly reflected in the contrast of floors, such as the square Tabula Poesía ceramic tiles in two color ranges, or the Desso-Verso modular carpet, which in turn is a clear reflection of the patterns and natural fibers found in the Panamanian landscape.
AEI Spaces’ collaboration on this project was fundamentally strategic, contributing its experience in interior architecture to the design. The company used its technical knowledge to adapt the design to local materials, planning and providing essential support for the construction and implementation of the entire design proposed on site. The starting point was a draft sent by the EF design team, which was developed in collaboration with the client as the stages and requirements were completed.
