CARDON FILM STUDIO

Year: 2025 Design & Honor Awards | Category: Built Under 5,000 SF

The Cardon Film Studio re-imagines a derelict lot in Decatur’s Downtown District into a center of creativity for the Motion Picture Arts. Celebrating the owner’s childhood home & culture, the plan was inspired by the Spanish Colonial courtyard blocks of Granada, Nicaragua. The lobby, workspace, break kitchen and film studio are centered around a vibrant courtyard, providing views, light and a natural gathering place. This layout enhances visibility and accessibility, inviting employees to step outside of their typical working environments while fostering a building-centric sense of community that extends past its walls into the greater Downtown Decatur community.

Design Challenge

In an increasingly digital world, many organizations face the challenge of fostering creativity and collaboration among team members while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. One significant aspect of this challenge is the need for a workspace that encourages interaction without becoming overwhelming. This is especially important in the field of Motion Picture Arts, which involves several fields of expertise and phases of development.

Informed by the owner’s childhood Nicaraguan architecture, the lobby, workspace, break kitchen and film studio are centered around a vibrant courtyard, providing views, light and a natural welcoming space for individual, team, and social gathering. Large windows and glass walls provide abundant natural light while creating a seamless connection between the interior and outdoor workspace, promoting well-being, reducing stress, and inviting employees to step outside of their typical working environments. This flexibility allows employees to choose settings that enhance their productivity and collaboration.

Planting surrounding the courtyard creates a calming atmosphere, contributing to a more serene working environment. The operable overhead doors provide a greater connection while capturing cross breezes, reducing energy consumption on pleasant days. The building’s rainwater is collected and directed into the landscape beds, nourishing the plants and filtering the water before being carried out to the storm system.

By addressing the challenge of collaboration and work-life balance through these innovative design features, the courtyard creates an engaging natural environment that encourages both individual and collective creativity while fostering a building-centric sense of community extending past its walls into the greater Downtown Decatur Community.

Firm
OFFICE OF DESIGN

Project Location
DECATUR, GA

Completion Date
12/20/2024

Architects and Designers
ERI LEVIN
FILM PRODUCER
CARDON FILMS

Landscape
BRUNSON & COMPANY LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS

General Contractor
FORGAY PASSARELLA CONTRACTORS

Additional Team 

PARADIGM ENGINEERING SERVICES
WESTSIDE ENGINEERING
STABILITY ENGINEERING

Photographer
ERICSUNPHOTOGRAPHY