Studio Farris Architects has integrated an office into a staircase made from stacked timber beams, and installed it inside a renovated barn in West Flanders, Belgium (+ slideshow).

To make the addition appear visually separate from the simple, gabled form of the barn, Antwerp-based Studio Farris developed a tower of wooden beams that resembles a giant version of wooden game Jenga.
The structure incorporates a staircase, mezzanine office, meeting space and bookshelves ? tapping into the growing trend for staircases with additional functions.

"Instead of creating an extra floor in the existing volume that would take away the perception of the whole space, an autonomous furniture object was placed into the space, referring to the original farm and rural area," explained studio founder Giuseppe Farris.
"This extra object made out of stacked up wooden beams transforms the space into a very functional office. The wooden beams are piled up in such a way that different spaces arise," he added.

Related story: Suspended staircase combined with desk and storage space by Mieke Meijer

"The stacked beams become the library, bookshelves, storage room, and resting and reading area."

A platform on top of the stacked structure hosts an office with two workspaces, while cupboards and shelves are integrated into the overhangs of various steps.

Beneath the office mezzanine, there is a separate meeting area with floor-to-ceiling glazing tha...