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    Co-working venture Patch offers “an exciting alternative to your kitchen table” says Paloma Strelitz

    Co-working spaces that allow people to “work near home” can reinvigorate local towns and high streets, explains Paloma Strelitz of new workspace brand Patch in this interview.

    Previously a co-founder of Turner Prize-winning architecture collective Assemble, architect Strelitz is now creative director and head of product for Patch, which is creating co-working spaces in satellite towns rather than in city centre locations.
    Patch hopes to attract people who, since the pandemic, are re-evaluating their work-life balance and are less willing to commute.
    Paloma Strelitz is creative director and head of product for Patch. Photo is by Philipp Ebeling”I think there has been a big shift in what people want from work and life through Covid, with people reevaluating their career paths and deciding that now is the time to set up on their own,” said Strelitz.
    The architect, who is also a judge for Dezeen Awards 2022, believes these workspaces can boost the local economies of towns and neighbourhoods in the commuter belt.

    Reinvention of the high street
    “There are huge opportunities around the reinvention of the high street,” she told Dezeen.
    “We want people to be on their local high streets in the middle of the day, supporting local businesses instead of spending their money in places like Canary Wharf.”

    Colourful shingles front Assemble’s Yardhouse studios for east London creatives

    Strelitz sees working near home as a superior option to both commuting and working from home, as it offers the best of both worlds. It means keeping home and work lives separate, but retaining the flexibility of remote working.
    “We’re saying to people, we are an exciting alternative to your kitchen table,” Strelitz said.
    Improved work-life balance
    “Your kitchen table might be great once or twice a week, but there are huge positives of being part of a community like Patch,” she continued.
    “At a personal level, it contributes to a better balance between work and life, enabling people to achieve their professional goals and spend more time with friends, family and in their local community.”
    Patch’s first venue is in Chelmsford, a satellite town in Essex. Photo is by Philipp EbelingPatch was founded by entrepreneur Freddie Fforde and recently opened its first co-working space in Chelmsford, a commuter town located 30 miles northeast of London in Essex.
    Occupying a converted Victorian brewery, it is designed as a visible presence in the town centre.
    As well as workspaces, the venue includes publicly accessible facilities that include a library and learning space, an events space and a flexible cafe/bar. There’s also a kid’s zone to make life easier for members with children.
    “Public access is important; it’s important to draw people in and make anything that’s shared as visible and celebrated as possible,” said Strelitz.
    Work near home trend
    According to Strelitz, towns like Chelmsford are typically lacking in the provision of high-quality, co-working spaces and cultural venues in the town centre.
    “The idea of having quality workspace and an exciting professional community on your local high street is not as common as you might think,” she said.
    Patch is based on the concept of “work near home” rather than commuting. Photo is by Philipp EbelingThe aim is for Patch Chelmsford to become a prototype for the work-near-home concept. The brand plans to open more venues in other satellite towns in the near future.
    “We’re looking towards the idea of there being a Patch on every high street; our aim is to become the new anchor of the high street,” she said.
    Workspace central to placemaking
    The design draws on Strelitz’s experience with Assemble, which saw her and colleagues create cultural venues that aimed to positively impact local communities.
    Projects like temporary canal-side cinema Folly for a Flyover and shared garden Granby Winter Garden broke the mould of how architects can impact placemaking.
    A rolling events programme supports local culture and enterprise. Photo is by Philipp EbelingShe believes Patch can be equally disruptive, especially as it has a greater ability to scale up than Assemble’s projects.
    “My projects with Assemble were effectively all independent commissions, but what we’re doing with Patch is really learning as we go along and evolving in response.”
    Read on for an edited transcript of the interview:
    Amy Frearson: What is the concept behind Patch?
    Paloma Strelitz: Patch is a startup with a vision to create the new ‘work near home’ world. That means going to towns and areas outside of central London, particularly places with big residential communities, where people would traditionally commute into the city. We create really exciting spaces on the high street so that people can work closer to home.
    Amy Frearson: Can you explain your vision for work near home, and the benefits it can bring?
    Paloma Strelitz: Work near home is a vision for a sustainable work ecosystem that gives people access to space, resources and community close to where they live. At a personal level, it contributes to a better balance between work and life, enabling people to achieve their professional goals and spend more time with friends, family and in their local community. It also promotes investment in local economies, from accessible work opportunities to increased footfall for local businesses and high streets. We want people to be on their local high streets in the middle of the day, supporting local businesses instead of spending their money in places like Canary Wharf.
    Amy Frearson: Aside from the economic benefits, what opportunities can Work from Home bring to local high streets?
    Paloma Strelitz: There are huge opportunities around the reinvention of the high street. Our aim is to find really characterful buildings and turn them into exciting places to work locally. They can also become dynamic, attractive spaces for hosting local cultural events.
    In our first space, in Chelmsford, the ground floor is a family of public spaces that includes a reception/library, a flexible events space and a cafe/bar space for the Patch community. In many ways, this is the prototype for how we see Patch and the work near home world growing. We’re looking towards the idea of there being a Patch on every high street; our aim is to become the new anchor of the high street. We’re looking towards the empty Debenhams buildings and asking, what could work near home look like if it was occupying a former department store? Could it become a more complex ecosystem of uses?
    Patch Chelmsford occupies a former brewery in the town centre. Photo is by Philipp EbelingAmy Frearson: How and why did you get involved in Patch?
    Paloma Strelitz: I had a brilliant and rewarding experience as a co-founder of Assemble; we worked on some highly bespoke, very meaningful one-off projects. People then started saying things to me like, when is Assemble going to design an airport? I always thought, I’m never going to design an airport. But I was interested in this idea of scale, specifically how you scale impact and reach.
    I was then awarded a Loeb fellowship at Harvard, which gave me an amazing opportunity to be immersed in different disciplinary environments and perspectives. It got me thinking about what happens when different kinds of professional worlds come together and how they can learn from each other.
    Then I met Freddie Fforde, the founder and CEO of Patch. I read his manifesto and thought it sounded exciting. It felt like a really interesting way to build on the experience I had from Assemble, of creating impactful cultural venues, and bringing in learnings from the startup and tech worlds to create something meaningful and community-driven.
    Amy Frearson: What is different about Patch, compared with other co-working spaces outside of London?
    Paloma Strelitz: There are a few things to say here. Firstly I think it is important to remember that, while there are a lot of co-working environments in London, that isn’t reflective of the rest of the UK. There obviously are exceptions, in other big cities like Manchester, or places like Brighton, but mostly it’s not the same picture. You have old-fashioned examples like Regis, normally located right next to the train station with the idea that you’d be wanting to leave that place as soon as possible. What you get a lot more rarely is the idea of the workspace and local industry as central to placemaking. In the places we’ve been looking at, none had good examples. The idea of having quality workspace and an exciting professional community on your local high street is not as common as you might think.
    Secondly, you get some very exciting dynamics when people are drawn together by the communities that they live in, rather than a shared work purpose. There are huge opportunities for collaborative projects or purposes, which is already how we’re seeing Patch used. There is a high intensity of local groups looking to, for example, promote women in business in Chelmsford, or to build on the area’s cultural vision.
    I think there’s also a third point around public access to cultural venues, which again is common in central London but not elsewhere. Chelmsford is a good example of a place where there are very few high quality, exciting cultural venues where people can come together and meet. There’s a real demand for interesting spaces for people to gather.
    A cafe/bar provides a venue for talks and events. Photo is by Georgia RandupAmy Frearson: What does this kind of workspace look like? How do you create spaces that foster local communities and collaboration?
    Paloma Strelitz: Public access is important. Most workspace environments are still fairly private unless you’re a paid-for member. It’s important to draw people in and make anything that’s shared as visible and celebrated as possible. You also have to think about what it means for people to work close to home and what needs they might have. What are their reasons for not wanting to commute? That list is long, but one example is proximity to family. So one thing we’re really keen to do is to support people who have families to have a better work/life balance. In our space in Chelmsford we’ve set up a kid’s corner, as we want the workspace to be a place where parents can bring their children and where children also feel welcome.
    Amy Frearson: What kind of buildings do you want Patch to occupy?
    Paloma Strelitz: We are looking for buildings that have a sense of civic value. Our Chelmsford space is in a former Victorian brewery right in the centre of town. It was previously a restaurant that went out of business, but the story of the building’s identity was not being told in that use. For us there’s a certain joy in being able to retell that story by sourcing archival images and original beer labels, and then physically opening up that space.
    We want to create venues that are enticing and exciting, particularly for people who are less used to co-working. We’re saying to people, we are an exciting alternative to your kitchen table. Your kitchen table might be great once or twice a week, but professionally and socially there are huge positives of being part of a community like Patch.
    Amy Frearson: Could the Patch model have existed before Covid-19, or do you see it as a direct response to the pandemic shift towards working from home?
    Paloma Strelitz: I think we’ve been on a long journey to this point and Covid just accelerated trends we were already seeing. But there are a huge number of moving parts here. There would always have been ambitious local SMEs (small and mid-size enterprises) looking for spaces to operate in, but now there are also huge numbers of people who would have traditionally commuted five days a week. Anecdotally, I think there has been a big shift in what people want from work and life through Covid, with people reevaluating their career paths and deciding that now is the time to set up on their own.
    A flexible events space can be used for a range of activities. Photo is by Philipp EbelingAmy Frearson: Patch’s approach is in contrast with established co-working brands like WeWork, who since the pandemic are prioritising high-density, city-centre locations. Could your approach be a risky one?
    Paloma Strelitz: We have a pluralistic viewpoint, which is to say there isn’t going to be one singular way that people are going to work. I think the future is hybrid. I do see the case for big, central hubs located close to major stations, where people might converge once or twice a week. But I don’t think that it’s going to be five days a week anymore, so for those people who work for large, centralised companies, what does the rest of their time look like? I think we’re going to have a number of new solutions, a mosaic of different workspace offerings. But while companies like WeWork are less interested in the local, we see our interests really aligned with local councils and ideas around decentralisation. We’re trying to counteract the endless pull of London.
    Amy Frearson: Are you planning to repeat certain elements in each Patch, or do you want each one to feel tailor-made for its location?
    Paloma Strelitz: We’re still working out the formula. One thing that we’re really interested in is how Patch can become a launchpad for local enterprise and new ideas, and retail might be a component of that. One idea is that we work with local independent retailers. Another idea is that we find ways of giving visibility to exciting startups from London that are looking for an audience in a place like Chelmsford. For example, we’re partnering with a toy subscription company called Whirli on our kid’s corner. For us, this idea of local innovation is really critical.
    Amy Frearson: What are your ambitions for Patch going forward?
    Paloma Strelitz: Right now we’re looking towards our second and third sites, which are not yet confirmed. Each context is going to bring up new opportunities and questions. We think of Patch as a family, which is an interesting analogy because it speaks about things that share the same DNA but might have a radically different identity. What Patch looks like in Chelmsford might be very different to what it might look like in Margate or Guildford. We want to make sure that in each place we’re building a platform to celebrate and elevate what’s already there. It’s about creating spaces that are meaningfully shared but also distinctive.
    My projects with Assemble were effectively all independent commissions, but what we’re doing with Patch is really learning as we go along and evolving in response. It’s a very interesting and different dynamic, particularly if we go back to that earlier point about scale and what it means to do a bigger project. I don’t think it’s about a physically bigger project, I think it’s about a more meaningfully distributed project.

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    Luke Fry squeezes extension behind bungalow in Melbourne

    At the back of a narrow Edwardian bungalow in Melbourne, the studio of Australian architect Luke Fry has added a contemporary extension with greyscale interiors.

    The semi-detached bungalow, called Ripponlea House, is set down a tree-lined street in the titular Melbourne suburb and belongs to a young family.
    The owners initially wanted to turn their home into a two-storey property. But, undeterred by the bungalow’s small footprint, Fry instead opted for establishing better quality living spaces at ground level.
    Luke Fry’s Ripponlea extension features an open living and dining areaThe studio knocked down the entire rear of the house, preserving only a couple of rooms at the front of the plan.
    In its place now stands a lengthy volume that accommodates a dining-cum-living area, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom.

    A grey linen sofa and a couple of boucle armchairs lie at the heart of the lounge, accompanied by a wood burner and low-lying bench.
    The kitchen and dining area adjoin a smaller internal courtyardThe space is fronted by expansive three-by-three-metre glass doors that had to be lifted onto the site by crane.
    These can be slid back to grant the owners access to a paved garden with an L-shaped concrete seat in its corner, which is inset with a greenery-filled planter.
    To further amplify the home’s connection with the outdoors, Fry created a couple of smaller internal courtyards including one adjoining the kitchen.
    Durable materials like oak and stone can be seen throughout the interior”We focused on maximising the tight single-fronted site as best we could by carving courtyards into the building to enhance natural light and its connection to the landscape,” Fry explained.
    “The design, both internally and externally, is one that creates a sense of calm.”

    Conrad Architects completes marble-clad home overlooking Melbourne skyline

    The kitchen features oak cabinetry and a stone-topped island – materials that the studio says are timeless and durable. Oakwood also lines sections of the floor, while most of the brick walls were simply washed with plaster and sealed with wax.
    A corridor punctuated with a circular skylight leads through to the extension’s moody bedroom, which is decked out exclusively in grey tones.
    Grey tones permeate the bedroomIn the adjacent bathroom, an oak-framed washstand sits across from a deep-set concrete tub.
    “It’s hard for me to look past the concrete rendered bath as my favourite element,” Fry explained. “It was experimental for us and something which we are truly proud of.”
    A concrete tub features in the bathroomLuke Fry founded his eponymous studio in 2014.
    Ripponlea House joins a number of other design-focused homes in Melbourne including the Grange Residence by Conrad Architects, which is clad in acid-etched marble, and Pony by Wowowa, which features a scalloped metal roof.
    The photography is by Timothy Kaye.
    Project credits:
    Architecture: Luke Fry Architecture and Interior DesignBuilder: Cote Constructions

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    Ten homes with welcoming terraces to spend a summer night on

    For our latest lookbook, we’ve rounded up 10 homes from the Dezeen archive with inviting, inventive or unusual terraces each offering a pleasant place to while away a warm evening.

    Terraces can be an effective, low-maintenance way to provide an outdoor spot for relaxing or entertaining without requiring an abundance of space. Typically they take the form of a raised, flat outdoor area adjoining a building.
    The examples collected below range from the fairly familiar to the distinctly unconventional, including roof terraces, back garden terraces and enclosed terraces.
    This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing homes centred around interior courtyards, interiors with conversation pits and buildings that make use of Mediterranean-style tiling.
    Photo is by Alex Shoots BuildingsTerrace with a House by the Lake, Poland, by UGO

    Sliding doors open onto a 120-metre-long wooden terrace enclosed by this U-shaped holiday home, designed by Polish architecture studio UGO to create the feeling of being immersed in the rural surroundings.
    “Its slightly raised platform was intended to allow the household members to commune with nature, without interfering with it,” UGO said of the terrace, which is lined with Siberian larch.
    Find out more about Terrace with a House by the Lake ›
    Photo is by Markus LinderothVilla MSV, Sweden, by Johan Sundberg Arkitektur
    This T-shaped house in southern Sweden, designed by Lund-based studio Johan Sundberg Arkitektur, has not one but three terraces around its living spaces so its users can follow the sun throughout the day.
    They are shaded by canopies made from zinc and larch with varying sizes and forms to respond to the direction of the sun, some with timber slats to filter light and others blocking it out completely.
    Find out more about Villa MSV ›
    Photo is by Marie-Caroline LucatMaison 0.82, France, by Pascual Architect
    A huge, round hole punctures the concrete roof above this terrace at a villa in southern France by Pascual Architect, causing a shaft of light to move across the space during the day.
    Wooden benches and a dining table occupy the patio, which wraps around the southern side of the house and is accessed by floor-to-ceiling glass doors.
    Find out more about Maison 0.82 ›
    Photo is by Ståle EriksenNorth London House, UK, by Cathie Curran and O’Sullivan Skoufoglou Architects
    As part of their overhaul of this house in north London, Cathie Curran and O’Sullivan Skoufoglou Architects added a roof terrace connected to the kitchen and dining room on the first floor.
    In order to retain privacy from the windows of neighbouring houses, the 18-square-metre terrace is lined on three sides with a series of solid-ash posts supporting opaque glazing.
    Find out more about North London House ›
    Photo is by Filippo PoliFuzzy House, Thailand, by SO
    Architecture practice SO topped this bunker-like concrete house in the Thai city of Chiang Mai with a stepped terrace where residents can sit and look out over the square below.
    Inside, the shape of the rooftop terrace forms a stepped ceiling peppered with skylights above the living area and bedroom.
    Find out more about Fuzzy House ›
    Photo is by Yasuhiro TakagiWeather House, Japan, by Not Architects
    External staircases wrap around two sides of this three-storey corner house in Tokyo designed by Not Architects Studio, creating multiple terraces linked to the home’s open-plan living areas by sliding doors.
    These outdoor living spaces are screened with chain-link wire mesh, up which plants will eventually climb to form a layer of vegetation offering privacy from the outside world.
    Find out more about Weather House ›
    Photo is by French + TyeAmott Road house, UK, by Alexander Owen Architecture
    Alexander Owen Architecture added a colourful terrace to the back garden of this house in London, attached to the kitchen by arched double doors.
    It was informed by the owners’ love of modernism and pop art including Jasper Johns, Peter Blake and Terry Frost, with geometric shapes and bold pigments.
    Find out more about this Amott Road house ›
    Photo is by Ivar KaalVilla Aa, Norway, by CF Møller Architects
    Villa Aa, designed by Danish studio CF Møller Architects, is a 375-square-metre home half-buried in a shallow hill on a Norwegian farm overlooking a nearby fjord.
    A pair of stepped terraces with almost double the footprint of the villa’s entire interior sit alongside the house. One is occupied by planted beds and seating and the other, lower terrace comprises a rainwater pool and a swimming pool.
    Find out more about Villa Aa ›
    Photo is by ONI StudioPortable Cabin, Poland, by Wiercinski Studio
    This 25-square-metre roof terrace emerges out of a portable house made from two shipping containers stacked on top of another two containers used for garden storage.
    Polish practice Wiercinski Studio decked the terrace, which has views over a nearby river, and wrapped it in a curved metal balustrade.
    Find out more about Portable Cabin ›
    Photo is by Adriâ Goulá.Curved House, Menorca, by Nomo Studio
    Architects Nomo Studio suspended this terrace in the top of a cube-shaped Menorcan villa which is arranged over six stepped levels on a small footprint.
    Two sides of the terracotta-tiled patio are fully glazed, allowing sunlight to flood down into the home’s interior while keeping the outdoor space sheltered enough to use for stargazing or open-air film screenings.
    Find out more about Curved House ›
    This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing homes centred around interior courtyards, interiors with conversation pits and buildings that make use of Mediterranean-style tiling.

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    Frank Architecture creates intimate setting for Calgary's Lonely Mouth noodle bar

    Canadian studio Frank Architecture has designed a Japanese restaurant in Calgary where wood panelling, low lighting and corduroy-upholstered chairs all contribute to a cosy atmosphere.

    The Lonely Mouth bar and restaurant is named in reference to the Japanese concept of kuchisabishii, which means “when you’re not hungry, but you eat because your mouth is lonely”.
    A screen of wooden dowels divides the bar and restaurants areas at Lonely MouthFound at the eastern end of Calgary’s 17 Avenue commercial strip, only a few blocks from Frank Architecture’s studio in the city, the bar serves udon made in-house and boasts an extensive sake selection.
    “Lonely Mouth is a place where tradition meets innovation,” said the team at Frank Architecture. “They offer a carefree and interactive dining experience, featuring a dynamic and playful menu with modern and energetic flavours.”
    Wood panelling lines the rooms above built-in banquette seatingFor the interiors, the designers chose a warm palette of green and brown tones, along with textured plaster and soft upholstery to create an intimate atmosphere.

    “Inspired by Japanese minimalism, the interior takes a ‘less is more’ approach,” the team said. “The design is very restrained.”
    A trio of spherical lights hang above the central row of tablesA screen of wooden dowels divides the bar and dining spaces, adding to the sense of intimacy. The restaurant’s noodle maker can be seen working in the bar area, allowing guests to watch their food being prepared.
    Shelving behind the bar, which displays the sake collection, was built using wood salvaged during the renovation of the space.
    Green and blue upholstery complements the warm wood tonesAlong the sides of the main dining area runs built-in seating with blue-fabric backs.
    Wood panelling above is decorated with works by local artists Rhys Douglas Farrell, and Harry Kiyooka, who died aged 94 earlier this month.

    Sarah Ward references 1920s Shanghai at Two Penny Chinese

    Wooden tables form rows beside the banquettes, with an additional line through the middle of the room.
    Diners at these central tables sit on chairs covered in brown velvet corduroy, while other seats are upholstered in green fabric.
    Sake is displayed on repurposed shelves behind the barA trio of spherical, paper pendant lamps cast a dim glow into the restaurant, assisted by spotlights, fringed table lamps and candles in setting the mood.
    “Light levels are dimmed and offer a soft, even glow to diners,” the team said.
    Textured plaster walls and fringed artworks are found near the entranceFrank Architecture was established in 2009 by principals Kelly Morrison, Kate Allen and Kristen Lien.
    Along with Calgary, the firm has an office in Banff and was longlisted for interior design studio of the year at the 2021 Dezeen Awards.
    The photography is by Chris Amat.

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    Ten social kitchen interiors with built-in seating nooks

    For our latest lookbook, we’ve rounded up ten kitchens that integrated seating – from window seats with garden views to benches that double up as vinyl storage.

    Dezeen’s lookbook series provides curated visual inspiration from our image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing textured plaster walls, sculptural staircases and basement conversions.

    Birkedal, Denmark, by Jan Henrik Jansen
    On the Danish island of Møn, architect Jan Henrik Jansen designed a cluster of nine cylindrical holiday homes covered in spruce logs in the hopes of bringing guests closer to their rural environment.
    Here, windows seats are nestled into the curvature of each cabin while pebbles collected from a nearby beach line the floors.

    Find out more about Birkedal ›

    Grove Park, England, by O’Sullivan Skoufoglou Architects
    O’Sullivan Skoufoglou Architects added a huge picture window to the kitchen of this gardeners’ home to provide varied views of the greenery and the wild woodland outside.
    A comfy seating nook is integrated into its deep-set frame, finished in the same pale ash veneer that panels the rest of the interior.
    Find out more about Grove Park ›

    AR Residence, England, DeDraft
    A concrete bench seat sits opposite the dining table in this London home, measuring just high enough to store the owner’s collection of vinyl records underneath.
    Materials throughout the interior follow a muted natural palette, featuring large-format concrete tiles, exposed Douglas fir roof joists and lacquered-pine window mullions.
    Find out more about AR Residence ›

    Coastal Retreat, USA, by Malcolm Davis Architecture
    Plywood covers the double-height interior of this holiday home, forming a seating nook with integrated shelving that connects the elevated kitchen to the living space beyond.
    Set in California’s Sea Ranch community, which is celebrated as one of the best collections of modernist architecture on America’s West Coast, the house was arranged around views of the rugged coastline.
    Find out more about Coastal Retreat ›

    Low Energy House, England, by Architecture for London
    Original Edwardian details including structural masonry walls and timber roof beams were retained and exposed in this renovation and extension project in London.
    This is complemented by a windows seat made from chunky limestone, which is placed opposite a kitchen counter honed out of the same material to make cooking a more social and communal experience.
    Find out more about Low Energy House ›

    Flitch House, Scotland, by Oliver Chapman Architects
    Timber steps with an integrated bench seat lead up to the kitchen and dining area in this garden room extension, which Oliver Chapman Architects added to a 19th century, Arts and Crafts-style home in Edinburgh.
    To the right of the steps, a sofa and bookshelf help to round off the reading nook with views over the Firth of Forth estuary.
    Find out more about Flitch House ›

    Mo-tel House, England, by Office S&M
    A pink timber volume shaped to look like a house works triple duty as a dining bench, seating nook and storage unit in this open-plan kitchen designed by Office S&M.
    The interior brims with bright colours and recycled materials, including lampshades made from crushed bricks and bathroom counters made of melted milk bottles and chopping boards.
    Find out more about Mo-tel House ›

    Landaburu Borda, Spain, by Jordi Hidalgo Tané
    Spanish studio Jordi Hidalgo Tané nestled this underground house extension into a hillside in the Navarra mountains so as not to disrupt its dramatic setting.
    A deep concrete sill covered with potted plants runs along the length of the structure and doubles as a seating area for admiring the views.
    Find out more about Landaburu Borda ›

    Dollis Hill Avenue, England, by Thomas-McBrien
    Thomas-McBrien inserted an oak-panelled volume into this London house extension, which hides a utility room behind a secret door as well as accomodating a small seating area with views over the garden.
    “The insertion of a deep seating alcove in the joinery offers a comfortable, sheltered enclosure – a perfect place to read and relax,” the studio explained.
    Find out more about Dollis Hill Avenue ›

    Victorian terraced house, England, Matthew Giles Architects
    White oak joinery and varied floor levels break up the open-plan ground floor of this Victorian terraced house renovated by Matthew Giles Architects.
    The owners now enter their sunken kitchen through a reading area with a built-in bookcase and a bench seat surrounded by railings.
    Find out more about this terraced house ›
    This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing textured plaster walls, sculptural staircases and basement conversions.

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    Superette models playful cannabis dispensary on Italian deli

    Green and beige checkerboard flooring, deli props and tomato red hues feature in this marijuana dispensary in Toronto, designed by Superette’s in-house design team.

    Named The Annex after its location within the Annex neighbourhood of Toronto, the latest marijuana store by Superette is a 500-square-foot cannabis dispensary-cum-hangout space for local young adults.
    The exterior of The Annex cannabis dispensary has green and beige striped awningsIt sits a few blocks away from two college campuses, the University of Toronto’s St. George campus and George Brown College’s Casa Loma campus.
    For the new space, the company turned to the “convivial spirit” of the college canteen for inspiration, aiming to appeal to the student demographic walking through its doors.

    The same retro colour and pattern theme is continued inside”Taking design cues from the convivial spirit of the college canteen, The Annex offers a one of a kind experience where students aged 19 and above can conveniently purchase and consume cannabis, as well as work and socialize,” said the brand.
    “This highly nostalgic and immersive space is rooted in one of our favourite communities.”
    Marijuana paraphernalia and cool drinks are displayed on lime green shelvesFull of entertaining colours and quirky objects, The Annex’s floors are covered in green and white square tiles which match the awnings on the store’s exterior.
    Marijuana products are displayed on lime green walls and shelves while contrasting splashes of tomato red was used for the stools and hanging pendant lights.
    The designers drew on the nostalgic interiors of a classic Italian deliSuperette is French for mini supermarket and all of the brand’s shops take cues from retro-themed eateries like old school diners and bodegas.
    The Annex takes cues from an Italian deli.

    Superette cannabis dispensary in Toronto resembles a retro grocery store

    A deli counter at the back of the store contains an array of pre-rolled joints and different strains and strengths of cannabis, while stools designed to recall a canteen are positioned next to the windows.
    “All of our shops pay homage to similarly familiar and nostalgic retail environments from diners, bodegas, to flower shops, and subway newsstands,” said the brand.
    They hope that the jovial design attracts local studentsAlongside pre-rolled marijuana joints and cannabis, customers can purchase cannabis paraphernalia including bongs, ashtrays and lighters. They can also peruse a selection of other homeware items such as candles and mugs.
    A slew of dispensaries have cropped up in the city of Toronto following the legalisation of marijuana in Canada.
    Among these is a minimal store by architecture studio StudioAC that has sheets of industrial grating over the product displays and a dispensary with mirrored ceilings by Toronto-based designer Paolo Ferrari.
    The photography is courtesy of Superette.

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    Space Perspective reveals design for “world's first” space lounge

    Space tourism company Space Perspective has revealed the interior design for its lounge-style travel capsule, which will be hauled into the stratosphere by a giant balloon.

    Created in-house for the company’s Spaceship Neptune, the cabin has room for up to eight passengers.
    Space Perspective has dubbed it “the world’s first space lounge” and said it wanted the interior to be distinct from typical spacecraft, with elements such as reclining and reconfigurable seats, plants and sustainable materials and a small cocktail bar.
    It will form the interior of a pressurised capsule attached to a high-performance balloon and was designed to give the maximum view of its surroundings.
    The space lounge is located within the Spaceship Neptune capsule, which is lifted via a giant balloon”Our mission is to inspire Space Explorers to connect more closely with our planet and each other, and the environment in which they travel with us is central to this,” said Space Perspective co-founder, co-CEO and chief experience officer Jane Poynter.

    “Our Space Lounge is a world away from the white, utilitarian environments you find in other spacecraft.”
    The Neptune space lounge is wrapped in 1.5-metre-high panoramic windows that Space Perspective says are the largest windows ever flown to space, and which it claims will provide a view that appears seamless to the human eye.
    The lounge is designed to optimise the viewing experience of the Spaceship Neptune’s six-hour space flightThe main purpose of the interior design is to support the enjoyment of this view. The seats can be reconfigured to host activities such as an intimate dinner for two or a small party, while the centre of the capsule is kept open to accommodate group photography.
    A separate bar area with multiple windows and a different look and feel gives guests a destination to explore beyond their seats.
    The design team physically trialled hundreds of layouts within a mockup before landing on the final configuration.
    “The biggest challenge of designing the interior was to create a multipurpose space that gives users the flexibility to not only sit and enjoy the view but celebrate and share with others,” Space Perspective co-founder, co-CEO and CTO Taber MacCallum, who oversees the in-house design team, told Dezeen.
    The space lounge’s seating can be reconfigured for different occasions and moods”We worked hard within the footprint to make the space feel as large and generous as possible, and this is accentuated by the domed ceiling that makes the space feel airy and luxurious,” he continued.
    “We’ve also added a multitude of activities for explorers during the flight, including a telescope, podcasts from astronauts, cameras on the inside and outside, small molecular gastronomy meals and inventive space cocktails.”

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    To reduce reflections in the windows and visual glare from the intensity of the light at full altitude – 100,000 feet up – there is a dark, muted, blue-based colour palette, enhanced by RGB lighting.
    “Our colour palette is a reflection of the view outside, with astronauts reporting having seen extremely vivid blues and purples at this altitude,” MacCallum said.
    The space lounge is decorated in a muted colour palette on the blue spectrum to avoid reflection and glare”We wanted to create a space that feels both feels warm and homely, but still adventurous and out of this world,” he added.
    While some of the decor is tech-focused, such as an overhead “doughnut” screen displaying information, there are also domestic touches such as floor lamps, plants and herbs including lavender, basil and rosemary, which will be used in the food and drinks.
    The materials chosen are soft and tactile, with a focus on sustainability that mirrors Space Perspective’s mission to limit environmental impact, as its hydrogen balloon technology avoids the high greenhouse gas emissions typically associated with space travel.
    The separate bar area includes a telescopeThe bar top is made from proprietary materials recycled from the company’s SpaceBalloon, while the interior is lined with soft, padded, insulating recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate) microcloth, and the lounge seats are upholstered in all-natural wool.
    Copper details are intended to bring warmth and were also chosen for their resistance to bacteria. They echo the copper tone on Neptune’s exterior windows, which helps to reduce light intensity.
    The cabin has 360-degree panoramic windowsSpace Perspective has also announced the appointment of David Grutman, who created The Goodtime Hotel with musician Pharrell Williams, as its”experience curator”.
    He will advise on the overall experience design, as well as customisation possibilities for occasions such as birthdays and corporate getaways.
    Space Perspective’s six-hour space flights will lift off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with tickets prices set at $125,000 per person. The company expects to commence commercial flights in late 2024 and places are already sold out for the first year.
    The exterior of the two-part spacecraft was designed by PriestmanGoode and revealed in 2020.

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    Norm Architects designs spa-like dental clinic modelled on art galleries

    Warm oak and smooth concrete are among the materials that Danish studio Norm Architects used to create the interiors for this Antwerp dental surgery, which aims to defy traditional, more clinical designs.

    The clinic, called Dentology+, is spread over a cavernous basement area and a ground-floor level. Both have been clad in a neutral material palette that was designed to evoke a sense of calm.
    The dental clinic was designed to defy traditional medical interiorsThe private dental clinic’s basement is made up of a set of dusty grey corridors, which Copenhagen-based Norm Architects designed to make it look as if the rooms were carved from a block of concrete.
    These concrete volumes are interrupted only by carefully selected minimal design elements such as geometric alcoves, pared-back black pendant lights and an earthy-hued circular artwork by Sara Martinsen.
    A cavernous basement area defines half the surgeryA low-slung sofa finished in a light-coloured textile also features in the basement, which was designed by Norm Architects’ longtime collaborator Keiji Ashizawa for Japanese brand Ariake.

    “The need to dwell and retreat to intimate nooks is a basic human requirement that we cannot dismiss when shaping living spaces,” Norm Architects co-founder Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen told Dezeen.
    Circular artwork by Sara Martinsen hangs above a low-slung sofaDentology+’s upper level was designed to be brighter and airier than its basement, while maintaining the clinic’s overall neutral theme.
    Cubes of light oak create walls and doors that are interspersed with objects including a pebble-like vase on a plinth, in a design that takes cues from the interiors of an art gallery.
    Translucent curtains line the windows of the operating rooms.

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    The choice to design Dentology+’s interior using materials that might be considered unusual for medical spaces was made in an attempt to enhance patients’ wellbeing, according to architect Sofie Thorning.
    “In many ways, we looked more to beautiful spa resorts than classic white dental clinics for inspiration,” she told Dezeen.
    Operating rooms exist within light oak walls”Material translucency and soft, warm light paired with carefully considered, crafted materials work to reshape the patient experience and perception,” she added. “The space is nothing like an ordinary dental clinic.”
    “What we surround ourselves with simply has a great impact on our mood and behaviour, which is why working with natural materials in architecture and design is a simple way to enrich our surroundings and enhance our quality of life,” added Bjerre-Poulsen.
    Afteroom chairs by Menuspace feature on the upper levelFounded in 2008, Norm Architects is a multidisciplinary design studio based in Copenhagen. Other projects by the practice that celebrate neutral and calming interiors include a minimal Chinese tea parlour and a jewellery store in Copenhagen informed by modernist artists’ studios.
    The photography is by Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen.
    Project credits:
    Architect & Partner: Sofie ThorningArchitect: Qing YeClient: Dentology+

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