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    Dezeen Awards 2021 is open for entries

    Dezeen Awards 2021 is now accepting entries! Enter before 31 March to take advantage of discounted early entry fees.Dezeen Awards is the most popular and accessible celebration of the world’s best architecture, interiors and design projects and studios.
    Enter before 31 March to save 20 per cent
    Standard entry prices remain unchanged for the fourth year in a row, making Dezeen Awards the most affordable and accessible awards programme in architecture and design.
    It costs just £100 per category for small companies and £200 for large companies to enter before the standard entry deadline on 2 June. But studios can save 20 per cent by entering before 31 March.
    Create an account or log in to start your entry ›
    Categories for architecture, interiors and design
    There are 36 categories this year: 10 each for architecture, interiors and design projects and two categories in each sector honouring the best established and emerging studios.
    Find out about the categories ›
    New sustainability categories
    This year we’re introducing sustainability categories for architecture, interiors and design. These three categories, sponsored by design platform Dodds & Shute, will celebrate projects that strive to reduce their impact on the earth and which make positive social and environmental contributions.
    About our judges
    Entries will be judged by a diverse panel of influential industry professionals, made up of 75 architects, designers, journalists and academics from all over the world.
    Past judges have included Norman Foster, who described Dezeen Awards as an “extraordinary endeavour”.
    Other 2020 judges included Paola Antonelli, Farshid Moussavi and Issa Diabaté.
    Keep your eyes peeled for our upcoming announcements about our 2021 judges.
    Why enter Dezeen Awards?
    Dezeen Awards is organised by Dezeen, the world’s most popular and influential architecture and design magazine, and judged by a panel consisting of leading figures from the architecture and design world. This means that Dezeen Awards has unprecedented credibility and reach.
    Every longlisted entry will be published on the Dezeen Awards website and will get prestigious Dezeen Awards 2021 badges to share on social media and their own websites.
    All shortlisted entries will be featured in full in an article on Dezeen and get further badges.
    Shortlisted entries will also be entered into the Dezeen Awards 2021 Public Vote, through which the public can choose their favourite projects and studios.
    Winners will receive a hand-made trophy and a certificate.

    Winners received a bespoke, handcrafted trophy designed by AtelierNL

    Past winners have described how winning a Dezeen Award has transformed their careers. “This is one of the few awards I have won that I can associate with new opportunities arising directly as a result of winning,” said Joe Doucet, winner of seating design of the year in 2019 with his anti-terrorism public bench.
    Last year’s Dezeen Awards attracted over 4,300 entries from 85 different countries, making it one of the largest and most international awards programmes in the industry.
    Dates and prices
    Once you have paid for your Dezeen Awards entry, you do not need to make any further payments. The awards will be announced online. If we are able to hold a physical awards ceremony there may be a charge, but attendance is not obligatory.
    Our low entry prices are designed to attract smaller studios and avoid categories being dominated by large companies that can afford to enter multiple categories.
    Find out about dates and prices ›
    Join our mailing list
    Subscribe to our mailing list to receive reminders about deadlines and regular information about Dezeen Awards including news of judges.
    Sign up now ›
    Questions?
    If you have any questions, please email awards@dezeen.com and someone from the team will get back to you.
    Good luck with your entries! More

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    Linen Closet Organization Ideas

    House & Home / Designer Sam Sacks
    We have a very small linen closet. Actually, it’s a tiny linen cabinet! It’s really too small for our needs so I have to get creative by utilizing storage in other areas of our home, too.
    Today let’s get inspired by these wonderful ideas for linen storage and organization!

    Organized linen closet – BHG

    Simply Beautiful By Angela

    Linens in wood antique armoire – Ella Claire

    Linen closet with wallpaper – Sincerely Marie Designs

    Wallpaper linen closet – Home and Fabulous

    White Linen Cabinet Source

    Blesser House

    Bathroom Linen Armoire – Click here to tour this dreamy shingled beach house (above)

    Liz Marie Blog

    Wood Linen Cabinet Armoire – Julie Blanner

    Sarah Joy Blog
    Update: Looking for sources for freestanding cabinets? Click HERE for a roundup!

    Related Posts on The Inspired Room:
    Sweet Dreams Linen Room SprayOrganizing with Kitchen Canisters + Sources10 Minute Household Tasks to Organize Your Life12 Lovely Accessories to Organize Your Home
    Looking for organizing sources? Click for my Home Organizing ShopLooking for more organizing inspiration? Click for organization posts on The Inspired Room More

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    EBBA Architects remodels London apartment with bespoke joinery

    Structural ash and pine joinery – including a staircase, mezzanine and double-height storage wall – delineate the space within this refurbished, open-plan apartment in London by EBBA Architects.Located in an old matchstick factory in the city’s East End, the one-bedroom, 80-square-metre apartment belongs to a young professional couple, who asked the emerging local firm to “completely reimagine” its layout.

    The apartment features a bespoke wooden staircase, top image, and a double-height shelving unit, above
    The former plan featured subdividing walls, which created a small kitchen and lounge area, and a dark bedroom upstairs. An enclosed staircase took up almost a quarter of the floor space.
    EBBA Architects began by removing most of the walls and the large, existing staircase to provide a more functional and flexible living space.

    A dining area is tucked under the mezzanine

    The remodelled apartment is split across a ground floor and mezzanine level, both finished in a palette of subdued neutrals. A double-height living area is located downstairs alongside a dining room and kitchen, which are tucked under the mezzanine.
    Upstairs, a bedroom and en-suite bathroom sit next to a desk area, dressing room and a snug that doubles as a guest bedroom and can be sectioned off with a curving curtain.

    The staircase is made from white-stained ash
    “Key to the brief was extending the mezzanine to add space upstairs and rearrange the bedroom from the dark corner of the flat,” EBBA Architects founding director Benni Allan told Dezeen.
    “The need to extend the floor upstairs prompted us to imagine the new stair and mezzanine as a large, functional piece of furniture.”

    New Affiliates renovates Bed-Stuy Loft with plywood mezzanine and rough materials

    Made from a slender framework of white-stained ash, the staircase helps to prop up the new joists to the mezzanine, which the architects left exposed.
    The apartment’s bespoke joinery also includes a double-height shelving unit made from white-stained pine that helps to emphasise the height of the main living space.

    The shelving system stands next to the open kitchen
    “We looked at the brief as a way of questioning how to provide a mix of spaces in the compact plan, including places to rest and work,” added Allan.
    “Budget was tight, so we maximised the potential to express features in the project through the joinery and exposing all the timber.”

    White-stained pinewood was used to create the storage unit
    According to the architects, the white-stained ash serves as a “soft background to the apartment”, which is in harmony with the interior’s other neutral-toned materials.
    This spans everything from the cement floor to the kitchen counter – a terrazzo-like slab made of translucent aggregate and fine black basalt – and is complemented by simple, unobtrusive lighting fixtures.
    Other interiors where furniture merges with structure include the Spinmolenplein penthouse in Ghent by Jürgen Vandewalle, where a “bed-cabinet”, kitchen island and boxed-in bathroom help organise the floor plan.
    Photography is by Benni Allan.

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    Friedman Benda showcases furniture pieces with a story to tell

    A mirror-cum-observatory and a lockdown lounge chair with an integrated bar feature in an exhibition at New York’s Friedman Benda gallery that explores the value of design objects beyond just their practical use.The show, titled Split Personality, was curated by Alice Stori Liechtenstein and features furniture and homewares from 17 different designers.
    Each piece was chosen because it has a symbolic value beyond what meets the eye, exploring topics from immigration to biodiversity loss through different materials and production methods.

    Top image: Split Personality is on view at Friedman Benda until 6 February. Above: Toomas Toomepuu contributed to the show

    The exhibition focuses on the stories the objects have to tell, Liechtenstein told Dezeen, using chairs as an example.
    “There are thousands of chairs and the most comfortable chair has already been invented and reinvented 100 times,” she said.
    “So a lot of the time, what we want when we’re looking for a chair is not just something to sit on. But what makes an object particularly interesting are the stories it is able to tell once you have the time to discover them.”
    In this way, Liechtenstein explains, the exhibition rejects the strict Bauhausian ideal of form over function. “We’re over it,” she said. “I see the message as a form of function.”

    Limited grasses table by Mischer’Traxler
    Several of the projects on show are the culmination of extensive research projects, among them a coffee table from Viennese duo Mischer’Traxler. Protruding from its gridded frame are brass effigies of a near-extinct grass species known as agropyron cristatum, of which only around 200 specimens remain in Austria.

    Tour of design exhibition at historic Austrian castle with curator Alice Stori Liechtenstein as part of VDF

    “They are only making five editions of this table because on each table there are 40 brass stems. So it’s a way of representing the number of plants that really exist in nature,” Liechtenstein explained.
    “I think this kind of exercise is very useful because a lot of the time, we don’t realise what a number means until we see it visualised.”

    Christien Meindertsma grew the flax for this rug herself
    Disillusioned with the fact that she couldn’t trace a piece of linen yarn back to the flax field where it originated, Dutch designer Christien Meindertsma decided to acquire a piece of land and grow the crop herself.
    From her yield she created a chair and a series of textiles, including a shaggy rug on show at the gallery.
    “For her, it’s not just about one rug,” said the curator. “The real design project is about making sure that she knows where the material is coming from, that it’s treated properly, that there are no damages to the environment.”

    Commonplace Studio’s Observatorium Mirror shows images of space
    A more abstract exploration of our relationship to nature is the Observatorium Mirror by Commonplace Studio – an obsidian screen in which Liechtenstein says you can see yourself “just well enough to put lipstick on”.
    Simultaneously, the mirror also shows NASA images of far-flung galaxies that visitors can zoom in and out of using a focus pin.
    “We’re so used to seeing ourselves in the mirror and the mirror is all about you. Whereas in this instance, you’re really confronting yourself with the immensity of the universe and reflecting on the larger world,” added the curator.

    Arnaud Eubelen’s designs make use of abandoned building materials
    Other designs subvert function in a literal way by repurposing objects for new uses, with Belgian designer Arnaud Eubelen assembling a light and side table from discarded building materials.

    Jonathan Trayte turns the American landscape into fantastical furniture

    Similarly, Eindhoven-based Ismaël Rifaï made a bench by taping blankets and plastic bottles to an iron trolley frame, inspired by the inventive ways that goods are transported across the border in the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta in Morocco.

    Ismaël Rifaï’s bench uses rugs as upholstery
    A small room off the main exhibition space is covered from floor to ceiling with checkered, plastic mesh bags, as is the furniture within it, creating the claustrophobic impression of stepping inside one of the bags themselves.
    The installation by South African photographer Nobukho Nqaba is based on her Umaskhenkethe photo series and explores how these bags have come to act as emblems of migration, known by different names around the world – such as Ghana Must Go bags in Nigeria.

    Nobukho Nqaba created her installation especially for the exhibition
    “They are always associated with immigrants and the people who use them are seen as homeless. And at the same time, the bags are a symbol of home because their home, most of the time, is carried in these bags,” said Liechtenstein.
    “Although Nobukho is not a classic furniture designer, I think she really has a sense for what the symbology of an object can be.”

    Jonathan Trayte’s Kula Sour was another commission
    Several pieces were commissioned especially for the exhibition, including a lounge chair by British designer Jonathan Trayte that can help to create a sense of escapism for its user during lockdown.
    It features a built-in lamp, a bar with an icebox and a side table on which to prop a laptop, creating a kind of island onto itself that allows the user to pretend they’re somewhere more exotic.

    Wieki Somers also contributed to the show
    Also taking part in the exhibition are Wieki Somers, Rich Aybar, Thomas Ballouhey, Emma Fague, Fernando Laposse, Chris Schanck, Brynjar Sigurðarson, Katie Stout, Soft Baroque and Toomas Toomepuu.
    Split Personality is on view at Friedman Benda Gallery in New York until 6 February 2021. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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    Chengdu reveals “futuristic” stations for its first fully-automated metro line

    J&A and Sepanta Design have created a series of station interiors based on forms and patterns found in nature for the first unmanned metro line in Chengdu, China.Designed to provoke emotion among their visitors, the 13 stations feature fluid forms and cellular patterns informed by the local tradition of silk weaving as well as the flora and fauna found in surrounding parks.

    Above: Jincheng Avenue Station features lilac-coloured columns. Top image: Cuqiao Station is one of 13 stations designed by J&A and Sepanta Design
    The fully‐automatic, 22-kilometre line has been under construction since 2016 and forms an extension to the existing Chengdu Metro system.
    Called Line 9, it runs between the southeast and northwest of the Sichuan Province’s capital and is the first unmanned metro line in the west of China. Instead of drivers, Chengdu’s new trains communicate with each other using the 5G mobile network.

    Four “standard artistic stations” feature a similar design

    All of the line’s 13 stations are designed by Shenzhen firm Jiang & Associates Design (J&A) in collaboration with London-based studio Sepanta Design.
    According to the designers, their ambition for the project was to create spaces that would “entirely change people’s expectations” of what metro stations could be like.

    Four “feature stations” including Cuqiao, each have a unique concept
    “Chengdu metro stations are not going to be merely points of transit,” said Reza Esmaeeli, founder of Sepanta Design and Design Director at Chetwoods Architects. “They are going to be memorable spaces that offer their passengers an artistic and futuristic expression of their own culture.”
    The stations’ interiors were designed to reflect points of local, cultural interest, with the line passing through the birthplace of Sichuan silk and embroidery culture as well as a number of urban ecological parks.

    The station interiors are designed to look futuristic
    The designers divided the 13 stations into two categories: feature stations and standard artistic stations.
    The four feature stations — Incubation Park, Jincheng Avenue, Cuqiao and Jitouqiao — each have a unique concept, reflecting their local environment.

    The design for Jincheng Avenue Station nods to lotus flowers
    These themes are explored through distinct colours and materials, alongside bespoke furniture.
    At Jincheng Avenue Station, for example, the ticket hall is illuminated by curved, lilac-coloured columns reminiscent of lotus flowers in a nearby lake, while lights that resemble silkworm cocoons are installed across walkway ceilings at Cuqiao Station.

    Cuqiao Station’s lighting was designed to resemble silkworm cocoons
    The other nine “standard artistic stations” have a more uniform design, based on an abstract interpretation of embroidery techniques.
    These techniques are translated into flowing, continuous lines and patterns made up of interconnecting, cell-like forms, which are repeated across ceilings, walls, floors, columns and furniture.

    The standard artistic stations are colour-coded

    Wuchazi Bridge creates “infinite meandering path” over river in Chengdu

    Chengdu’s Line 9 follows in the footsteps of other Chinese cities such as Shanghai and Guangzhou, which introduced driverless metro lines in 2010.
    Beijing opened its driverless Yanfan line in 2017, while Taiyuan, the largest city of Shanxi province, opened its first fully automated line just eight days after Chengdu, on 28 December last year.

    All the stations’ interiors are informed by forms found in nature
    In Hong Kong, Ponti Design Studio has created a concept for an autonomous, double-decker tram with a radial interior design that encourages a safe return to public transport after the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
    Photography is by CHAPA.

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    Five architecture and design events this February from Dezeen Events Guide

    Stockholm Design Week, a live-streamed talk with Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg and MoMA’s exhibition about systemic racism in the built environment are among the physical and digital events listed in Dezeen Events Guide taking place in February.

    Above: Norwegian Presence is hosting a series of online events. Top image: Amanda Williams is among the artists and designers contributing to MoMA’s Reconstructions exhibition
    Madrid Design Festival1 to 28 February
    Spain’s preeminent design festival is putting on a hybrid programme this year, with four production units set to produce more than 100 pieces of audiovisual content to be shared online. This includes interviews and live shows, as well as a series of behind-the-scenes films showcasing the creative and production processes of 45 local designers.
    Meanwhile, a series of showrooms and exhibitions will open their doors in real life, and IKEA is set to host an event called Redesigning Tomorrow, where basque filmmaker Pedro Aguilera will debut a documentary exploring how we must change our cities and homes to save the planet.
    The film will feature Parley for the Oceans founder Cyrill Gutsch, architect Stephanie Chaltiel and IKEA’s deputy managing director for products and supply chains Jeanette Skjelmose among others. The premier will also act as a jumping-off point for a series of in-depth talks and roundtables.
    It’s Freezing in LA! IGTV Interview Series4 to 25 February
    Every Thursday in February, independent climate change magazine It’s Freezing in LA! is hosting talks on Instagram TV (IGTV) that will explore different approaches to climate activism.
    Designer Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg is set to discuss her latest project, an algorithm-designed garden in Cornwall that is optimised for pollinators rather than humans and explores possible solutions to biodiversity loss.
    And on 11 February, London mayoral candidate and co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales Sîan Berry will discuss how we can solve the capital’s housing crisis while still reducing CO2 emissions.

    Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg “trying to evoke emotion” with Better Nature show

    Stockholm Design Week8 to 14 February
    While the Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair was cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the city’s design week that takes place concurrently every year is still going ahead.
    A socially distanced “digital and city edition” will see visitors avoid the crammed Stockholmsmässan exhibition centre on the outskirts of Stockholm in favour of a pared-back programme of exhibitions, showroom presentations and online talks in the centre of town.
    Highlights include a presentation of work from the winners of this year’s Young Swedish Design awards, created in collaboration with the IKEA Museum, and an exhibition by Misschiefs – a platform dedicated to female, trans and non-binary creatives working at the intersection of craft and design.
    Circular design vs mass production: Norwegian Presence 202118 February
    The Norwegian Presence showcase, which is a much-anticipated part of Salone del Mobile every year, is championing some of the country’s most noteworthy designers and manufacturers through a programme of online events this year.
    The first of three half-day events, taking place on 18 February, will bring together young, up-and-coming designers like Poppy Lawman with major industrial producers such as contract furniture manufacturer NCP, which makes Snøhetta’s S-1500 chair from old fishing nets.
    Through a series of round tables, panel talks and newly-released films, the event will explore the circular economy and how a closed-loop philosophy and sustainable material sourcing can be integrated into production processes of any scale.
    The remaining two events will take place in March and April, with a focus on craftsmanship and the merging of homes and workspaces as a result of the pandemic.

    The Museum of Modern Art will release an exhibition catalogue to go along with the exhibition

    Reconstructions: Architecture and Blackness in America20 February to 31 May
    An upcoming exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York will look at how systemic racism and discrimination have influenced the design of American cities and their architecture.
    With the help of ten newly commissioned projects by the likes of Amanda Williams, Olalekan Jeyifous and landscape artist Walter Hood, the show will look at how these conditions have impacted the black community and how black cultural spaces can act as sites of liberation and resistance.
    The show marks the fourth instalment in MoMA’s Issues in Contemporary Architecture series, which focuses on pressing current issues such as rising sea levels, population growth and the foreclosure crisis.
    About Dezeen Events Guide
    Dezeen Events Guide is our guide to the best architecture and design events taking place across the world each year.
    The guide is updated weekly and includes virtual events, conferences, trade fairs, major exhibitions and design weeks, as well as up-to-date information about what events have been cancelled or postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
    Inclusion in the guide is free for basic listings, with events selected at Dezeen’s discretion. Organisers can get enhanced or premium listings for their events, including images, additional text and links, by paying a modest fee.
    In addition, events can ensure inclusion by partnering with Dezeen. For more details on inclusion in Dezeen Events Guide and media partnerships with Dezeen, email eventsguide@dezeen.com.

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    Threefold Architects unveils a model for post-Covid co-working

    Threefold Architects has completed Paddington Works, a co-working and events space in London that was designed around wellness principles.Paddington Works combines a mix of spaces that include private studios, shared co-working spaces, meeting rooms and a multi-purpose auditorium, all arranged over two storeys.

    Paddington Works includes a mix of private studios and shared workspaces
    Workspaces are designed to be agile, providing different spaces to suit various activities. There are also a range of health-conscious building services, such as fresh air filtration and adaptive lighting systems.
    At a time when many co-working offices are trying to adjust to the changes in work habits prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic, this project offers a model for the future of shared workspaces.

    Wellness principles influenced the layout, material choices and building systems

    “I think co-working spaces could thrive if they adapt following the pandemic,” said Matt Driscoll, one of the three co-founders of Threefold Architects.
    “So much time spent working at home has brought into sharp focus the simple things we take for granted that are vital to our wellbeing,” he told Dezeen.
    “A moment to gaze out the window, an escape from Zoom for a walk in the park, impromptu chats with our neighbours; we will attribute far greater importance to these small things.”

    Spaces incorporate fresh air filtration and adaptive lighting systems
    Paddington Works builds on Threefold’s research into how incorporating wellness principles into architecture can create healthier and happier environments, which has previously fed into workspace designs for Airbnb and Pocket Living.
    These principles were central to the design brief, even though Paddington Works was designed long before the pandemic.

    Threefold Architects completes Airbnb’s latest London office

    The air circulation system, which includes anti-viral filtration, is designed to bring 25 per cent more fresh air into the building than is typical.
    Meanwhile the lighting system uses intelligent LEDs to adjust the colour temperature of the light throughout the day, to suit circadian rhythms.

    The workspaces are divided into clusters
    The layout of the interior, organised over two storeys, was also designed with occupants in mind. Spaces are divided up into clusters to allow small communities to form within the building.
    Each cluster has its meeting rooms and breakout spaces, organised around a kitchen and social space.
    “I think many of the principles of wellness are intuitive to architects – providing good natural light, visual amenity, excellent acoustics, and air quality,” said Drisscoll.

    Each cluster has its own meeting rooms and breakout spaces
    “Beyond how the spaces feel, we are also interested in how they will be used and how people move around them and interact with each other,” he continued.
    “There should be quiet places to be alone, vibrant places to collaborate, and everything in between. We’ve always put generous social spaces at the heart of our schemes, for people to come together in their downtime, spaces to support, create and promote a culture within a business.”

    A flexible auditorium can be used for both events and casual working
    At the heart of the scheme is a flexible auditorium, designed as a huge set of wooden steps. The space can be used to host lectures, screenings and presentations, but it can also be a day-to-day informal work or meeting space.
    Each step incorporates a series of pull-out “drawer desks”, which can be used for laptops or notebooks. There are also power points for charging devices.
    “It doubles as a staircase between the levels and becomes a type of forum, a public space within the building,” explained Drisscoll.

    The materials palette includes rough-sawn oak and terrazzo
    The materials palette responds to the industrial heritage of the Paddington Basin area, with steel fabrications that recall the structure of the Brunel-designed train station. These are paired with textural materials like rough-sawn oak and terrazzo.
    Many of the industrial elements of the design are concealed, for instance, perforated metal screens cover the air filtration units.

    Steel fabrications reference the area’s industrial heritage
    Paddington Works is a joint venture between co-working operator Space Paddington and Westminster Council, aimed at startups in the creative and technology industries.
    As a result of its wellness-focused design, the building was able to adopt social distancing and hygiene measures brought in by the pandemic. Contactless hand sanitisers and anti-microbial fittings were among features already included in the design.
    Drisscoll believes co-working spaces like this one will continue to become more common in the future, as companies look to adopt more flexible working models for their staff.

    Paddington Works is aimed at startups in the creative and technology industries
    “I think flexible working is here to stay,” he said. “Previously reticent organisations have seen it can work and work well; people enjoy more control of what they do.”
    “We may see a trend towards decentralisation – large organisations with acres of office and fields of desks could shift towards smaller workplaces,” he added.
    “This could see an increase in local work hubs, with co-working spaces in residential areas providing excellent places for work closer to home, and spaces close to major transport hubs allowing people to easily travel to from distance to get together.”
    Photography is by Charles Hosea.

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    Kingston Lafferty Design incorporates wellness spaces into Belfast co-working office

    Dublin interiors firm Kingston Lafferty Design has incorporated green walls, a yoga studio and rooftop terrace across the eight floors of this co-working office in the centre of Belfast, Northern Ireland.Commissioned by property developer Magell, Kingston Lafferty Design (KLD) was asked to create warm and welcoming interiors for the 2,787-square-metre office — called Urban HQ — which breaks the traditional office mould.

    Above: a custom pendant is suspended in the walnut-clad boardroom. Top image: green walls feature throughout the office
    Informed by how the boundaries between work and leisure have become increasingly blurred in the past decade, the firm said it wanted the complex to provide workers and visitors with relaxed and informal spaces as well as areas for focused work.
    In addition to the more traditional private working booths, open offices and meeting rooms, Urban HQ also features dedicated wellness and focus rooms, co-working areas, coffee docks and a central lounge and event space that employees can move freely between.

    Curtains help to separate spaces

    “Psychologically, it is beneficial to have a completely different environment to escape to from the desk,” KLD founder Róisín Lafferty told Dezeen.
    “For us it was about the details, creating interesting nooks and crannies throughout that provide that varied experience and cater to people’s unique behaviours throughout the day.”

    TP Bennett retrofits 1970s office building with Manchester’s largest living wall

    “We wanted to create spaces that are as warm and welcoming to one person working alone as they are for large groups of people working together,” she added.

    A collaborative space can be closed off from the main kitchen with partitions
    To support this relaxed atmosphere, the firm selected a palette of inviting, homely materials — such as stone, leather, slatted wood, velvet and brass — that vary throughout the building to give each area a distinctive feel.
    The ground floor, for example, is designed to be an adaptable space that can accommodate a variety of different activities from collaborating to socialising.

    A timber walkway guides guests to the reception desk
    To provide a visual distinction between these functions, KLD used different flooring finishes and lighting as well as subtle variations in colour tones.
    Visitors to the building are welcomed into a double-height lobby space clad in timber and anchored by a custom floating light installation. From here, a set of doors leads to the ground floor reception area, where a timber walkway guides them to a cube-shaped mirror and stainless-steel desk that appears to levitate above the blue marble floor.

    The desk is clad in mirror and stainless-steel
    Another set of double glass doors leads guests through into the canteen, which Lafferty describes as the “main hub” of the building. Resembling an open kitchen in a restaurant, it features a central bar made from mirrored brass and terrazzo surrounded by upholstered bench seating.
    “The ground floor is where the energy is in the building,” Lafferty said. “It is the place where all the different people can mix and mingle, chill out, catch up and socialise. The layout plays a big part in this. One of the key things I wanted to do from the start was create a central hub that draws people in.”

    The canteen space is anchored by a central bar made from mirrored brass and terrazzo
    Other ground floor spaces include a walnut-clad boardroom and a series of collaborative and social spaces. Green walls, ceilings and planters are integrated throughout.
    “Psychologically, the link to nature enhances the feeling of tranquillity,” Lafferty explained. “It is also proven to stimulate productivity and positive thinking.”

    Booths line the walls around the central bar
    The upper floors are accessed through secret doors concealed within the entrance lobby, leading to the stairwell, lifts and additional toilets.
    Each floor offers a range of different kinds of offices – from small, two-person set-ups to full-floor office expanses with their own reception.
    Each floor also has a series of spacious meeting rooms, meeting pods, four-person meeting and lunch booths, and colourful kitchen spaces designed to contrast with the surrounding offices.

    One large wellness room is located on the first floor
    The wellness room is located on the first floor and can be used for yoga classes, meditation and other tech-free activities to help members unwind.
    “The wellness room is a forward-thinking approach to office design as it provides a calming space where members are encouraged to disconnect and recharge away from their desk,” said Lafferty.
    “The design was kept minimal, incorporating tactile finishes through cork flooring and suspended planting combined with a mirror to fill the room with natural light – all proven to contribute to overall workplace wellbeing.”

    The rooftop offers rare views across Belfast
    “One of the biggest treats in the building is located on the top floor,” she added. “The rooftop garden looks out over Belfast city with the historic copper roofs. With ample seating and tables, this is a perfect spot for an after-work drink, a special party or an event. It is rare to get this in Belfast.”
    Elsewhere in the UK, TP Bennett recently retrofitted a 1970s office building in Manchester with the city’s biggest living wall.
    Photography is by Mariell Lind Hansen.

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