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      Sulkin Askenazi arranges yellow school interiors around wooden tree

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      Splashes of bright yellow, round openings and a giant timber tree are among the playful touches Mexican design studio Sulkin Askenazi has included in Ikigai Sisu, a school in the Dominican Republic.

      Sulkin Askenazi arranged the elementary school around a central wooden tree in the lobby, which provides a playful feature for the children to sit on when learning indoors.
      Sulkin Askenazi has added yellow hues inside Ikigai SisuCalled Ikigai Sisu, the 500-square-metre school opened in September 2021 and is located in the town of Punta Cana on the eastern coast of Dominican Republic.
      Sulkin Askenazi was informed by Finnish schools, where shared recreational areas are given par with traditional learning spaces such as classrooms. The school is designed to encourage learning through play and exploration.
      Rooms are arranged around an artificial tree in the lobby”The origin of the project is aligned with the Finnish educational model, where recreational spaces play an important role in the development of children by providing a stimulating and inclusive place that fosters ties, curiosity and interaction,” said Jack Sulkin, co-founder of Sulkin Askenazi.

      “We wanted to design a school where the entire space felt connected and flexible and not too divided or fractioned into isolated spaces,” he told Dezeen.
      An area for physical education is at the back of the buildingAt the heart of Ikigai Sisu is a trunk made from locally sourced white oak slats that children can sit on. Also in the lobby is a reception desk, a climbing wall and soft stools clad in yellow and grey fabric.
      Classrooms with wooden tables and chairs line the front of the building while at the back there is a soft play area for physical exercise lessons. A kitchen can also be found in one of the main classrooms.
      Classrooms are coloured in the same yellow schemeSulkin wanted the colour yellow, which is the school’s colour, to act as a sensory stimulus. Yellow tiles are found in the bathrooms while sunny hued paint continues the colour theme in the classrooms.
      The yellow is countered with grey accents which appear on soft furnishings such as rugs, pouffes and activity mats.

      Walls with integrated furniture and yellow nooks encourage play in Madrid school

      “We wanted the project to have a more vibrant monochrome look and feel; an aesthetic that alludes to the school’s philosophy,” Sulkin explained.
      “The vibrancy of yellow, applied to our ever-flowing spaces through the school design, unquestionably triggers imagination and the ever changing minds of young children who roam the space.”
      Cubby holes and rounded openings are dotted throughoutAccording to Sulkin, the other “main character” in the school is the use of wood.
      “The project has two main characters, the first one is the colour yellow, and the second is the low thick wooden ribbon that organically flows throughout the project,” Sulkin explained.
      “We tried to instil a free-flowing, interactive, energy invigorating space with Ikigai,” he added.
      The bathroom is clad in bright yellow tilesDotted throughout the low slung school are little wooden cubby holes set at different heights and cushioned nooks that allow children to hide and peek through.
      This same wood forms an array of shelving units to display learning material and cabinets for storage.
      Bright colours are a popular feature in contemporary educational architecture around the world.
      Dezeen rounded up 10 colourful kindergartens that encourage kids to crawl, jump and learn including a pastel coloured learning centre in Melbourne by Danielle Brustaman and a hot pink kindergarten in China by Crossboundaries
      Photography is by Thiago da Cunha.

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      Yinka Shonibare and India Mahdavi bring “a warm feel of Africa” to London restaurant Sketch

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      British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare and architect India Mahdavi have redesigned the Gallery dining room at London venue Sketch, adding site-specific artworks, warm golden colours and textured materials to its interior.

      The project, which is the latest in a string of artist collaborations from Sketch, features a series of 15 artworks by Shonibare dubbed Modern Magic. These were designed specifically for the space.
      The Gallery at Sketch is now covered in warm yellow huesMahdavi incorporated sunshine-yellow and golden colours to the interior alongside textured materials informed by Shonibare’s installation, including a copper skin on one of the walls.
      “Yinka’s artwork was a real inspiration and enticed me to work differently,” Mahdavi told Dezeen. “Textures have transcended colours by using a strong palette of materials.”
      “I used elements that have allowed me to extend Yinka’s artistic exploration of culture and identity, and bring a warm feel of Africa to the space and furnishings.”

      Artworks by Yinka Shonibare decorate the wallsMahdavi was also responsible for choosing the colour that previously dominated the interior of Sketch’s Gallery – a pale pink hue that became an Instagram favourite and remained in the room for eight years.
      “The Gallery at Sketch has been linked to the colour pink for such a long time that it was very challenging for me to overcome this success,” she said.
      This time, Mahdavi aimed to change the focus away from just the colour.
      “I didn’t want everybody to ask me what the new colour at the gallery is and therefore, I really worked on textures and materials that are evocative of the richness of Africa,” she explained. “Warmth is the new colour at Sketch.”
      Designer India Mahdavi worked with different textures for the interiorShonibare’s Modern Magic installation includes five hand-carved wooden masks as well as 10 framed quilts, which replicate African masks collected by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso.
      “Picasso was interested in appropriating from another culture and I also appropriate from European ethnic art,” Shonibare explained.
      “Cultural appropriation can be a two-way street,” he added. “This collaboration with Sketch has given me an opportunity to expand my creative process – creating a different environment to encounter and experience my art in a fun and relaxing setting.”
      Pieces were designed especially for the spaceThe artworks are complemented by tactile furniture pieces and accessories designed for the Gallery.
      “I chose yellow fabrics and leather to cover the banquettes,” Mahdavi said. “It is the colour of sun and happiness.”
      “The subtle shades of yellow vary from one piece to another carrying different patterns of weaved raffia, which were chosen within Aissa Dione’s collection of fabrics and specially woven for the project in Senegal.”

      Lore Group creates seafood restaurant with “playful sense of nostalgia” within One Hundred Shoreditch hotel

      “The walls are covered in metallic copper paper by De Gournay to radiate the room and the wall lights are made in Ghanaian wicker by artist Inès Bressand,” she continued.
      “It was my way of helping Yinka take over the room without interfering with his work.”
      A copper wall reflects the lightMahdavi believes the new Sketch interior is more suitable for a post-Covid world.
      “The pink Gallery at Sketch lasted eight years instead of the two years initially planned,” she said.
      “I really believe that the pink room belonged to the pre-Covid era,” Mahdavi added. “It was fun, feminine and there was a certain lightness to it. The new Gallery at Sketch has more depth, the textures imply the feeling of togetherness.”
      “Textures have transcended colours,” Mahdavi said of the designSketch’s most recent artist collaboration was with UK artist David Shrigley, whose black-and-white drawings stood out against the pale pink colour of the Gallery and were also emblazoned on a collection of ceramics.
      Mahdavi, who is one of this year’s Dezeen Awards judges and will sit on the interiors design jury, was recently among a group of designers who reinterpreted Dior’s Medallion Chair at Salone del Mobile.
      Among Shonibare’s recent work is a set of bespoke stamps designed for the Royal Academy’s 250th anniversary.
      The photography is by Edmund Dabney.

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      Amity Street Residence is a “minimal but warm” New York apartment

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      Interior design studios Rawan Muqaddas and Selma Akkari have renovated an apartment in a 20th-century building in Brooklyn, New York, adding warm and natural materials to the residential space.

      Amity Street Residence is located on the fourth floor of a stone building that was built in 1910, overlooking a quiet but central corner of the city at the intersection of Amity and Clinton street.
      Amity Street Residence has been renovated into an open plan apartment. Photo by Clement PascalNew York studio Selma Akkari collaborated with London studio Rawan Muqqadas on the 1,400 square-foot interiors, which have been updated from a “neglected” apartment into a space filled with warm colours.
      As part of the renovation, the studios rearranged the rooms to create space for an additional third bedroom if required.
      Rawan Muqaddas collaborated with Selma Akkari to create a warm interior”A dialogue of opposites was the main theme behind the creation; minimal but warm, understated yet rich,” said Rawan Muqaddas, founder of eponymous studio Rawan Muqaddas.

      “We wanted to retain the essence of the 1910 building by reinterpreting the original traditional details, which we were excited to build on,” she told Dezeen.
      “The previous owners of the apartment called this their home for decades, leaving behind layers of history and some areas that were left neglected.”
      Stained oak shelves line the back of the dining areaThe two studios transformed the single floor apartment into an open-plan living, kitchen and dining area. A handful of original features, such as the decorative cornice and bold skirting, were preserved.
      The living space now boasts views across the street from the two large bay windows, which had previously been obscured.
      Cream coloured paint lines the walls. Photo by Clement Pascal”The first thing that caught our eye was the 30-foot apartment frontage composed of the width across both bay windows,” recalled Muqaddas.
      “As it stood, the windows felt shy and in hiding; we wanted to do the opposite and celebrate the curve.”
      Large bay windows were made into a focal pointFloors in the apartment have been covered in warm wood, while the walls were painted in a creamy neutral colour. A couple of contemporary chairs frame the window and let the inhabitants enjoy the street views.
      “A warm colour palette was deployed to unify the spaces by way of gentle oak floors, cream-hued walls that contrasted with dark stone, and stained wood inset bookshelves,” said Selma Akkari, founder of Selma Akkari.
      A study area sits at the back of the room and could easily be swapped for a third bedroom if necessary, the designers said.

      Rawan Muqaddas designs Sloane Street Deli to be a “classic neighbourhood spot”

      The studios also retained the apartment’s curved interior arches that run through its core. These openings help create a feeling of space.
      “To encourage a dialogue between the interior and exterior, we wanted to carry through the historic curved facade into the curved interior arches,” Akkari told Dezeen.
      “This was the guiding theme throughout the process: opening up the front area as the living and dining space and dedicating the quieter area to the more private spaces at the back.”
      The apartment has oak flooringThe apartment now has an airy aluminium-clad kitchen with an island counter and a long marble shelf in place of overhead storage cabinets.
      “We were very attracted to contrasting and unexpected colours and textures, in particular, the brushed metal counter topped with a veiny marble, with a backdrop of dark smoked oak shelving,” said Akkari.
      The same warm palette is continued in the bedrooms. Photo by Clement PascalThe warm material palette continues in the master bedroom and second bedroom, where the same flooring and beige furnishings can be found.
      More Brooklyn interiors include a townhouse with a striking staircase by New York studio Space4Architecture and a family-friendly townhouse called Bed-Stuy by Brooklyn studio Civilian.
      Photography is by Sean Davidson unless stated otherwise.

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      Four-storey spiral staircase forms focal point of BSP20 House in Barcelona

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      A towering spiral staircase and a golden kitchen are some of the features that Raúl Sánchez Architects has introduced in its renovation of this townhouse in Barcelona’s Borne neighbourhood.

      BSP20 House has been in the making since 2013, when Raúl Sánchez Architects was approached by the building’s owners to turn it into a live-work space where they could stay during visits to the city.
      A white spiral staircase rises up from the ground floorHowever, due to regulatory issues, construction works didn’t begin for another seven years. During this period the already dilapidated building fell into further ruin, and at one point was even used as a squat.
      When the renovation finally got underway in August 2020, Raúl Sánchez Architects decided to completely gut the building, only leaving behind the four exterior walls and roof.
      This level of the home also features a brass kitchen suiteAs a result, three new floor levels have been inserted, each installed in such a way so that they don’t touch the building’s front or rear facades.

      Some of the resulting gaps have been filled with panes of glass, allowing residents to steal glimpses of different levels of the home.
      The staircase grants access to each of the home’s four levelsA huge void on the right side of BSP20’s interior now accommodates a white spiral staircase that winds up through the ground, first, second and third floors, all the way to the decked terrace on top of the building.
      Positioned directly above the stairs is a glazed opening that lets natural light filter deep into the plan.
      Rooms have largely been left empty so they can be used for different purposesSeeing the building in such a bare state at the beginning of the renovation process encouraged Raul Sanchez Architects to keep its rough, time-worn brick walls.
      “Those four walls, over 15 metres high, are a museum of the building’s history, where any trace of its construction, and of its use, will be left unaltered, exposed in all its crudeness,” said the studio.
      Raúl Sánchez Architects has preserved the building’s original brick wallsA similarly hands-off approach has been taken with the rest of the interior; most rooms have been largely left without fixtures and fittings so that, if necessary, they can be used for different purposes in the future.
      On the ground floor there is a kitchen, its cabinetry crafted from lustrous brass.
      “In terms of materiality, a certain refinement has been pursued in the new elements to be implemented, in opposition to the crude expressiveness of the existing walls, conscious that the space must house a home,” explained the studio.
      Natural light seeps in from a glazed opening above the staircaseOn the second floor there is only a bathroom lined with cream-coloured lacquered wood, finished with gold-tone hardware.
      The electrics, air-conditioning system and telephone wires have also been concealed within six steel tubes that run upwards through the home.
      Pale lacquered wood lines surfaces in the bathroomWhen it came to restoring BSP20’s facade, the practice had to follow strict heritage guidelines – but it was granted more freedom in the appearance of the front door.
      It’s now clad with three different types of aluminium, and features a graphic rhomboidal design that nods to the patterned hydraulic floor tiles seen inside the house.
      The home was given a new geometric-print front doorRaúl Sánchez Architects has completed several residential projects in its home city of Barcelona.
      Others include The Magic Box Apartment, which features a huge gold wardrobe, and Atic Aribau, which has bright, stripped-back interiors.
      Photography is by José Hevia.
      Project credits:
      Architecture: Raúl SánchezArchitecture team: Valentina Barberio, Paolo BurattiniStructure consultant: Diagonal ArquitecturaEngineering: Marés Ingenieros

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      Sibling creates pop-up creative hub in Melbourne's soon-to-be-demolished Hanover House

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      Australian studio Sibling Architecture has used repurposed materials and mobile furniture to revamp Hanover House in Melbourne, allowing creatives to occupy the building before it is demolished.

      The studio created a variety of spaces within the seven-storey building, which is set to be torn down to make way for STH BNK by Beulah – a 356-metre tower that is set to become Australia’s tallest building.
      Three floors of Hanover House are being used for a creative programmeIn the two-year before demolition, developer Beulah initiated a creative programme called BETA by STH BNK and asked Melbourne-based Sibling to develop an interior design strategy to make this possible.
      Sibling’s approach was developed around the ambition of minimising waste. This meant reusing as much of the existing interior elements as possibvle and only introducing new materials if they could easily repurposed in the future.
      Reused glazing panels frame designer ateliers on the fourth floor”Over a third of waste in Australia goes to landfill, while nearly half of waste worldwide comes from construction and demolition,” explained Timothy Moore, one of Sibling’s four founding directors.

      “So we were really in this idea of a project where there was a lot of stuff to strip out,” he told Dezeen. “We saw it as an opportunity to explore the process of making in architecture.”
      Thanks to mirrored film, the ateliers are only visible when lights are on insideSibling’s project extends to three storeys of Hanover House – the ground, fourth and fifth floors. Here, the architecture studio stripped back all the materials available and sorted them.
      Old ceiling tiles were transformed into mobile benches, while the glazed panels of former office cubicles were rescued to divide the fourth floor into a series of designer ateliers.
      The ateliers are hosting a series of designers in residenceMirrored film was applied to the glass; when the lights are on you can see the ateliers inside, but when they’re off the space becomes private.
      Other recycled elements include office furniture, lighting, carpets and gypsum walls.

      Revival Projects’ Zero Footprint Repurposing hub saves construction waste from landfill

      Moore said the approach is similar to that of the Zero Footprint Repurposing hub that launched at the recent Melbourne Design Week, an event that the architect is the curator of.
      “We stripped back everything and kept it on site, then reused as much as we could,” he said.
      Sibling created mobile furniture using prefabricated steelTo support BETA by STH BNK’s varied programme, Sibling also designed a series of mobile furniture elements that could be made from sheets of pre-fabricated steel.
      These pieces, known as Taxonomy of Furniture, include a bar, tables, seats, planters and storage elements.
      Mounted on castors, they can be easily moved around the building for different events and uses. They just as easily wheeled into the lifts and moved out ahead of the building’s demolition.
      “The design intent of the taxonomy was to provide a family of joinery that allow for a variety of uses, including unforeseen uses,” said Moore.
      The ground floor features retail concepts, including The Future From Waste LabIn its new form, Hanover House is hosting a series of creative individuals and organisations.
      The ground floor has been reimagined as a platform for innovative retail concepts. Highlights include The Future From Waste Lab, curated by designer Kit Willow, which is testing a more sustainable approach to fashion production.
      The fifth floor previously hosted a restaurant pop-up called Higher OrderThe fourth-floor ateliers are hosting designers in residence, including algae expert Jessie French, Ella Saddington of craft studio Cordon Salon, and DNJ Paper, which makes clothing from traditional Japanese paper.
      The fifth floor is being used for a range of events. The first was a restaurant pop-up called Higher Order, hosted by chef Scott Pickett. Upcoming events include a holistic health experience called The Future of Wellness.
      The Taxonomy of Furniture includes flexible seats and tablesBeulah executive director Adelene Teh said the aim was to “go beyond the expected and give new meaning to the future of retail”.
      “The dynamic BETA By STH BNK hub of innovation and experimentation promises to ignite Melbourne, and indeed Australia’s, curiosity and imagination of what has become possible,” she said.
      Before the building is demolished, these elements can be easily wheeled outSibling Architecture is led by Moore along with Amelia Borg, Nicholas Braun and Qianyi Lim.
      Previous projects include a collaboration with Adam Nathanial Furman at the NGV Triennial, Squint/Opera’s Melbourne office and the interior of Kloke’s Melbourne store.
      For Moore, BETA By STH BNK resonates strongly with his recent PHD thesis, which explores the topic of temporary use and “meanwhile strategies”.
      “I’m quite supportive of developers who are interested in interim use, because you can test out design moves,” he said.
      “There is a rhetoric that we have to be careful of,” he added, “but it can add value, creating affordable workspace and places for people to come together.”

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      Patch opens first “work-near-home” venue in former Essex brewery

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      Workspace brand Patch has converted the former Gray & Sons Brewery in Chelmsford, Essex, into a co-working space that aims to offer its members a positive work-life balance.

      Patch’s creative director, architect Paloma Strelitz, has overseen a renovation that turns the Victorian building into both a workspace and a cultural venue.
      As the brand’s first location, it is the prototype for its “work-near-home” concept, which offers people workspaces close to where they live, so they don’t have to work from home or commute.
      Patch Chelmsford is designed to celebrate the history of the building. 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 in an interview with Dezeen.
      “We’re saying to people, we are an exciting alternative to your kitchen table.”

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

      Patch Chelmsford is designed to celebrate the history of the building, but to also feel welcoming.
      Structural elements – including timber ceiling beams, brick walls and steel columns – are left exposed, but paired with vibrant colours and graphics, plus plenty of plants.
      Ali Hanson designed Patch’s visual identityStrelitz enlisted designer Ali Hanson to develop a graphic identity that references the original Gray & Sons. This extends into the interior in the form of hand-painted signage, posters and vinyl graphics.
      “Our approach to the building is to celebrate its history as a thriving local brewery and its new purpose – as a centre for local enterprise and community activity,” she said.
      The reception is set up as a public library and learning space. Photo is by Philipp EbelingThe ground floor of Patch Chelmsford incorporates a suite of spaces that are accessible to the public, to support local businesses and culture.
      The reception is a generous, lounge-type space designed to function as a public library. A curated collection of books is displayed on a pair green-topped plywood trestle tables, encouraging visitors to stop and take a look.
      Patch Academy is a flexible events spaceNext door is Patch Academy, a flexible events studio that can be used for a range of different activities by both Patch members and the local community.
      A glazed facade is intended to encourage public interest in this space. Other features include durable blue flooring, a translucent curtain, a projection screen and lightweight furniture, to offer flexibility of use.
      Patch Market is a cafe and bar, that doubles as a talks venue. Photo is by Philipp EbelingAlso on the ground floor is Patch Market, a cafe and bar, that doubles as a venue for informal talks and events.
      The space features banquet seating and a bar lined with chevron-patterned tiles.
      These elements draw on Strelitz’s previous experience of creating successful cultural venues; prior to joining Patch, she was a co-founder of Turner Prize-winning architecture collective Assemble.
      “We think of Patch as a local cultural venue – from a teenager attending a coding workshop at Patch Academy to a public talk in Patch Market and to the person launching a business from Open Studio,” said Strelitz.
      Workspaces occupy the first and second floors. Photo is by Georgia RandupWorkspaces are located on the first and second floors, including communal lounges, hot-desking studios, dedicated desks and private offices.
      Members also have access to a library where plywood desks are framed by plants and a member’s lounge overlooking the yard, which provides a venue for lunches, meetings and networking.
      A members lounge offers a venue for meetings and networking. Photo is by Philipp Ebeling“At Patch, we’re home to a community of freelancers, businesses, and local organisations,” explained Patch’s founder and CEO, Freddie Fforde.
      “We’ve created a place to support their different working rhythms, from quiet corners for focused work, to lively areas for collective workshops and events.”
      The building was originally the Gray & Sons Brewery. Photo is by Philipp Ebeling”We believe that work near home supports a better work-life balance, combatting both the isolation of working from home and the time and expenses of commuting,” he continued.
      “That’s why we are creating high-quality work environments on local high streets, enabling people to have a productive and enjoyable workday, and to spend more time with friends, family, and in their community.
      Patch Chelmsford launched with a programme of events that included the Festival of Ideas, a series of locally focused events with titles including Crafting a Sense of Place and Reimagining The Future of Work.
      Other recently opened co-working spaces include architect Caro Lundin’s second branch of her affordable workspace ARC Club in south-east London and a monochrome co-working space for creatives in Brooklyn, New York.
      The photography is by Philipp Ebeling and Georgia Randup.

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

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      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

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      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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