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      Ten self-designed studios by architects and designers

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      From a forest cabin to a converted chapel, our latest lookbook features ten workspaces from the Dezeen archive that were created by architects and designers for their own use.

      Highlights include Benjamin Hubert’s design for his studio Layer, the Lisbon practice of Portuguese architects Aires Mateus and a colourful couple’s office for the duo behind interiors firm 2LG Studio.
      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 with clever built-in furniture, plant-filled hotel interiors and residences with decorative vaulted ceilings.
      Photo is by Rui CardosoAtelier Cecílio de Sousa, Portugal, by Aires Mateus
      Architecture practice Aires Mateus restored four storeys of an 18th-century building in Lisbon to create its studio, retaining and restoring many original features including the decorative plasterwork and elaborate ceiling murals.

      The converted office contains two model-making areas as well as several work- and meeting spaces. These include the grand Noble Room, where simple wooden chairs and a pared-back workbench made from pale timber contrast with the otherwise elaborate interior.
      Find out more about Atelier Cecílio de Sousa ›
      Photo is by Mikey EstradaYa Vsesvit, Ukraine, by Yakusha Design
      Black brick partitions divide up the monochromatic studio of Ukrainian designer Victoriya Yakusha to create a number of smaller offices, the grandest of which is centred on a chunky desk crafted from a single block of sandstone.
      Most of the furnishings and ornaments in the interior were made by Yakusha’s furniture brand Faina, allowing it to double up as a showroom.
      Find out more about Ya Vsesvit ›
      Photo is by Iwan BaanOffice in the Woods, Spain, by SelgasCano
      Set in a woodland near Madrid, the office of Spanish architecture studio SelgasCano (top and above) is semi-sunken into the forest floor, with a transparent north-facing wall providing views of the tree canopy above.
      Parallel banks of wall-mounted desks are lined up on the other side of the tunnel-like space, where they are shielded from the direct sun.
      Find out more about Office in the Woods ›
      Photo is by Simone BossiAMAA, Italy, by Marcello Galiotto and Alessandra Rampazzo
      Venetian practice AMAA inserted a steel-framed two-storey glass volume into an abandoned plumbing factory in Italy to house its own office, which accommodates not just workspaces but also a small library.
      A sunken level that was once used for pump testing now houses a wood-fronted staff kitchen that can be accessed via a poured concrete staircase, designed to be in keeping with the building’s industrial material palette.
      Find out more about AMAA ›

      Another Studio, Bulgaria, by Andrey Andreev and Petya Nikolova
      In a bid to encourage teamwork, Another Studio removed all of the non-bearing walls in its office in Sofia and replaced them with customised plywood shelving, which maintains sightlines throughout the office while providing crucial storage.
      Translucent white cotton curtains can be used to further divide up the space, while removable boxes integrated into the storage system provide additional seating and side tables when required.
      Find out more about Another Studio ›
      Photo is by Toon GrobetThe Waterdog, Belgium, by Klaarchitectuur
      Klaarchitectuur left the original walls of this heritage-listed chapel in Limburg largely untouched when converting the space into a studio, choosing instead to insert a number of crisp white boxes into the interior.
      This stacked, standalone structure now houses separate offices for the practice’s different departments, alongside monochrome meeting rooms and casual work areas.
      Find out more about The Waterdog ›
      Photo is by Annette KislingSauerbruch Hutton studio, Germany, by Sauerbruch Hutton
      Sauerbruch Hutton renovated a former Prussian military uniform factory in Berlin and added a third floor to its roof to accommodate the practice’s office alongside a studio for conceptual artist Karin Sander.
      Roof lights allow sunshine to filter into the new top floor, which accommodates a reception and conference room, as well as a gallery leading to a library and a series of smaller offices and meeting rooms.
      Find out more about Sauerbruch Hutton’s studio ›
      Photo is by Megan Taylor2LG Studio, UK, by Russell Whitehead and Jordan Cluroe
      Married design duo Russell Whitehead and Jordan Cluroe of London’s 2LG Studio managed to integrate a shared workspace into their four-bedroom home by knocking down the walls around their kitchen.
      The resulting open-plan office area is centred by a pill-shaped jesmonite table that the studio made in collaboration with artist Olivia Aspinall, surrounded by velvet chairs from Danish furniture brand Menu.
      Find out more about 2LG Studio ›

      Layer studio, UK, by Benjamin Hubert
      The converted warehouse that is home to London design studio Layer functions not just as a workspace but also as a gallery, with recent product designs, samples and prototypes on show in colourful display boxes to serve as inspiration for the team.
      All rooms are open-plan save for a translucent black plexiglass cube that functions as a private conference room and is centred on a bright red Ripple table, designed by the studio’s founder Benjamin Hubert for Canadian manufacturer Corelam.
      Find out more about Layer studio ›
      Photo by Sam NoonanTree Top studio, Australia, by Max Pritchard
      Nestled into a tree-covered slope behind his house in Adelaide, Australian architect Max Prichard has built a six-metre-tall cylindrical cabin to house his own mini-studio.
      The structure is clad in sheets of locally sourced hoop pine, while dark hardwood batons laid across the walls and floors mirror the radiating roof beams and line up with the wall of built-in storage.
      Find out more about Tree Top studio ›
      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 sleek co-working spaces, homes with clever built-in furniture, plant-filled hotel interiors and residences with decorative vaulted ceilings.

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      Ten sleek co-working spaces that provide an escape from home working

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      As the world starts emerging from coronavirus lockdowns and many people begin returning to offices and shared workplaces, we have rounded up 10 co-working spaces for our latest lookbook.

      Whether a freelancer, small start-up or larger business, co-working offices can be a convenient and flexible solution for those looking to work in a collaborative environment.
      These 10 co-working sites combine domestic features such as cosy armchairs and sofas with sophisticated work areas furnished with modern desks, private partitions and well-equipped facilities.
      The co-working spaces also provide employees with networking opportunities, spots to socialise in, places to dine and even areas to exercise.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing bedrooms with smart storage solutions, residences with vaulted ceilings, and peaceful holiday home interiors.

      Photo is by Nikolas KoenigNeueHouse Bradbury, US, by DesignAgency
      Canadian studio DesignAgency added “graceful flourishes” such as linen drapes, soft furnishings and rose-coloured stools to NeueHouse’s co-working location in Downtown Los Angeles (above and top).
      While a number of the building’s existing elements were preserved including the brick fireplaces and large oak-framed windows, the studio added Versailles parquet flooring to give the workspaces a more contemporary look.
      Find out more about NeueHouse Bradbury ›
      Photo is by Jeroen VerrechtFosbury & Sons Boitsfort, Belgium, by Going East
      Belgian interior design studio Going East took cues from the original building’s modernist style to create this space for co-working provider Fosbury & Sons.
      Designed to look more like a residential home than an office, the 7,000 square-metre workplace in Brussels has comfortable leather seating, marble tables and a statement chandelier that hangs above the central staircase.
      Find out more about Fosbury & Sons Boitsfort ›
      Image is courtesy of The WingThe Wing Brooklyn, US, by Chiara De Rege
      The third site created by female co-working club The Wing, this cosy space in the Dumbo area of New York was designed by Chiara De Rege.
      De Rege designed the social areas to feel like living rooms, complete with an eclectic range of chairs and sofas in contrasting pastel and bold tones. The walls of the office spaces were tinted with the company’s “wing pink” colour while pale oak flooring was used to add warmth.
      Find out more about The Wing Brooklyn ›
      Photo is by Francisco NoguieraFosbury & Sons Amsterdam, the Netherlands, by Going East
      Designed by Belgian studio Going East, this Fosbury & Sons co-working space is set within a converted 19th-century hospital overlooking Amsterdam’s Prinsengracht canal.
      The studio aimed to create an upscale ambience throughout the space, while one of the building’s operating theatres was transformed into a dramatic boardroom with a marble-topped table surrounded by puffy, tan-coloured chairs.
      Find out more about Fosbury & Sons Amsterdam ›
      Photo is by Luis BeltranCabinette, Spain, by Masquespacio
      Retro furniture and pastel colours were used to create a Wes Anderson-like feel in this whimsical co-working office designed by Spanish studio Masquespacio in Valencia.
      Aimed at creative millennials, Cabinette has quirky elements such as silver curtains and chintzy stools. The studio used a light blue colour throughout the different office areas to add a sense of cohesion.
      Find out more about Cabinette ›
      Photo is courtesy of The Office GroupDouglas House, UK, by Note Design Studio
      Stockholm-based firm Note Design Studio contrasted neutral colours like ochre with bright furniture including armchairs in royal blue hues to to create invigorating spaces for  the Douglas House co-working members club.
      Spanning six floors, Douglas House by The Office Group has space for 700 to work along side a plant-filled chill out room, gym, cafe and a special room for nursing mothers.
      Find out more about Douglas House ›
      Photo is by Wai Ming NgReplica House Studios, UK, by Weston, Surman & Deane
      British studio Weston, Surman & Deane transformed a Victorian church in north London into a bright and colourful open-plan workspace that doubles as the architecture studio’s own office.
      To reference the church’s original use, the studio added diamond-patterned panes of stained glass in muted green, blue, orange and red colours above the main staircase and between the beams of the gabled roof.
      Find out more about Replica House Studios ›
      Photo is by Mariell Lind HansenUrban HQ, Ireland, by Kingston Lafferty Design
      Interiors studio Kingston Lafferty Design aimed to create warm and welcoming interiors for this eight-storey co-working office in Dublin.
      The studio used a palette of inviting materials, including stone, leather, slatted wood, velvet and brass, to create the homely atmosphere, with each floor designed to have a distinctive feel.
      Find out more about Urban HQ ›
      Photo is by Joe FletcherCanopy Jackson Square, US, by Yves Behar, Amir Mortazavi and Steve Mohebi
      Located in San Francisco’s downtown area, Canopy Jackson Square is a shared workspace created by designers Yves Behar, Amir Mortazavi and Steve Mohebi.
      A dark green colour palette and blackened wood flooring was used to create a decadent atmosphere in the private rooms while the public spaces are adorned with lighter green and pink tones.
      Find out more about Canopy Jackson Square ›
      Photo is by Nacasa & PartnersDigital Garage, Japan, by Snøhetta
      Lengthy ribbons of cedarwood form the desk surfaces and benches of this co-working space in Tokyo, which was created for a Japanese technology company by architecture firm Snøhetta.
      Above the desk, the studio added 534 pendant lights that create dazzling patterns when switched on. Chairs and stools in the same dark tone of the floor make up the rest of the furnishing in the stripped-back space.
      Find out more about Digital Garage ›
      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, kitchen extensions and interiors by Ukranian designers.

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      Roz Barr designs co-working club Bureau in Greenwich Design District

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      Roz Barr Architects has designed a co-working members’ club for London’s new design district, featuring a bright red salon, stairs you can sit on, and a workspace that doubles as a dinner table.

      Bureau offers a range of co-working and social spaces designed specifically for those working in the creative industries.
      It occupies two buildings in the recently opened Greenwich Design District: the concrete-framed D1 designed by Architecture 00 and the ripple-facaded C3 designed by HNNA.
      The ground-floor restaurant functions as a meeting space. Photo is by Ruth WardArchitect Roz Barr and her London-based team designed a series of playful interiors for Bureau, hoping to create a distinct identity that extends across both buildings.
      The buildings’ raw structures are left exposed but contrasted by bold flashes of colour, so that spaces feel characterful but open to adaptation. Bureau describes them as “elegantly utilitarian”.

      “The brief we developed was about offering a home for creatives, which allowed them to bring their own identity to how they occupied the spaces,” said Barr.
      “A language of elements and materials form a rhythm between both buildings,” she told Dezeen.
      Members have access to shared facilities including meeting rooms and phone booths. Photo is by Ruth WardThe C3 spaces were the first to open, as part of the Greenwich Design District’s official launch in September.
      Occupying four floors, the offer here includes private studios, a mix of fixed and hot-desk workspaces, plus a range of shared facilities that include a restaurant, a lounge, meeting rooms and phone booths.
      The salon is a red-toned lounge that doubles as an events space. Photo is by Joe HowardThe recent addition of D1 broadens the variety of space available. Its five floors include both indoor and outdoor workspaces, plus flexible spaces that can be used for a variety of events and group activities.
      In both buildings, the ground floor is designed to offer spaces where members can come together and share ideas.
      C3’s all-red salon can host talks and film screenings, while the restaurant functions as a gathering space.
      A long table offers opportunities for group collaboration or dining events. Photo is by Alex UptonMeanwhile, D1’s ground floor contains a 14-metre-long table that can be used for group collaboration or dining events.
      D1 also includes a space known as the forum, a lounge that can also be used for presentations. A staircase-like furniture element made from recycled plastic creates casual tiered seating.

      London’s Design District officially opens to the public

      “We understood we were creating a place for the creative industries to work, meet and relax,” said Barr.
      “Bureau is the centre of design district, so it was seen as a place where members of the community would join and form a sort of collective.”
      Felt screens help to improve the acoustics. Photo is by Alex UptonMaterial finishes throughout the interiors would be more typically be found in industrial workshops than offices, emphasising the creative nature of Bureau’s members.
      Floors are either bare concrete or covered in colourful marmoleum, while wall finishes include cement boards and corrugated metal, and perforated metal screens function as space dividers.
      Perforated metal screens allow light to filter through. Photo is by Ruth WardThese details are softened by textiles and lighting. Recurring elements includes globe lighting pendants, floor-to-ceiling curtains and digitally printed carpets and rugs.
      “We used a palette of materials that worked across both buildings, using metal stud walls that were clad in perforated metal sheets, acoustic felt, and doors and tables clad in furniture linoleum,” said Barr.
      “This language offers a soft backdrop for users to personalise however they want.”
      The terraces of D1 allow for outdoor working. Photo is by Alex UptonBarr chose contemporary furniture designs to accompany the custom elements, with designs from the likes of Richard Lampert and Philippe Malouin.
      With so many external terraces in D1, Hay’s Palissade outdoor furniture, designed by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, features both inside and out.
      “As ever, flexibility is key,” added Barr. “For larger events, rugs can be rolled up and furniture moved out onto the terraces.”
      Bureau occupies two buildings in the Greenwich Design District. Photo is by Taran WilkhuGreenwich Design District is London’s first dedicated design district.
      It includes 16 new buildings, including a transparent bubble-shaped canteen designed by Selgacano and an entrance building by David Kohn Architects with the words “design district” spelled out on the roof.
      Created by developer Knight Dragon, the district offers workspace for up to 1,800 people and a range of specialist facilities.
      Bureau members have access to other facilities in the design district, including photography studios, post-production suites, a sound studio and a pottery workshop.
      Photography is by Alex Upton, Joe Howard, Ruth Ward and Taran Wilkhu.

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      Twelve Berlin architecture studios photographed by Marc Goodwin

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      British photographer Marc Goodwin has gone behind the scenes at 12 architecture studios in Berlin including Barkow Leibinger and Sauerbruch Hutton for the latest in his photography series exploring where architects work.

      Goodwin, who is the founder of studio Archmospheres, has documented architecture studios in cities across the world including Istanbul, Shanghai and São Paulo.
      Following a brief hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic, he is now continuing his global tour by visiting offices across Europe including those in the German capital.
      “We are working our way around Europe at the moment and Berlin is of course one of the major stops on that tour,” he told Dezeen.
      “The idea was to go there two years ago but a little something got in the way.”

      São Paulo studios of Brazilian architects including Paulo Mendes da Rocha captured in photos

      The Berlin series offers a glimpse inside 12 architecture studios including Barkow Leibinger, LAVA, Sauerbruch Hutton and Studio Karhard, the designer of the city’s renowned nightclub Berghain. The studios range in size from three employees to 140 members of staff and occupy a mix of purpose-built offices and adaptively reused buildings.
      Goodwin described the experience as “Vorsprung durch Technik” – referring to the famous slogan of German carmaker Audi, which translates as “progress through technology”.
      “There was little of the Bohemian Berlin of bygone days – that was what struck me most,” Goodwin explained.
      “It seemed a very professional place of work and I’ll be interested to compare it with upcoming shoots in Munich, Frankfurt and Stuttgart.”
      Scroll down for a look inside 12 architecture studios in Berlin:

      Barkow Leibinger
      In this space since: 1997Number of members of staff: 80Building’s history: located at Schillerstraße 94 by Georg Lewy

      Bundschuh Architekten
      In this space since: 2007Number of members of staff: nineBuilding’s history: former counselling centre

      Christoph Hesse Architects (Berlin)
      In this space since: 2018Number of members of staff: threeBuilding’s history: old workshop

      FAR
      In this space since: 2019Number of members of staff: 10Building’s history: new build

      Graft
      In this space since: 2007Number of members of staff: 90Building’s history: former carburetor production facility

      Studio KarhardIn this space since: 2010Number of members of staff: nineBuilding’s history: residential

      Jasper
      In this space since: 2017Number of members of staff: 26Building’s history: office building

      JWA
      In this space since: 2018Number of members of staff: 27Building’s history: commercial building

      Kleihues
      In this space since: 1989Number of members of staff: 80Building’s history: former waste-loading station by Paul Baumgarten

      LAVA
      In this space since: 2021Number of members of staff: 29Building’s history: brewery and bottle store

      Richter Musikows
      In this space since: 2015Number of members of staff: eightBuilding’s history: new build

      Sauerbruch Hutton
      In this space since: 1991Number of members of staff: 140Building’s history: historic barracks

      Tchoban Voss (Berlin)
      In this space since: 1995Number of members of staff: total: 80Building’s history: located atHackesche Höfe complex by Kurt Berndt

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      McLaren Excell unveils minimalist London headquarters for Samsung Design Europe

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      Only a handful of spruce partitions carve up the pared-back interior of this London office, which McLaren Excell has created for Samsung’s European design studio.

      Set inside a 21-storey tower known as the Can of Ham building, Samsung Design Europe is one of the tech company’s seven product design hubs across the globe, with other outposts located in the US, China, Brazil, India, Japan and South Korea.
      Local architecture studio McLaren Excell said it devised the minimalist interior for the London headquarters to “consign the formality of the workspace to the past”.
      Spruce wood partitions break up the Samsung Design Europe headquarters”[The office] instead embraces a more relaxed, informal and experiential place of work,” explained the firm’s co-founder Luke McLaren.
      “We want the Samsung office to have all the qualities that are enjoyable about your home – a softness, a sense of calm, a high degree of tactility, spaces to congregate, spaces to which one can withdraw – but all the while nurturing that sense of welcome, of belonging, of enjoyment.”

      As a result, the office features just a handful of glue-laminated spruce partitions that loosely split the floor plan into private meeting rooms and communal zones where staff members can engage in more collaborative work.
      Spruce fins also run along the office’s windowsSpruce glulam also forms a series of vertical fins, which appear at intervals along the office’s windows.
      In the breakout area, the same pale-toned timber was used to craft the dining table, counter and benches.
      Furnishings in the breakout area are made from spruceGrey linen curtains that hang from tracks on the ceiling can be used to further divide up the open-plan office while bringing a sense of tactility to the interior.
      In an effort to make the HQ seem more relaxed and inviting, planters overspilling with foliage were embedded into the top of the desk banks.

      McLaren Excell channels church interiors for The Splash Lab’s LA showroom

      McLaren Excell also abandoned a traditional lighting grid in favour of fitted lamps, which illuminate pockets of the office in more targeted and intimate ways.
      The architecture studio was founded by Luke McLaren and Robert Excell in 2010 and is based in London’s Chelsea neighbourhood.
      Planters are embedded into the office’s desk banksRecent projects by McLaren Excell include a bathroom showroom in Los Angeles with arched doorways and altar-like tables reminiscent of a church.
      The photography is by Lorenzo Zandri.

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      Henley Halebrown creates Bauhaus-informed offices in converted London warehouse

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      The colours and craft techniques of the Bauhaus movement were the inspiration behind Laszlo, a century-old warehouse building transformed into workspaces by London studio Henley Halebrown.

      Located in north London, the renovated building now contains five floors of flexible offices, ranging from 482 square metres up to 647 square metres.
      Structural elements are left exposed through Laszlo’s interiorsHenley Halebrown approached the project differently to a standard office conversion.
      Instead of a “shell and core” approach, where tenants have no choice but to complete a fit-out, the architects have made spaces that can be occupied simply as they are.
      They did this by exposing the building’s internal structure – its concrete floor slabs and steel I beams – and bringing order to the elements around. Services are neatly organised, while low-tech materials like concrete and timber are used to make adjustments.

      Offices are designed to require minimal additional fit-outStudio founders Simon Henley and Gavin Hale-Brown describe the approach as seeking “to illustrate how elementary the construction of an office might be”.
      The idea is that companies would only need to add their own branding, plus furniture, which would significantly reduce the amount of waste generated when tenants move out.

      Waugh Thistleton Architects creates fully demountable office block next door to Dezeen

      “Working on adaptive reuse buildings like Laszlo is second nature to us as a practice,” said Henley.
      “It builds on our interest in how you create new layers of life within a city while celebrating both its past and future, and of course, the great thing is that the huge environmental benefits that come through reuse are now more widely understood.”
      Geometric graphics signal the building’s change of useOriginally known as Batavia Mills, Laszlo was built in the early 20th century as a facility for manufacturing and printing, although it also served as storage for gas masks during the second world war.
      The Bauhaus become an obvious point of reference for the renovation; not only does it date from the same period, but its core ethos was about being true to materials and finding beauty in craft.
      A steel and timber joisted roof is now exposed on the fourth floorA painting by Bauhaus artist Laszlo Moholy Nagy – who the building is named after – provided the cues for repairs made to the concrete floors.
      There were various gaps created where partition walls had been removed. Instead of infilling these with concrete, Henley Halebrown chose an earth-coloured screed that highlights these marks as traces of history.
      Doors throughout the interior borrow tones from Josef Albers’ colour studiesThe building refers to the colour studies of Bauhaus teacher Josef Albers with a series of doors painted in bold but complementary shades of green, yellow, grey and blue.
      Another Bauhaus reference can be found on the exterior, where the brickwork and glazing have been subtly decorated with the same graphic shapes and lettering that give the building its brand identity.
      The reception features a desk shaped like an I beamLaszlo offers various amenities to its tenants, including a large outdoor seating area, bicycle parking and showers. There are also shared spaces on the ground floor, including a reception and an area known as the living room.
      Furniture in these ground floor spaces is designed to feel like part of the structure, with highlights including a reception desk and bookshelf that both look like giant I beams.
      A living room with kitchen is shared by all tenants”Within the framework of the original structure, we composed a series of unconventional spaces with conventional building materials, mostly blockwork, lintels and paint,” said Jack Hawthorne, an associate at Henley Halebrown.
      “These spaces are occupied with pieces of furniture that are imagined and made as oversized elements of structure, ‘furniture as structure’, placing them in playful dialogue with the building’s newly exposed frame.”
      One of the office floors has already been furnishedPhotos of the project show one of the office floors already fitted out.
      The light-touch approach includes glazed meeting rooms, a wooden kitchen and mobile shelves that function as room dividers. Desks and seats integrate bold flashes of colour that feel at home with the rest of the building.
      Each floor is similar in layout and finish, although the fourth floor features an exposed steel and timber joisted roof and a balcony terrace.
      The space features colourful desks, open shelves and glazed meeting roomsLaszlo is one of several innovative offices designs recently completed in London, as companies adapt to more flexible working policies following the impact of the pandemic.
      Other recent examples include a co-working office that doubles as a “town hall” and an office with more meeting areas than desks.
      The photography is by David Grandorge.

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      Ten offices with wooden bleachers that c​​ater for collaboration

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      An industrial London workspace and the home of software company Slack feature in our latest lookbook, which spotlights 10 office interiors animated by wooden bleacher-style seating.

      Traditionally found in sports stadiums, bleachers are an inexpensive form of stepped seating composed of rows of benches. They are accessed by built-in staircases or directly from the stepped seats themselves.
      In recent years, bleachers have also become a workplace staple for many modern companies as they offer flexible auditorium-style spaces for presentations, impromptu meetings and collaboration.
      While they are typically made from metal, many architects designing office bleachers are opting for a wooden finish instead.
      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 homely office interiors, workspaces filled with plants and garden studios for remote working.

      The Forge, UK, by Emrys Architects
      Two banks of bleachers feature in this listed ironworks in London, which Emrys Architects transformed into a studio complex with co-working spaces and workshops.
      Crafted from birch plywood, the seating is positioned at the building’s heart to provide access to the first floor of the complex while doubling as a gathering point for occupants.
      Find out more about Millwall Ironworks ›
      Photo is by Mark CraemerQuartz offices, USA, by Desai Chia Architecture
      The Quartz offices in New York feature a large events space, lined on three sides with chunky bleacher seating made from plywood.
      The seating was designed by Desai Chia Architecture to accommodate everything from parties to symposiums and is complemented by moveable furniture. It also incorporates hidden storage units at its base.
      Find out more about Quartz offices ›
      Photo is by Ema PeterSlack offices, Canada, by Leckie Studio
      Company-wide meetings are hosted on these cushioned bleachers, which form the focal point of the Slack offices designed by Leckie Studio in a Vancouver warehouse.
      Set in a double-height atrium, the stadium-like seating runs alongside a staircase that links two floors of open-plan workspace and incorporates plug sockets to allow employees to work from the bleachers.
      Find out more about Slack offices ›

      Eventbrite offices, USA, by Rapt Studio
      Rapt Studio added cushions to the stadium-like seating that it designed for the offices of e-ticketing company Eventbrite in San Francisco.
      Built from light wood, the seating was introduced to support large company meetings and offers a counterpoint to the one-on-one workrooms and quiet nooks elsewhere in the office. The cushions are upholstered in blue fabrics and teamed with matching ottomans.
      Find out more about Eventbrite offices ›
      Photo is by Inpetto foto grafischThe Houtloods, the Netherlands, by Bedaux de Brouwer Architecten
      This wooden bleacher-style seating was designed by Bedaux de Brouwer to conceal private offices, toilets and storage at this advertising agency in an old railway building in Tilburg.
      The seating also provides the office with an informal auditorium for group meetings. At the top of the structure are personal workstations for employees, accessed by a staircase built into its bleachers or metal stairs along its edge.
      Find out more about The Houtloods ›
      Photo is by Bruno GilibertoFintual offices, Chile, by Studio Cáceres Lazo
      Studio Cáceres Lazo mounted this small bank of bleachers on wheels to allow employees at Fintual in Santiago to move it around their office for group meetings or gatherings.
      The office, which occupies an old mansion by architect Sergio Larraín García-Moreno, was designed as a flexible work environment for the financial startup. The stepped seating is made from laminated wooden boards and finished with square cushions and potted plants.
      Find out more about Fintual offices ›
      Photo is courtesy of Nacása & PartnersNikken Space Design offices, Japan, by Nikken Sekkei
      Books and magazines can be found in the hollowed-out steps of this bleacher-style seating structure, located at the centre of the Nikken Space Design offices in Osaka.
      Built from recycled scaffolding planks and complete with small side tables, the rows of seating-cum-bookshelves encourage staff to pick up a book at any time to help support their creativity.
      Find out more about Nikken Space Design offices ›

      Airbnb offices, Singapore, by Farm
      At Airbnb’s Singapore office, local studio Farm positioned a group of small wooden bleachers in a room for informal meetings and presentations.
      Each bank is lined with four rows of cushioned seating and also incorporates a small nook at its rear. Fitted with benches, these nooks provide employees with a cosy space to work alone or with colleagues.
      Find out more about Airbnb offices ›
      Photo is by Michael GrimmSlack offices, USA, by Snøhetta
      Wooden stadium-like seating also features at the Slack offices in New York, which Snøhetta created to suit “a variety of social interactions and work styles”.
      Positioned at the heart of the office, the large plywood steps are used for everything from informal conversations between colleagues to large company presentations. Snøhetta incorporated plants and a mix of cushions that help to soften its visual impact.
      Find out more about Slack offices ›
      Photo is by Rasmus Hjortshoj – COASTRed Cross Volunteer House, Denmark, by Cobe
      Architecture studio Cobe lined one side of this auditorium with tiered seating for the volunteer training, meetings and events held at the Red Cross Volunteer House in Copenhagen.
      It is framed by a dramatic stepped ceiling cast from concrete, which is the inversion of the stepped seating on top of the building that acts as a public meeting place.
      Find out more about Red Cross Volunteer 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 homely office interiors, workspaces filled with plants and garden studios for remote working.

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      in Rooms

      Studio Rhonda uses saturated colours and glass bricks to revamp Zetteler's headquarters

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      Interiors firm Studio Rhonda has redesigned communications agency Zetteler’s London office using contrasting colours and tactile vegan and deaf-friendly materials.

      The studio, which is led by Rhonda Drakeford, created a distinctive feeling for each of the headquarter’s three zones – a main work area, a smaller cafe-style space for meals and relaxing, and a meeting space.
      The Zetteler headquarters is located in east LondonAs Zetteler founder Sabine Zetteler has severe conductive hearing loss, it was also important that the office didn’t feature details such as hard floors and high ceilings, which can create a disruptive atmosphere.
      “The space was to be split into three zones, each with a different ambience and function, with an emphasis on the whole space to be deaf-friendly, plus there was the need for the materials used to be vegan,” Drakeford explained.
      Plants are dotted throughout the spaceThe choice to use vegan materials was based on the fact that most of Zetteler’s staff is vegan or vegetarian.

      “The research process was enlightening; for example, I was surprised to learn that some paints include casein, a dairy product,” Zetteler told Dezeen.
      “I’m proud that we’ve been able to find vegan options for all our integral building materials, but I would really like to see manufacturers take more responsibility for transparency, so we can all make more informed decisions.”
      A duck-egg blue decorates the main workspaceTo create distinctive zones in the office, located in a mid-century industrial block off Broadway Market in east London, Drakeford used different colours and materials to define the spaces.
      A pale duck-egg blue was used for the main work area, which also features a large desk in natural wood and a jute carpet that gives the room an organic feel.
      Glass bricks create a light meeting roomThe adjacent meeting room is enclosed in glass brick walls, which Zetteler had requested to allow for light to flow through the space.
      “I sourced some Czech glass bricks with graphic linear mouldings for a contemporary edge,” Drakeford explained.

      Fathom Architects designs London office with more meeting areas than desks

      “I devised an anchor line of 2,300 millimetres from the ground as the top height of any structures so as to maintain coherence in all three zones and also to help the space retain an open-plan feel,” she added.
      “The roof of the glass-brick ‘pod’ stops at the 2,300 millimetres anchor line, allowing light to travel over it.”
      The Zetteler kitchen features wood and Valchromat surfacesIn the kitchen, the interior designer used furniture from brand Hølte, a Zetteler client whose showroom is close to the office.
      “I specified custom oversize recessed handles and an unusual matching oak splash-back combined with a beige tap by Toniton for a mono-material/colour effect ‘block’,” Drakeford said.
      “We also used the oversize circular handles on the adjoining orange Valchromat storage cupboards, which were also produced by Hølte, and the green Valchromat sliding doors to the right of the kitchen block,”
      Pale blue walls meet green storage spaces and a glass-brick meeting roomThe use of colour was defined by the light in the different rooms of the office, which sits on a north-south axis.
      “I worked with a cool, duck-egg blue at the front, south-facing area as I knew that the space tends to get very warm in the summer,” Drakeford explained.
      “A warmer, buff colour was used at the rear, north-facing section, to counteract how cold that area can feel in the winter months.”
      Warmer hues were used at the north-facing rear of the buildingThe neutral backdrop hues were complemented by pops of colour in a variety of textured materials and chalky tones. To make the space deaf-friendly, the designer chose to add plenty of soft materials to the interiors.
      “Curtains and rugs are used throughout to help with zoning and privacy as well as optimising the acoustics,” Drakeford said.
      “The meeting pod is purpose-built, very solid and lined with acoustic vegan wool, creating a quiet sanctuary from the more open-plan spaces. Planting is also a key part of the acoustic softening, as well as making the space more welcoming.”
      A deep blue hue makes the meeting room feel cosyThe overall design aimed to create an office that didn’t have the “matchy-matchy” feel of many corporate office spaces, Drakeford said.
      “I approached this space in the same way I would treat a residential interior, with the warmth and comfort of a mismatched but visually coherent family of furniture and materials,” she added.
      Other notable London offices include The Crown Estate’s Fathom Architecture-designed space in St James’s and a “homely” office in the brutalist Smithson Tower.
      Photography is by Taran Wilkhu.

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