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      Emil Eve Architects retrofits own office in brutalist building in Hackney

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      London studio Emil Eve has retrofitted its Hackney office to include a striking green-painted floor and modular birch plywood furniture designed to be “reconfigured or adapted as the needs of the users change”.

      The architecture firm created the studio space, which it shares with design practices OEB Architects and Material Works, in an existing brutalist building with an exposed concrete structure in Hackney, east London.
      The studio was renovated so that no alterations were made to the buildingCalled Regent Studios, the office was carefully designed so that no changes had to be made to the fabric of the building, according to Emil Eve.
      Instead, the firm created a “family” of modular, CNC-cut birch plywood furniture that fits into the space without having to be fixed to the existing structure.
      A vivid green-painted floor defines the space”The furniture is freestanding so that it can be reconfigured or adapted as the needs of the users change,” Emil Eve co-founder Emma Perkin told Dezeen.

      As well as linoleum-lined desks and small shelving units, this group of furniture includes a standout floor-to-ceiling “sample library” where the architects display and interact with a range of material samples.
      Emil Eve created a floor-to-ceiling “material library”Shallow upper display shelves are combined with deeper, lower storage compartments to create a unit that takes cues from the design of kitchen cabinets.
      “We knew we wanted the material library to be the main focus of the space, with everything visible to hand,” said Perkin, who designed the system to replace “inefficient” stacked boxes.
      Desktops are lined with linoleumThe architect also explained why the firm used the CNC process to create the furniture, which was fabricated by Natural Buildings Systems.
      “The process enables complex shapes to be cut from sheet materials,” she said. “Here, we used slits cut into the shelves to create an interlocking design that creates a hierarchy between framing, horizontal and vertical elements, which brings a rhythm to the whole.”

      Urselmann Interior renovates own office using recycled and biodegradable materials

      Emil Eve chose bold green paint for the flooring, which was used for its cost-effectiveness and ability to transform the mood of a space, according to the firm.
      This colour was also decided upon to complement the windowsill herbs and various potted plants scattered around the studio, as well as to contrast with a cluster of bright yellow chairs positioned around a communal work table.
      Yellow chairs contrast with the green floorAs a small design agency, Emil Eve explained the benefits of sharing a co-working space with other design companies in the interest of sharing collective resources – a decision the architects called “economical as well as sustainable”.
      “It’s always more fun to make things rather than buying furniture off the shelf if you can!” added Perkin.
      Visitors are invited to touch the materials on displayEmil Eve Architects was founded in 2009 by Emma and Ross Perkin. The firm has completed a number of architecture projects, including many in London.
      Recent projects range from a monochromatic pale pink loft extension and a timber-framed residential extension filled with light.
      The photography is by Mariell Lind Hansen.

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      Mind Manifestation lines self-designed studio in Pune with perforated bricks

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      Indian practice Mind Manifestation has set up its studio in a converted apartment in Pune and designed the interior to reflect how the local landscape changes colour from season to season.

      Pale green lime plaster and perforated bricks transform the 120-square-metre flat into a workspace that is both compatible with Pune’s tropical climate and reflective of the grassy hillside on which it is set.
      Perforated bricks line the reception area of Mind Manifestation’s studio”The material palette has been tastefully chosen so as to match with the different shades of the hill throughout the year,” Mind Manifestation explained.
      “Thus nature flows through to the indoors and the space becomes part of nature.”
      Seating in the reception area is crafted from recycled cardboard tubesThe office is fronted by a small reception area, where both the floor and desk are lined with perforated bricks.

      Here, visitors can sit and wait on a bench that curves around one corner of the space, fronted by recycled cardboard tubes.
      Just behind the reception desk is a door that leads onto a small terrace, which is also floored with bricks to foster a seamless connection between the studio and the outdoors.
      The window seat looks out across a hillsideBeyond the studio’s entrance area are a few rows of oakwood desks with cane-backed office chairs. There’s also a deep-set window seat that offers views over the sunny eastern side of the hill.
      Walls here and throughout the rest of the office are washed with lime plaster, specifically selected by Mind Manifestation for its breathability. The floors, on the other hand, were poured over with terracotta-coloured concrete to match the bricks.

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      To one side of the plan is a large meeting room centred by a wooden table. The same cardboard tubes that feature in the reception were used here to clad the table’s cylindrical base and to create a textured wall feature.
      At the back of the space is a chunky concrete ledge where staff can recline as well as a shuttered window.
      Green lime plaster covers the meeting room’s wallsAdditional work areas can be found towards the rear of the floor plan, along with a more casual meeting room where staff can gather for brainstorming sessions or team lunches.
      This room is fronted by a series of perforated brick screens that allow cooling winds to pass into the interior. Bricks were also used to build a block of tiered seating at the back of the room.
      Perforated bricks also create screens in a secondary meeting roomArchitecture and design studios often take on the responsibility of creating their own offices.
      In London, the couple behind local practice 2LG Studio established a workspace in their four-bedroom home, while Esrawe Studio set up its Mexico City office inside a former dance hall, taking care to preserve the building’s weathered ceiling trusses.
      The photography is by Hemant Patil.
      Project credits:
      Architecture: Mind ManifestationLead architects: Anand Deshmukh, Chetan LahotiDesign team: Pranjali Ekre, Dipti Kanade, Vidisha Paltewar

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      Universal Design Studio draws on libraries and members' clubs for Euston workspace

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      London-based Universal Design Studio’s interiors for The Office Group’s latest workspace in Euston was informed by nearby buildings including the British Library.

      Called 210 Euston Road, the interior was created by Universal Design Studio together with workspace provider The Office Group (TOG’s) head of design Nasim Köerting, and nods to the many well-known institutions that are located in the same London neighbourhood.
      A cafe sits on the ground floor of the office building”Quite simply, the design was inspired by the location,” Köerting told Dezeen. “210 Euston Road is flanked by a host of influential national institutions, including the British Library, the Royal College of Physicians and the Wellcome Trust.”
      “These illustrious neighbours inspired our ambition to create a classic yet contemporary institution-like space that references the surrounding centres of learning and knowledge,” she added.
      Inside, wooden floors and decorative lamps create an organic feelThe 6,400-square-metre, seven-storey building was redeveloped to create more than 800 workspaces.

      Its ground floor houses a cafe that is open to the public, as well as a large reception and a residency space.
      Bright furniture offsets neutral wall coloursTwo of the building’s upper floors will be used as offices for individual businesses, while other floors have smaller office units as well as co-working spaces.
      To create a space that would be made to last and “reference an institution but not be institutional”, the designers looked to the architecture of buildings including the British Museum and University College London, Universal Design Studio associate director Carly Sweeney explained.
      Spaces were informed by library reading rooms”One of the hero points of the design references the traditional reading room that is found in these spaces – a library arguably being the original coworking space,” she said.
      “To echo this we created a hidden coworking lounge – this space cannot be seen from the outside and the hidden nature lends to the feeling of privilege to be there. ”
      A bar clad in dark tiles decorates the seventh-floor members’ spaceTo give each space in the large building a different feel, Universal Design Studio worked with a material palette that changes as the floors ascend, culminating in a members’ bar on the seventh floor that has a tiled bar and a ceiling made of tactile cork.
      “The public-facing ground floor is light and airy, with a ‘library’-style interior that features a cork floor, timber screens, bespoke reading lights and leather detailing on the desks,” Sweeney told Dezeen.

      Note Design Studio creates colourful interiors to “break the grid” of 1930s office building

      “As you travel up through the building, the seventh floor feels much more like a members’ club,” she added.
      “This space is more luxurious, there is again an abundance of light here so to create a contrast we used a darker palette. There is rich material tactility via the tiled island and upholstery.”
      The lobby has a rope-like neon light installationUniversal Design Studio’s references to the surrounding buildings in the Euston area are perhaps most notable on the ground floor, where a decorative neon light installation above the reception desk draws to mind the neon installations in the windows of the Wellcome Collection across the road.
      In a meeting room next to the lobby, decorative sculptures and vases seem to nod to the nearby British Museum, while a collection of oil paintings on the wall will be regularly replaced, like in a gallery space.
      A library-style space is livened up by an undulating ceilingThe studio also added an unusual undulating ceiling to the library-style ground floor room, creating an eye-catching detail in the room, which has an otherwise muted design with cream and wood colours.
      Specially designed slim reading lights in a purplish-blue hue add a touch of colour.
      Wooden materials are used throughout the building”As with other noteworthy institutions we wanted to create a moment that makes anyone entering the space feel grounded,” Sweeney said.
      “It is cathedral-like in its stature but also cocooning,” she said of the ceiling.
      “It allows for a change of pace in one of the most special spaces in the building. Similar in nature to other institutions such as the ceiling in the British Museum, it also creates a ‘moment’ upon entering the space.”
      The top floor has a roof terrace with a view over EustonThe building is the first TOG workspace to open since the coronavirus pandemic began and its design aimed to reflect the changing needs of the workplace once people began coming back to the office.
      “We landed on the aim to create an environment that one couldn’t replicate in the home – a space that could attract people back to the workplace without compromising freedom and flexibility,” Köerting said.
      “We achieved this by providing plenty of choice and myriad amenities.”
      TOG and Universal Design Studio designed the space during the pandemicUniversal Design Studio also created the lobby for a Hopkins Architects-designed office in the City of London, which features railway-informed terrazzo tracks on the floor.
      Other TOG locations in London include a workspace close to department store Liberty and a 1930s building with pops of colour designed by Note Design Studio.

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      Urselmann Interior renovates own office using recycled and biodegradable materials

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      Düsseldorf studio Urselmann Interior has renovated its own office interiors using biodegradable, recycled or upcycled materials, including glueless joinery and a cellulose-based wall cladding.

      The interior design studio said that it renovated its self-described “circular” office in the German city to only feature materials that are either recycled, upcycled or biodegradable.
      Urselmann Interior’s office is in DüsseldorfThese include existing wooden and terrazzo flooring that was salvaged during the renovation, as well as heaters obtained from resource-efficient building material platform Concular.
      Spread over one main workspace, a kitchen and a meeting room, the single-level office features clay paint walls and is designed to be used as both a co-working space and a showroom.
      The renovation includes a kitchen”The office also serves us as a laboratory in that we can [use it to] test new qualities, materials and construction methods,” project manager Liz Theißen told Dezeen.

      A solid wooden frame was used to create simple kitchen cabinets, which were constructed without glue so that the structure is fully demountable.
      Joinery was created without glue in much of the projectThe frame was fitted with panels formed from recycled strips of fabric supplied by textile brand Kvadrat from its Really collection.
      For its walls, the studio used Honext wall cladding – a cellulose-based material that is produced using paper sludge and cardboard waste.

      Honext develops recyclable construction material made of cellulose fibres from waste paper

      Poplar wood from a tree felled in the nearby city of Krefeld was chosen for the ceiling, which was also assembled without glue.
      Throughout the office, neutral and minimal colour and material palettes were applied to the interior design, which also includes clusters of carefully arranged potted plants and books.
      Second-hand lighting encased in wiggly orange felt from Hey-Sign adds a splash of colour to the otherwise sandy-hued atmosphere.
      Wiggly orange lighting adds a splash of colourTheißen explained that all of the components that Urselmann Interior used for the renovation have been listed in a published “material passport” that can be referred to for future projects.
      “We want to develop a new design language for ourselves, in which we smartly combine high-quality materials such as solid wood with ecological building materials as well as reusable components [to achieve] a positive footprint in the construction industry,” she concluded.
      Honext panels line the clay paint wallsUrselmann Interior is a Düsseldorf-based interiors studio founded by Sven Urselmann.
      Similar projects to the studio’s office renovation include a Madrid restaurant by Lucas Muñoz with furniture formed from site construction waste and a bar made out of recycled stereos, bottle crates and fridges by Michael Marriott.
      The photography is by Magdalena Gruber. 
      Project credits:
      Design and build: Urselmann InteriorFounder and designer: Sven UrselmannDesigner: Petra JablonickáProject manager: Liz Theißen

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      Concrete dominates INC Architecture & Design's offices in NYC

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      The offices of INC Architecture & Design in New York City’s SoHo are filled with eclectic furniture and plants that contrast the primarily concrete interiors.

      INC, founded by architects Adam Rolston, Gabe Benroth and Drew Stuart, moved to a 1930s building on Varick Street after scaling up from its previous location on 19th Street.
      INC’s offices are located in a 1930s building on Varick StreetThe new space is dominated by concrete, which forms the walls, floors, ceilings, and nine mushroom columns that form square bays across the plan.
      “The space was peeled back to its essential architectural shell,” said the studio, which sandblasted the concrete to a raw finish.
      A grand marble-topped desk greets visitors upon arrivalMeanwhile, the flooring was polished to a soft sheen, to reflect the light pouring in from large windows along the west facade.

      Collaborative work areas are arranged along these windows. They range from a long communal table to informal lounges comprising an eclectic mix of vintage furniture.
      The studio stripped back the space to its concrete bones”The furnishings are decidedly residential in character and include antiques, custom upholstery, custom casegoods, custom raw silk rugs, polychrome raw leather, polished stainless steel, solid ash and polychrome marbles,” the team said.
      Upon entering the offices, a grand marble-topped desk supported on two polished-chrome cylinders is positioned in front of a dark green wall.
      Desks are lined up through the centre of the officeTo the right are conference rooms, divided by partition walls painted pale pink and lined with acoustic panels.
      A circular aperture provides a view from one meeting to a communal lounge on the other side.

      BIG moves New York office to bright space in Dumbo

      “Simple secondary architectural elements were developed to provide for the more private functional requirements of the studio, and to define spatial subdivisions which break down the space but that maintain the open studio format so critical to our way of working together,” INC said.
      Wooden desks are lined up in rows through the centre of the office, running from the collaborative areas to an expansive material bank on the opposite side.
      An expansive material bank is displayed towards the back of the spacePlants are used abundantly throughout the space, adding life and offering a contrast to the grey and brown tones.
      “Our space is filled with greenery, collected materials, prototypes, objects and details drawn from our projects, our wanderings and our passions,” said the INC team.
      Polished concrete floors reflect the light entering from large windowsOther offices of architecture firms in NYC include BIG’s bright space in Dumbo, while we rounded up 10 self-designed studios by architects and designers in a recent lookbook.
      The photography is by Eric Laignel.

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      Sella designs “post-pandemic” offices for Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners in Brooklyn

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      London studio Sella has created office interiors for tech company Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners in Dumbo, New York City, with a focus on flexible and collaborative space to entice employees back to the workplace.

      The 3,000-square-foot (280-square-metre) office has a prime waterfront location at 10 Jay Street, inside a former sugar refinery overhauled by ODA Architecture in 2019.
      Sella designed the Sidewalk Infrastructure Projects offices with a focus on communal spaceDesigned during the coronavirus pandemic, the workspaces for Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners are open and flexible — more akin to a members club than a traditional office.
      “Sella sensitively evolved the design to create the first-generation post-pandemic office space, championing the merge of the workspace and membership culture within private office environments,” said the studio.
      The interiors are more akin to a members club than a tech startup officeTravel restrictions also meant that Sella had to execute the project from the UK, in collaboration with the New York office of architecture firm Gensler.

      Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners is a startup backed by Google’s parent company Alphabet, and a spin-off of smart cities initiative Sidewalk Labs.
      A kitchen area is arranged around a curved plaster wallAt its offices, the building’s industrial heritage is celebrated through exposed brick columns and poured concrete floors.
      A large area in the centre of the plan, for both employees and guests to congregate, is arranged around a tree.
      Taps are built into the wall for a minimal effectCustom banquettes, upholstered in fabrics by Dedar and Maharam, offer casual seating against the wall and beside the greenery. Opposite, the kitchen area is set against a gently arced partition between two brick columns.
      The curve is continued in the shape of walnut-fronted cabinets and a white, oval island that reaches bar height. Beer and kombucha taps and other hardware are plumbed directly into the wall for a clean, minimalist finish.
      Another curved wall leads to private work areasAnother new textured-plaster wall curves behind the kitchenette, leading employees to the more private work areas.
      “These casual break-out spaces linking with the more private, formal moments within the office were sensitively considered by Sella to push the brief of an office based on connection, born out of the pandemic,” said Sella.

      Sella Concept applies “cocoon of rich materials and colour” to interiors of east London office

      Meeting rooms are positioned along the glazed facade, overlooking the East River.
      An engineered bronze conference table with a leather-like top can be rolled along a track in the concrete floor, to facilitate larger board meetings when needed.
      Meeting rooms overlook the East RiverWarm neutral colours in all of the spaces are complemented by lighting from American brand Allied Maker, while quirky details include cabinet handles by UK-based Swarf Hardware.
      “With the ease of working from home, an office now needs to work harder to entice employees to connect with each other and with clients – thereby Sella’s design aims to incentivise behaviour with connectivity at its heart,” the studio said.
      A brass floor track allows conference tables to be joined together for large meetingsSella was founded by Tatjana von Stein and Gayle Noonan, and works across interiors, furniture, branding and set design.
      Interchangeably known as Sella Concept, the studio has also completed the London headquarters for fashion brand Sister Jane, a co-working space in the UK capital and a collection of curvaceous furniture.
      The photography is by Sean Davidson.

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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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      Archmongers uses eco-friendly materials in colourful Bakken & Bæck office

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      Materials like cardboard and recycled rubber are paired with softly contrasting colours in the London office of Bakken & Bæck, designed by local architects Archmongers.

      The ambition was to create a distinct identity for the Norwegian tech design agency’s London team, but to achieve this in the most eco-friendly way possible.
      A red conference table contrasts with mint-green wallsArchmongers founders Margaret Bursa and Johan Hybschmann felt the best way to make a bold statement was to develop a playful palette of colours, similar to Bakken & Bæck’s offices in Oslo, Amsterdam and Bonn.
      They selected muted shades of red, yellow and green, creating subtle but memorable colour contrasts.
      Cardboard tubes create a scallop wallpaper effect”The space is flooded with daylight, which helped us choose strong colours to work against the neutral background,” Bursa told Dezeen. “We worked with various combinations until we arrived at the right one.”

      To minimise the carbon footprint of the design, the architects chose some natural and recycled materials.
      Fast-growing Douglas fir provides the frames of glazed partition walls, while recycled rubber was chosen for the flooring. Cardboard tubes were also used, to create an unusual scalloped wallpaper effect.
      Recycled rubber provides an acoustic flooring”We found some cardboard tubes that are used for concrete formwork, but we used them to give parts of the space definition and warmth,” said Bursa.
      The studio occupies two floors of De Beauvoir Block, a workspace community in east London.
      The lower level offers conference and lounge spaces, while the upper level contains an office and three smaller meeting rooms.
      Ceiling beams and surfaces are painted the same colour as the wallsCurtains and colour-blocking help to create definitions between different zones.
      On the lower level, the red conference table stands out against the mint-green walls, while the two lounge spaces are characterised by deep purple tones.

      Kvistad creates tonal workspaces inside Oslo office

      Upstairs, the same shade of red draws attention to the meeting rooms. The effect was achieved using natural wood stains.
      In the office, ceiling beams and surfaces are all painted the same shade as the walls, while a small kitchen features dark fronts and a monochrome terrazzo surface.
      Glazed screen made from red-painted Douglas fir define meeting rooms”We focused our efforts sourcing a materials palette that is sustainable and hardwearing, but also enduringly beautiful,” said Hybschmann.
      The Archmongers duo often use colour to add an extra layer of interest to their projects, with examples including a renovation in the modernist Golden Lane Estate and a tile-clad house extension.
      Here, acoustics were also an important consideration. The rubber floor and textile wall panels help to dampen sound.
      Textile panels improve acoustics in meeting roomsOther details include angled ceiling mirrors, which provide visual connections between spaces, and furniture by designers including Alvar Aalto, Verner Panton, Barber Osgerby, and the Bouroullec brothers.
      “Our design evokes a homely environment rather than a conventional workspace,” added Hybschmann.
      “We were mindful of the need to coax people back from their home offices, through providing attractive, comfortable spaces that encourage collaboration.”
      The office houses the London studio of tech design agency Bakken & BæckBakken & Bæck describes the space as “our shared home-away-from-home”.
      “It plays a huge role in how we socialise,” said the team. “We gather daily for lunch around the bespoke table on the ground floor, use the snug as a place to connect with other BB offices over a game of Mario Kart, and on the first floor we are lucky to have a plant-filled space with a lot of natural light where we get the work done.”
      Photography is by French + Tye.

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