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      Studio Edwards adopts zero-waste strategy for Today Design office in Melbourne

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      Melbourne-based Studio Edwards has completed a workspace for creative agency Today Design using recycled and off-the-shelf materials that could be reused in the future.

      Located on the 12th floor of an office block in Melbourne’s Collingwood neighbourhood, the Today Design Workspace features partition walls made from OSB (oriented strand board) and translucent corrugated fibreglass.
      The office provides a workspace for creative agency Today DesignFurniture was built from scaffolding poles and timber boards, while sheets of recycled denim and sail cloth help to improve acoustics.
      Ben Edwards, architect and co-founder of Studio Edwards, said the project was designed for disassembly.
      Partition walls and tables are mounted on castors for flexibility”The goal was to create a workspace that leaves zero waste in its wake, constructed entirely from readily available materials without applied finishes,” he stated.

      “This means no plasterboard, no laminate and no MDF.”
      Another key aspect of the design is flexibility. The layout incorporates spaces for individual focus work, collaboration and meetings, but it can be reconfigured if required.
      Scaffolding poles provide furniture and screensMost of the partition walls and tables are mounted on castors so that they can be easily moved around, while a track system provides flexible lighting overhead.
      The layout of the Today Design Workspace is deliberately non-linear, organised around a looping circulation route that largely follows a diagonal trajectory through the 900-square-metre space.
      Despite its irregularity, the layout was planned to ensure that all partitions match the standard material sheet size, minimising the need for cutting.
      Built-in seats feature quilted denim cushionsCasual seating areas were built into some of the partition walls.
      These were formed of custom-made quilted denim cushions rather than upholstery, which makes them easier to recycle.

      Terroir revamps 1960s Tasmanian office “using no new resources at all”

      “The arrangement of spaces within the workspace is intentionally informal, creating a contrast with the building’s rigid rectilinear column grid,” explained Edwards.
      “Circulation pathways between these spaces are purposefully designed to encourage interaction and collaboration among teams,” he said.
      Rolls of denim form a semi-circular reception deskThe colour blue is a recurring theme throughout the space.
      Much of this comes from the use of denim. Sheets of this textile cover much of the building’s exposed concrete shell, held in place by magnets, while rolls of denim form a semi-circular reception desk.
      Blue is a recurring colour throughoutA blue stain was also applied to the timber beams that provide the structural framework.
      This colour contrasts with the warm, earthy shades of the OSB and the sisal flooring that features in some of the meeting rooms.
      Two-tone project tables feature built-in “toolboxes”Studio Edwards designed furniture to suit the collaborative nature of Today Design’s workflow.
      Two-tone project tables have built-in”toolboxes” filled with pens and sticky notes, while a large kitchen table integrates a continuous task-lighting channel. These are accompanied by cast aluminium chairs.
      The kitchen includes a table with a continuous task-lighting channelOther highlights include a kitchen with a stainless steel worktop, a magazine library with a neochrome effect and a flexible gallery and events space.
      “Today Workspace stands as a testament to sustainable design and collaborative ingenuity, a space where creativity thrives in harmony with the environment,” added Edwards.
      Translucent fibreglass screens are fixed to a blue-stained timber frameworkStudio Edwards is co-directed by designer Nancy Beka. Other projects by the studio include the modular NTS Space office, also in Collingwood, and the “jewel-like” Vision Studio eyewear store in Glen Waverley.
      The photography is by Peter Bennetts.
      Project credits
      Architect: Studio EdwardsBuilding contractor: McCormackServices contractor: Aston ConsultingStructural engineer: FORM EngineersProject management: Facilitate CorporationFurniture fabrication: James McNab DesignLighting: Sphera Lighting

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      Eight bright and airy interiors illuminated by perforated brick walls

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      Dezeen’s latest lookbook explores eight interiors – from bright, airy residential spaces to cool, open-plan offices – illuminated by perforated brick walls.

      Perforated brick walls are often used as a cooling strategy in warmer climates. This lookbook highlights their effect on the lighting and shading of interior spaces and how they can be used to create a playful, light atmosphere.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring homes with light-filled kitchens, sculptural wooden staircases and airy, pared-back loft conversions.
      Photo by Hemant PatilStudio by the Hill, India, by Mind Manifestation
      This converted apartment in Pune, India – designed by architecture studio Mind Manifestation to house the studio’s office – uses perforated bricks to create a well-lit and ventilated workspace.

      Bricks was used extensively across the flooring and complemented by green lime plaster walls.
      “The material palette has been tastefully chosen so as to match with the different shades of the hill throughout the year,” Mind Manifestation explained.
      Find out more about Studio by the Hill ›
      Photo by Oki HiroyukiCuckoo House, Vietnam, by Tropical Space
      Cuckoo House, designed by Tropical Space, is a two-storey home situated atop a cafe in Da Nang, Vietnam, encased by a shell made from local clay bricks.
      Living spaces on the upper floor feature perforated brick for privacy and ventilation, with the design resulting in a playful chequered lighting pattern across the wooden and concrete interior.
      Find out more about Cuckoo House ›
      Photo by Oki HiroyukiWall House, Vietnam, by CTA
      Square perforated bricks salvaged from nearby buildings sites are used on the exterior of CTA’s Wall House in Bien Hoa, Vietnam.
      Stacked in an irregular formation, the punctured bricks filter sunlight and air into the space, creating dotted shadows across the plant-filled double-height living room.
      Find out more about Wall House ›
      Photo by Hemant PatilGadi House, India, by PMA Madhushala
      Gadi House in Maval, India, by PMA Madhushala is a compact arrangement of volumes and courtyards.
      Dimly-lit courtyards and living spaces are illuminated by pockets of sunlight accessed through perforations in the brick and stone walls.
      Find out more about Gadi House ›
      Photo by Federico CairoliIntermediate House, Paraguay, by Equipo de Arquitectura
      The Intermediate House by Paraguay-based studio Equipo de Arquitectura is a narrow residence in Asunción organised around an open-air courtyard.
      Manually pressed, unfired bricks form the perforated street-facing facade – drawing sunlight and air through the vaulted brick-roofed dining room and into adjacent spaces.
      Find out more about Intermediate House ›
      Photo by Oki HiroyukiThe Termitary House, Vietnam, by Tropical Space
      Patterned shadows decorate the dimly-lit brick and wood interior of The Termitary House in Da Nang, Vietnam, designed by Tropical Space.
      Inspired by earthen termite nests, the studio used perforated brick on the facade and internal walls to bring natural light into the interiors during the day and draw in artificial light at night.
      Find out more about The Termitary House ›
      Photo by Timothy KayeCloud House, Australia, by Dean Dyson Architects
      Australian studio Dean Dyson Architects designed the Cloud House – a two-storey home in Malvern – using an exterior layer of grey, perforated brickwork.
      Intended to create a “private oasis” for the clients, the perforated brick pours light into the interior living spaces, with passive ventilation enabled by operable windows.
      Find out more about Cloud House ›
      Photo by Joana FrançaTropical Shed, Brazil, by Laurent Troost Architectures
      Located on a long, narrow plot in Manaus, Tropical Shed is a plant-filled office with a centralised courtyard designed by Brazilian studio Laurent Troost Architectures.
      Interlocking bricks – repeated throughout the design – form a perforated wall in the double-height office to create a cool work environment decorated with playful shadows.
      Find out more about Tropical Shed ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring homes with light-filled kitchens, sculptural wooden staircases and airy, pared-back loft conversions.

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      Framery predicts focus spaces to be key office design trend in 2024

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      Promotion: the need for well-considered focus spaces will come to the fore in workplace design in 2024, driven by the uptake of artificial intelligence, according to office pod brand Framery.

      Framery says that the increase in AI in the workplace will result in it taking more responsibility for mundane, repetitive tasks, resulting in the need for additional focus spaces in open-plan offices to help support employees’ deep and focused tasks.
      “If it happens how it’s expected and AI takes more responsibility for repetitive tasks, the office design should reflect this development and support deep, focused work,” said Tomi Nokelainen, head of Framery Labs, the company’s research and innovation unit.
      Framery predicts focus areas will be the key office design trend of 2024According to Framery, while post-pandemic hybrid office design placed an emphasis on the creation of collaborative spaces and “flashy common areas embodying organisational culture”, the next phase of this evolution will centre on creating areas that minimise distraction and allow for focused work.
      “It’s noteworthy that employees value focused working spaces beyond collaborative spaces,” said Nokelainen. “With work complexity on the rise, there is a heightened demand for both acoustic and visual privacy.”

      The company points to the findings of research company Leesman, which has reported that workers are still choosing to stay at home for solitary work. Leeman’s research suggested that some working activities were “better supported at home” including individual-focused work and planned meetings.
      However, Framery says that when employees have the option to work from home, that may not be sufficient to fulfil their productivity needs.
      “It can’t be assumed that all employees have the luxury of a dedicated home office room, or are willing to invest in expensive desks or ergonomic chairs,” said Nokelainen.
      Office workers value focus areas more than collaborative spaces, Framery research findsFramery, a Finnish brand, was one of the first to enter the office pods space in 2010, creating soundproof booths that drown out external distractions so that employees can undertake focused work or conduct video conferencing calls.
      According to Framery Labs’ research, focus spaces are the number one desired perk for employees that would draw them into working in the office rather than at home and they address distractions to focused work, for example, noise.
      Only 33 per cent of employees report finding noise levels satisfactory in their workplace and dissatisfaction with noise has the strongest correlation to an employee saying that the design of their workplace does not support their personal productivity.
      The pods are soundproof so external noise is not a distractionThis can be especially consequential for neurodiverse people, who constitute around 15 to 20 per cent of the global population and who can have a greater sensitivity to sensory stimuli, according to the brand.
      With workplaces becoming more inclusive, the next step will be to design them to function as “a catalyst not a barrier to productivity”, said Nokelainen, with a recognition that different people have different needs.
      “There are no one-size-fits-all focus spaces – they can be everything from silent open areas, library-like spaces, private offices or pods,” said Nokelainen. “Each role and industry has their own special needs that must be taken into account.”
      The Framery One pod is Framery’s bestselling productThese considerations can be addressed with products like the Framery One, Framery’s bestselling office pod. A single-person workstation for focused work that is also optimised for virtual meetings, it includes soft lighting and adjustable ventilation to help create a personalised environment.
      In a closed pod like this, neurodiverse people can apply “sensory integration techniques”, said Nokelainen which means incorporating the sensory tools or approaches that promote calm and focus for them.
      There are also multi-person pods like the Framery Q Flow, one of the newest models. It is designed to help enable workers to achieve the “flow” state of mind, where work feels effortless and time switches off, and includes a height-adjustable electric table so that users can shift positions without interrupting their thought process.
      The office pods come with Framery Connect, an integrated workplace management tool that supplies detailed data and analysis around how often and when they’re being used.
      The pods include the Framery Connect workplace management systemFramery says it prides itself on the quality of its soundproof office pods, as well as having been among the first to bring the product category to the market. The company launched 13 years ago after its founder – Samu Hällfors – devised a solution to address the distraction caused by his boss’s loud phone calls.
      “Our founder and CEO Samu Hällfors invented the office pod category in 2010,” said Framery. “Now we have over 200 competitors globally. To ensure we stay the market leader we are relentlessly innovating to engineer the most advanced pod in the world.”
      Framery also has a sustainable and responsible ethos and has made a commitment to converting to a circular business model.
      To find out more about Framery and its products, visit the brand’s website.
      Partnership content
      This article was written by Dezeen for Framery as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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      Kin designs Dentons law firm office interior for more than “just a business meeting”

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      Design studio Kin has created the Edinburgh office interior for global law firm Dentons, featuring a communal rotunda with no doors and an open-plan bar.

      Manchester-based Kin designed the office at 9 Haymarket Square – a mixed-use development in Edinburgh.
      Oranges and greens feature throughout the interiorThe studio sought to “challenge the conventional approach to design for legal practices” when creating the interior, which includes a central rotunda designed as a casual place to gather.
      Built from Scottish oak, the round structure features a circular footprint to counterbalance the existing building’s angles and straight lines.
      Kin positioned a rotunda in the centre of the office”We wanted it to have a homely familiar feeling with no physical doors, just a series of connected spaces,” Kin director Matt Holmes told Dezeen.

      The rotunda was also partially clad with acoustic panels made from recycled plastic bottles, which were fitted to absorb sound and reduce ambient reverberation from around the rest of the office.
      Statement timber arches frame the welcome deskIlluminated, amphitheatre-style seating was positioned in the middle of the rotunda, while individual meeting booths were placed on its perimeter.
      The welcome desk was framed by oversized statement arches set within a boxy timber shelving unit.

      WOA designs own studio space using materials that had been “relegated to landfill”

      Elsewhere, Kin added an open-plan bar to the office, made from bespoke wooden rods and solid terrazzo.
      “The bar was designed to act as a focal point for the client space – somewhere for people to gravitate around as they leave the concierge desk,” said Holmes.
      “A visit [to Dentons] is not just a business meeting, but an experience,” he added.
      Potted plants add a lush touchThroughout the office, the studio opted for orange and green hues for working areas and used both smooth geometric tiles and more tactile surfaces.
      “The materiality draws inspiration from Scotland’s abundant natural landscape through warm timbers and rich and textured fabrics,” said Holmes.
      “Whilst balancing them against the warm tonal colour palette and strong geometry of Edinburgh’s built environment, the rooftops and tenement tile patterns provided so much inspiration.”
      Materials were informed by “Scotland’s abundant natural landscape”Kin worked with local craftspeople when building the project.
      Other offices designed to make their occupants feel at home include a real estate office in Tokyo created by Flooat to be “as stress-free as possible” and Mason Studio’s self-designed office in Toronto that also doubles as a space for community programming such as exhibitions and other events.
      The photography is by Amy Heycock.

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      Cox Architecture celebrates heritage features of its own Sydney studio

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      A brick, steel and timber structure is left exposed in this office interior in Sydney, which local firm Cox Architecture has revamped to house its own studio.

      Cox Architecture removed previous alterations to the structure, which occupies five floors of the heritage-listed Metcalfe Bond Stores warehouse in Tallawoladah, to highlight its original features and complement them with pared-back, flexible workspaces.
      Cox Architecture has designed its own studio in a Sydney warehouse”Our objective was to do more with less, balancing the poetic with the pragmatic,” explained the studio.
      “Restrained interventions allow the heritage to be the hero and minimise the project’s embodied energy,” it continued. “Our starting point was a process of reduction, removing non-heritage elements to create clarity.”
      The studio exposed its existing structureThe interior is defined by the original steel and timber structure’s columns and beams that have been painted white, and the brickwork of the outer walls that are left exposed.

      New elements such as glass doors and walls, room dividers, curtains and furniture were chosen to touch the existing structure “as lightly as possible”, and feature alongside dark-wood carpentry and gallery-style lighting tracks.
      Dark-wood carpentry features throughoutThe workspaces themselves are designed to be flexible and “hackable”, allowing areas to be reconfigured and subdivided easily by staff.
      This includes a forum space on the fifth level of the building, which has a wall lined with magnetic whiteboards and can be used as anything from a collaborative workshop space to a presentation area for 200 people.

      De Winder Architekten retains industrial traces for offices in converted factory

      Alongside it is a kitchen with a backdrop of exposed brickwork and two long counters topped with unsealed brass that will patinate over time.
      A black-steel stair leads up to a mezzanine level above containing further desk spaces. This sits at the top of the building, lit by skylights in the apex of the pitched roof.
      The workspaces are designed to be flexible”Anchored by a generous kitchen, a flexible forum space is a magnet for serendipitous exchange between Cox’s own people and the wider design community,” said the studio.
      “The majority of elements within the space are movable, creating an experimental, nimble workspace allowing teams the autonomy to control their space and future-proofing the studio as the workplace evolves,” it continued.
      The presentation space is lined with magnetic whiteboardsFacing the street, Cox Architecture created a “shopfront window”, giving staff the opportunity to populate vitrines with the studio’s work.
      Cox Sydney Studio has recently been shortlisted in the large workplace interior category of Dezeen Awards 2023. Another office interior completed by the studio is the Midtown Workplace in Brisbane, which features a large, plant-filled atrium with by a weathered-steel staircase.
      The photography is by Nicole England and Cameron Hallam.

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      Building meeting rooms costs 55 per cent more than buying office pods according to research

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      Promotion: buying office pods instead of building meeting rooms could save companies in the US around $30 billion by 2030, according to research by soundproof booth manufacturer Framery and real-estate investor CBRE.

      Post-pandemic working habits are driving a transformation in office layout and design worldwide says Framery.
      More people working from home means employers are scrambling to use costly office space more effectively, while the increasing prevalence of video calls has resulted in growing demand for small, acoustically insulated meeting spaces.
      The coronavirus pandemic triggered a sea change in office layouts”Office occupiers are investing more and more into flexible spaces and different types of adjustable spaces to meet the demand of flexibility and to attract their workforce back to the office after the pandemic years’ remote working,” said CBRE’s Jussi Niemistö.
      A study by Framery and CBRE found that as well as offering options for changing office setups, pods are more cost-effective than constructing new meeting rooms.

      CBRE compared the costs associated with getting one-, four- and six-person Framery office pods with the cost of building meeting rooms of equal size in different cities around the world.
      The research indicates that many offices will need to be refurbished to accommodate new working demandsIt found that meeting pods tended to be significantly cheaper – with constructing equivalent meeting rooms costing 55 per cent more on average.
      Building a permanent phone room in a New York office is 155 per cent more expensive than getting a one-person Framery booth, according to the study.
      A separate study by real-estate firm Cushman & Wakefield found that more than 41 per cent of office space in the US is in need of refurbishment in order to support hybrid working by the end of the decade – around 241 million square metres.
      CBRE’s research indicates that meeting pods are a far cheaper option than constructing new meeting roomsFramery’s analysis based on CBRE’s research indicated that building new meeting rooms in that amount of space would cost more than $85 billion. By comparison, the same area of Framery pod space could be purchased for around $55.5 billion.
      Framery CEO Samu Hällfors also argues that meeting pods reduce office running costs.
      Framery claims to have manufactured the world’s first meeting pod”Pods are compact and make better use of existing space,” said Hällfors. “They allow for greater flexibility in rearranging and reconfiguring offices and they can be moved to a new location when needed.”
      “That all greatly reduces the lifetime costs associated with running an office, especially in larger cities with high-priced real estate,” Hällfors continued.
      Founded in 2010, Framery claims to have invented and sold the world’s first office pod, and its Framery O is the world’s best-seller.
      The study looked at costs of building meeting rooms in cities across North America, Europe and AsiaThere are now more than 200 pod manufacturers around the world, according to Hällfors.
      “The increasing demand for these office pods isn’t coming so much from management as it is from employees themselves,” he said. “Reimagining the workplace in these innovative, cost-effective ways is what is going to get employees excited to return to the office.”
      To view more about Framery and its products, visit its website.
      Partnership content
      This article was written by Dezeen for Framery as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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      WOA designs own studio space using materials that had been “relegated to landfill”

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      Indian architecture studio Workers of Art has converted a former storage space into its own plant-filled office, using recycled and repurposed waste materials in almost every aspect of its design.

      Called WOA Second Home, the office is located in Kochi, Kerala, and occupies a 1,450-square-foot (135-square-metre) concrete structure that was previously used for storing tiles.
      Aiming to “underscore the necessity of the curtailment of waste output in architecture,” Workers of Art (WOA) made use of materials that had been “relegated to landfill” including concrete board, PVC pipes and acrylic sheets, to create a workspace that would reflect the studio’s ethos.
      WOA has converted a former storage space into an office in Kerala”The design celebrates the value of materials that might have otherwise been discarded, creatively forming patterns and combining different elements to breathe new life into the space,” said the studio.
      “For instance, odd-shaped waste tiles are harmoniously mixed and matched, finding their new home in the powder room. A strikingly repurposed tile piece also elevates the entry steps, underscoring the studio’s attention to detail and innovative flair,” it added.

      Organised across one floor, the entrance to the office leads into a large space lined with a zig-zag of ferrocement desks along the eastern wall, next to a meeting table and sample board at the centre of the room and a more private workspace to the west.
      The design uses recycled and repurposed waste materialsA new partition with a large arched opening and blackout curtain leads through to a breakout area and facilities space containing a locker area, kitchen and bathroom.
      “The design of the workstations, which meander through the shared workspace, was strategically planned to encourage teamwork while also allowing for individual space,” WOA co-founder Priya Rose told Dezeen.
      “The philosophy was to create a workspace that feels like a ‘second home’ – evident in the thoughtful design elements that prioritise comfort, aesthetic pleasure, and a sense of belonging,” she added.

      Terroir revamps 1960s Tasmanian office “using no new resources at all”

      Custom black light fittings on the ceiling were created by repurposing lengths of PVC pipe, while bespoke planters were made using ferrocement lined with blue plastic barrels.
      The existing tile floor in the building was retained, with areas that had become cracked removed and infilled with microcement to create contrasting dark grey geometric areas.
      Throughout the studio, discarded antiques and over 100 species of local plants were introduced to bring a “homely” quality to the space.
      A large arched opening forms a new partition within the officeWOA Second Home has been shortlisted in the workplace interior (small) category of Dezeen Awards 2023.
      In Madrid, designer Lucas Muñoz used upcycled junk and construction waste to create nearly every interior element of the Mo de Movimiento restaurant.
      The photography is by Ishita Sitwala. 

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      Terroir revamps 1960s Tasmanian office “using no new resources at all”

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      Architecture studio Terroir has turned an abandoned 1960s office into its own workspace in Hobart, Australia, reusing the existing structure and timber framework.

      Terroir designed the office as “a small experiment that challenges the paradox of sustainable architecture”, adding as little as possible – with the only new elements being electrical cabling for power and internet.
      The office workspaces are organised around a central corridorThe 192-square-metre offices is divided by wooden framework retained from the previous fit out, which was revealed by stripping away old wall finishes.
      Some existing walls and partitions were removed and reconfigured into a desired layout, instead of acquiring new materials.
      Windows create social connections between adjacent workspaces”We asked whether we could produce a workspace that is driven by Terroir’s commitment to supporting the interactions of people in place, but in a way that uses less resources than ever before – by using no new resources at all,” Terroir’s founding director Scott Balmforth told Dezeen.

      “By re-using everything, we had to be open to some wit and humour in some of the unconventional staging of work activities, with the peek holes and nooks and windows adding a layer that we would likely not have explored in a conventional fit out.”
      The office fit out by Terroir features existing timber frameworkSpread across one level, meeting rooms and office spaces were organised around a central corridor, with a communal work area located at the rear and a waiting area at the entrance.
      Windows and cubby holes within the framework were designed as playful connections between adjacent work spaces, while glass panels were used to separate the communal area and meeting rooms.

      Ivy Studio converts historic bank building into offices for Montreal ad agency

      Terroir complemented the timber floors and partitions with lightly coloured walls featuring paint strips that highlight cracked plaster as a celebration of the buildings previous life.
      The lack of decorative finishes and rough surfaces was designed to character and charm to the office interior.
      Office shelving and a bench are made from recycled timberThe studio’s low carbon approach extended to the furniture, with waste timber reused to create an office bench as well as shelving units.
      Terroir is a collective of architects and urbanists operating between Australia and Denmark. The project has been shortlisted in the workplace interior (small) category of Dezeen Awards 2023.
      The photography is by Brett Boardman.

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