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

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

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

    Wellness principles influenced the layout, material choices and building systems

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

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

    Threefold Architects completes Airbnb’s latest London office

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Curtains help to separate spaces

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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    Buckley Gray Yeoman gives Panagram office in London a “retro-pop aesthetic”

    UK architecture studio Buckley Gray Yeoman has revived a 1980s office building in Central London, creating colourful spaces using painted ductwork, translucent curtains and speckled terrazzo.The newly opened Panagram encompasses 4,830 square metres in the city’s Clerkenwell neighbourhood and offers rentable office spaces across multiple levels.

    Buckley Gray Yeoman’s renovation of the 1980s building included creating an open and informal reception area
    Using the original building’s pink granite cladding as a design cue, the team at Buckley Gray Yeoman devised a colourful scheme for the interior renovation to create a relaxed setting.
    “A retro-pop aesthetic has replaced the corporate look and feel of the building as physical and metaphorical barriers are broken down to bring about a more convivial and lively set of workspaces,” said the architecture studio.

    The foyer features subway-tiled seating but no reception desk

    To modernise the existing architecture, glazing was added along the ground floor facing Goswell Road – a thoroughfare that is home to store locations of several prominent design brands.
    Visitors enter from the street into a large open-plan foyer, furnished with custom seating elements but no traditional reception desk – hosts emerge from a behind a translucent curtain instead.

    A koi carp pond sits in the centre of the tiled bench
    The sculptural seats include a plinth clad in white New York City subway tiles, with a koi carp pond and a bright yellow steel column at its centre. Another is wrapped in leather and surrounds a ficus tree.

    Fashion Street by Buckley Gray Yeoman

    “We have tried to create an almost gallery-type space upon entry; with a series of beautiful objects set amongst planting and trees,” said Oliver Bayliss, director at Buckley Gray Yeoman.
    “These accents continue throughout the building and provide moments of joy that will hopefully lift the spirits of the people who pass through.”

    A wooden staircase with bleacher-style seating creates a multi-purpose space
    A wooden staircase that incorporates bleacher-style seating and another ficus curves down to the garden-level, combining circulation space with an informal work, meeting or auditorium area.
    Lifts illuminated with coloured lighting connect the expansive rentable office spaces on the levels above, and ductwork is painted pink and blue on alternating levels.

    Lifts to the upper office levels are illuminated with coloured lighting
    On the second floor, Buckley Gray Yeoman has designed a workspace to demonstrate the potential of Panagram’s spatial offering.
    This model office combines pale timber, soft colours and translucent materials to continue the playful aesthetic seen downstairs.

    Buckley Gray Yeoman’s showcase office for Panagram features a pale palette with pastel colours
    A casual meeting area is enclosed by a sheer yellow curtain and furnished with comfy chairs, while private booths are lined in grey felt.
    Drapes are also used to partition the wood-lined reception area and the green-themed kitchen if needed. In the bathrooms, white subway tiles are paired with tinted speckled terrazzo.

    Colour continues in the green kitchen, which can be partitioned off with a translucent grey curtain
    The open-plan office layout benefits from plenty of natural light, and is peppered with potted plants. More greenery can be found on terraces that offer City of London views.
    “It’s easy to look at a building like this and assume you have to start again,” said Bayliss.
    “We saw an opportunity to create something really different and highly sustainable. Panagram has great volume and therefore great natural light, which in turn allows the building to be extremely desirable and flexible.”

    Panagram is located in London’s Clerkenwell neighbourhood, facing onto Goswell Road
    Buckley Gray Yeoman, which has offices in London and Bristol, is known for its imaginative conversion and restoration projects. The employee-owned firm has also turned a fire-damaged former market hall in Shoreditch into Corten-clad university offices, and was profiled as part of Dezeen’s Virtual Design Festival last year.
    Photography is by Jack Hobhouse.
    Project credits:Client: DorringtonArchitect: Buckley Gray YeomanContractor: Open ContractsProject manager: Blackburn & CoStructural engineers: Heyne Tillett SteelPlanning consultant: JLLLandscape architect: SpacehubBranding and design agency: Everything In BetweenM&E consultant: Peter Deer and AssociatesQuantity surveyor: ExigereLighting Designer: Pritchard ThemisFire engineer: MLMRights of Light/Party Wall surveyor: Point2SurveyorsBuilding control: MLMBuilding app: Smart SpacesIT consultants: DP SystemsAgents: Colliers, Allsop, Richard Susskind & CompanyBuilding managers: Workman

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    Studio Aisslinger designs LOQI office with social distancing in mind

    Studio Aisslinger has created an adaptable workplace for accessories brand LOQI, featuring coloured curtains, folding screens and “work capsules”.Located in Berlin, the LOQI Activity Office serves as the European headquarters for the American company, which specialises in totes and weekend bags produced in collaboration with artists.

    The office contains a mix of different work zones
    The workspace is designed to support creativity and collaboration, but also to create a safe and supportive environment for staff in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
    To satisfy both of these conflicting requirements, Studio Aisslinger planned the space as a series of distinct but flexible zones, facilitating solo work, group workshops and a range of activities in between.

    Contrasting colours help to signal different areas

    “The workspace is treated like living, breathing organisms that adapt to accommodate a team deciding on flexibility, autonomy and the ability to choose when and how they work,” explained the studio, which is led by designer Werner Aisslinger.
    “The result is an office space of a different kind – a lively and inspiring working landscape, breaking through the grey schematism of standardised workstation units.”

    Folding metal screens are used as partitions
    The office comprises a large open-plan space, so the design team had to find creative ways to demarcate different areas.
    Partitions were designed to be as adaptable as possible, in the form of heavy fabric curtains and perforated metal screens. A bold colour scheme was also applied, so it’s clear where one area ends and another begins.

    Studio Aisslinger’s Work Capsules provide spaces of solitude
    Isolated workspaces are provided by Studio Aisslinger’s Work Capsules – a design previously created for the 25Hours Hotels.
    With felt-covered exteriors and a bubble window, these pods allow occupants to find privacy and separation, without being completely cut off from the more public activities going on around them.

    Meeting areas are framed by curtains, so they can be opened or closed
    There are various other types of workspace on offer, including large desks with integrated lighting fixtures, a pink tiled bar, standing desks, bleacher-style seating areas and sofa booths.
    Meeting areas are dotted through the centre of the space, framed by curving curtain rails. These spaces feature fluffy carpets, which not only give them a different aesthetic but also help to create acoustic baffling.
    These spaces are all furnished with Studio Aisslinger designs, including the Aspen pendant lights for B.lux and the Circle Barstools.

    A change in floor surface gives meeting areas a different feel
    LOQI is one of many companies that have had to think more carefully about how they plan their offices, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Meditation chambers by Office Of Things wash workers in colourful light

    The virus appears to have accelerated trends for partitioned spaces and mobile pods, with examples including a converted warehouse in Melbourne and a series of meditation chambers in YouTube and Google offices.

    Fabric panels line the walls, to improve acoustics
    With this design, Studio Aisslinger highlights the need for flexibility in the workplace, allowing people to find solitude when they need it, but to also bring people together.
    They studio describes the project as “a complex, constantly changing conglomerate of working areas, break-off units and work capsules”.
    The aim was to create an environment that people are proud to call their workplace, and perhaps even share on their social media platforms.

    Staff can choose to work seated or standing
    “New offices being planned for the near future will less emphasise communal co-working areas but nevertheless we all need new spaces for interaction or idea generation and collaboration,” added the design team.
    “Flexible and open, the room adapts to its respective needs, creating space for playful creativity, for that dance of mind and body that is needed to gain new ideas.”

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    Linehouse transforms Shanghai swimming pool into office space

    Design studio Linehouse has converted a Shanghai office block’s swimming pool into an additional workspace, using a palette of blue vinyl, peachy leather and light-hued timber.The swimming pool was part of the fitness facilities made for office workers of the Jing’An Kerry Centre, a mixed-use development in Shanghai’s Jing’An district designed by architecture firm Kohn Pedersen Fox back in 2013.

    The bowl of the swimming pool has been turned into a huge seating area
    However as the pool was rarely used, locally-based studio Linehouse was asked to convert the room into something slightly more practical.
    It now plays host to various seating areas where staff can work or host informal catch-ups with clients throughout the day. Businesses in the development can also choose to use the room for corporate events or talks.

    Flecked blue vinyl lines the inside of the former pool

    The focal point of the room is still the swimming pool, but it has been drained of water and lined with flecked blue vinyl from flooring specialists Tarkett.
    “It was a great opportunity to play with levels which normally an existing interior space does not allow,” Linehouse’s co-founder, Alex Mok, told Dezeen.

    A curved pane of glass encloses a boardroom
    Flights of steps that double up as seats have been built-in at the side of the pool, topped with baby-pink cushions. A semi-circular banquette upholstered in peachy-coloured leather has then been created at the far end of the pool.

    Linehouse adds elevated tearooms in a warehouse for Tingtai Teahouse in Shanghai

    The studio also decided to preserve the huge oval skylight that lies directly above the pool.
    Around the skylight runs spherical pendant lamps and a series of light-hued timber fins, some of which extended down towards the floor to form slatted screens.

    Some work areas are fronted by slatted timber screens
    Should workers need to take a call, they can escape to one of the private phone booths which are at the peripheries of the room.
    Inside, the booths are lined with leaf-printed wallpaper from Calico.

    Printed wallpaper lines the inside of the phone booths
    There’s also a small cafe anchored by a Ceppo Nova stone counter and a formal boardroom enclosed by a curved pane of glass.
    The black gridding across the glass is meant to mimic the form of the blue wainscotting that lines the room’s walls. Emerald-green wainscoting features in the meetings rooms, which have been created inside the swimming pool’s former changing areas.

    Meeting rooms boast emerald-green wainscotting
    Linehouse was set up by Alex Mok and Briar Hickling in 2013. This isn’t the studio’s first conversion project – last year it turned part of an abandoned factory into a teahouse, where guests enjoy their drinks from inside glass-fronted boxes.
    Photography is by Dirk Weiblen.
    Project credits:
    Architect: LinehouseDesign lead: Alex Mok, Briar HicklingDesign team: Cherngyu Chen, Eleonora Nucci, Jingru TongClient: Kerry Properties

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    Franklin Azzi Architecture completes The Bureau co-working space in Paris

    French practice Franklin Azzi Architecture took tips from the work of Frank Lloyd Wright to design this Parisian co-working space, which features open areas for working, dining and lounging.The co-working space can be found along Rue du Quatre-Septembre in Paris’ second arrondissement, joining two other branches of The Bureau in the capital’s eighth arrondissement.
    This new location is set inside a Hausmann building that dates back to the 19th century, but when it came to devising the interiors, Franklin Azzi Architecture had a more modern point of reference – mid-century homes created by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

    Top image: The Bureau’s restaurant. Above: one of the building’s communal work areas

    “Those houses are manifestos because Frank Lloyd Wright broke free from unnecessary partitions to reveal open areas largely bathed in light, which was very innovative for the beginning of the 20th century,” the practice’s eponymous founder, Franklin Azzi, told Dezeen.
    “For me, they are timeless works that reflect a real desire for integration into their environment through horizontality.”

    An oak partition is inbuilt with private work booths
    In keeping with Llyod Wright’s architecture, The Bureau’s ground level has been made to have a largely open layout.
    The floor plan is interrupted by just one oak-lined partition, which is inbuilt with deep-set bookshelves and private booths where members can escape to take calls or do more focused work.

    The concierge desk can be screened off by heavy green curtains
    Adjacently lies an expansive workroom that features a long communal desk. Dangling above is a chandelier composed of glass spheres and silver-metal spokes.
    Towards the front of the room is a concierge desk, which can be screened off by floor-to-ceiling green curtains if necessary.

    Members will be able to dine at an in-house restaurant called The Comptoir
    The Bureau’s in-house restaurant, called The Comptoir, has been created in a corner of the ground floor. A grey seating banquette winds around the wall, accompanied by brass-edged tables and wooden dining chairs.
    Surrounding surfaces, including the structural columns and part of the ceiling, have been lined with slim mirrored panels.
    Just in front of the restaurant is a striking, 70s-style decor feature – a sunken conversation pit complete with a plush, deep-green sofa and carpeting to match.

    Franklin Azzi Architecture converts Nantes warehouses into art school

    “In terms of inspiration, I position myself as an assembler, picking uninhibitedly from different periods and several registers,” explained Azzi.
    “We immersed ourselves in the 1970s world of American offices, as well as the colours and material codes infused with Oscar Niemeyer’s work to create a unique hybrid identity for The Bureau.”

    A sunken conversation pit lies in front of the restaurant
    The upper levels of the building play host to more private work areas and meeting rooms, which boast original fireplaces and ornate ceiling cornicing.
    Here, as well as downstairs, are a number of furnishings and ornaments sourced by French decorators The Socialite Family.

    Meeting rooms upstairs showcase the building’s original features
    The pandemic may have put co-working on hold for now, but shared offices are still continuing to pop up. Earlier this year, architect Caro Lundin opened the doors to ARC Club in east London, which is specifically designed for those tired of working from home.
    Photography is by Valerio Geraci.

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    Ministry of Design creates shared office spaces in Kuala Lumpur skyscraper

    Marble-clad columns and bronze detailing line the soaring entrance lobby that Ministry of Design has created for the YTL Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.It is one of several shared areas created by Ministry of Design in the Malaysian construction company YTL’s new office skyscraper by Kohn Pedersen Fox, which combines all of its staff departments in one place for the first time.
    Alongside the giant entrance area, the studio has created an oak-lined cafe and three storeys of varied meeting spaces shared by 1,000 YTL employees.

    Above: the YTL Headquarters skyscraper. Top image: the office’s entrance lobby

    “The brief for Ministry of Design was to design the public areas shared by these departments,” the studio explained.
    “As such, Ministry of Design sought to create a series of choreographed spatial experiences which aim to balance YTL’s legacy of corporate professionalism with a future-forward attitude that embraces change.”

    Marble-clad columns and cushioned benches line the entrance lobby
    The YTL Headquarters’ entrance lobby is positioned at ground level and measures 25 metres in height.
    Ministry of Design’s goal was to enhance the “majestic” quality of this vast space while ensuring it was welcoming and human in scale.

    The marble is offset by bronze accents throughout
    To achieve this, the studio developed a restrained material palette, dominated by the soaring, white columns clad in Bugatsa marble that run the length of the lobby.
    Floor-to-ceiling windows are positioned behind the columns to illuminate them and maximise natural light throughout the day, while making the space “glow like a lantern in the evening”.

    The lift lobby is highly symmetrical
    To obscure the height of the columns, each one is punctured by rectangular insets and bronze accents, while a cloud-like installation hangs between them.
    Cushioned benches that mimic Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chairs have also been slotted between the columns at floor level, framed by tall, gridded structures made from bronze.

    The cafe features a rough grey-granite counter
    The lobby is complete with a deliberately symmetrical lift area at its rear, accessed through turnstiles and framed by a statement bronze doorway.
    This provides private access to YTL Headquarter’s upper levels, including the office cafe, various meeting spaces and a function room by Ministry of Design.

    A central spiral staircase is enclosed by slatted bronze
    Ministry of Design’s development of the cafe and meeting spaces are intended as an extension of the lobby area, featuring a complementary material palette but with warmer tones.
    In the cafe, this includes a rough, grey-granite counter with a polished black-granite worktop, set against a backdrop of bronze wall-mounted shelves and oak-lined walls.

    Ministry of Design creates robot training facility lined with metal and tube lights

    Oak has also been used to line the walls and ceilings of the meeting spaces, which cater for small and large, private to non-private gatherings.
    Ministry of Design achieved this through the combination of communal tables and open areas, alongside enclosed meeting rooms and acoustically-private spaces.

    The staircase connects the cafe to the office spaces
    In the open, shared meeting areas, the oak walls form a backdrop to black powder-coated lighting fixtures and seating upholstered with neutral Saum & Viebahn textiles.
    Silver mink marble flooring lines the floor, while black Nero Marquina and elegant white Calacatta marble are used across the tabletops.

    Oak lines the walls of the shared meeting spaces
    The private meeting areas are complete with softer furnishings and finishes, including brown-leather chairs, carpet floors and timber tables.
    The meeting spaces are complete with a statement spiral stair at their heart, which connects them to the cafe. It is lined with leather handrails that are enveloped by slats of powder-coated bronze and positioned on top of a bed of black gravel.

    The private meeting spaces feature softer furnishings and carpeted floors
    Ministry of Design is an architecture and interior design studio that was founded in 2004 by Colin Seah. Its headquarters are in Singapore, and it has two more offices in Beijing and Kuala Lumpur.
    Other recent projects by the firm include an all-white co-living space called Canvas House, a futuristic sports store in Singapore Airport and a robot training facility lined with metal and tube lights.
    Photography is by David Yeow.
    Project credits:
    Ministry of Design team: Colin Seah, Joyce Low, Ruth Chong, Kevin Leong , Damien Saive, Namrata Mehta, Fai Suvisith, Justin Lu, Zhang Hang, Maggie Lek, Kaye Mojica, Richard Herman, Rais Rahman, Tasminah Ali and Azilawanti WatiArchitectural design: Kohn Pedersen FoxAssociates design: Syarikat Pembenaan Yeoh Tiong Lay Sdn BhdArchitect of record: Veritas Design GroupLobby art: Leaves by Studio Sawada Design Co Ltd

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    Nook Pod is a gabled workspace

    Dezeen Showroom: Nook has created a family of gabled private working pods that respond to changes in office environments after the coronavirus pandemic.The Nook Pod has a pitched frame enclosing chairs and benches for working.
    It comes in three arrangements including a Huddle Pod for two people, with a glass partition between them, an Open Shelter for one person, or as A Solo Booth, which involves splitting the structure in two.
    The brand envisions the pods helping companies provide extra space as people return to work.

    Nook Pods can create private workspaces within offices

    “Social distancing places pressure on the capacity of any space,” said Nook.
    “As the flow of employees gradually increases, businesses will be challenged to provide spaces that work both in terms of social distancing and everyday productivity.”

    Nook believes the pods are suitable for socially distant working
    The gabled structures are built on lockable wheels so they can be moved around easily. The modules can also be attached together in a variety of arrangements.
    “The fact that Nooks are built on lockable wheels becomes a very valuable proposition,” added the brand. “Unused and unloved corners of an office can be transformed into meeting spaces and breakout areas simply by wheeling a Nook into position.”

    Three different arrangements – Huddle Pod, Open Shelter and Solo Booth – suit different needs
    Nook Pods have a hard exterior and a textile interior for added comfort. Additional details can include added backdrops and lighting control.
    In addition to offices, Nook said the pods can be used for a variety of other spaces like in hospitals to provide doctors and nurses with a place to relax. They were also recently installed in the stadium of American football team the Las Vegas Raiders.
    “These Sensory Nooks are equipped with soothing lighting and tactile surfaces to provide neurodiverse fans with a place to relax and recharge if the atmosphere of the stadium ever becomes too much,” said the brand.
    Product: Nook PodBrand: Nook PodContact: hello@nookpod.com
    About Dezeen Showroom: Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen’s huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.

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