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      Project #13 is an office for Studio Wills + Architects that doubles up as a home

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      Studio Wills + Architects has reconfigured an apartment in Serangoon, Singapore so that it accommodates the studio’s own office and a snug home for its founder.The home and office, which Studio Wills + Architects has named Project #13, is shortlisted in the small interior category of this year’s Dezeen Awards. It measures 64 square metres and takes over a 30-year-old apartment inside one of Singapore’s public housing blocks.
      Throughout the day it functions as a workspace, while in the evenings it serves as a home to the studio’s founder, William Ng.

      The office is on the left-hand side of the apartment

      “The design really started just as two distinct and autonomous spaces under one roof that can be used independently and/or interchangeably,” Ng told Dezeen.
      “One part eventually evolved as a home for me, as it minimises time spent commuting between work.”

      At the rear of the office is a tiled bathroom
      Although there wasn’t an abundance of space in the apartment, Ng and his studio first decided to section off part of the floor plan and turn it into a foyer.
      “It creates a ‘buffer zone’ between the public and private domains, and at the same time enables two separate entry points, allowing the spaces within to operate independently,” explained the studio.

      The foyer leads through into the right-hand side of the apartment, which includes a relaxed break-out area
      A door to the left of the foyer leads through the studio’s office, at the centre of which are two long work desks for staff.
      Set to the side of the room is a tall wooden volume that is integrated with storage and a tea-making station. There’s additionally a couple of shelving units for presenting architectural models.
      Towards the rear of the office is a kitchenette and a bathroom – complete with a shower – that is entirely clad with square blue-grey tiles.

      A wooden volume with in-built stairs leads to a mezzanine level
      During office hours, staff can spill over into the right-hand side of the apartment to work.
      It plays host to a relaxing lounge dressed with a plush, cream-coloured chaise longue and a lantern-style lamp that emits a warm glow.

      Up on the mezzanine, there is a contemplative tea room
      There’s another tall wooden volume, inbuilt with stairs that lead up to a mezzanine-level tea room where staff can escape for “quiet and contemplation”.
      They can also get a bird’s-eye-view of the office through an opening that has been inserted in the wall up here.
      Beyond the volume, there is an additional table and set of chairs which are used for meetings and another toilet.

      A wall opening by the tea room provides elevated views over the office
      These turn into domestic spaces for Ng after staff leave. Dinner can be enjoyed at the meeting table, the break-out area becomes a living room and the tea room serves as sleeping quarters once the seat cushions are replaced with a roll-out bed.
      Directly beneath the mezzanine there is also built-in storage for Ng’s clothes and dressing room.

      On the other side of the wooden volume is a meeting room, which can also serve as a dining area
      Ng told Dezeen that having work and home so closely interlinked has been particularly useful during the coronavirus pandemic when there have been national lockdowns, more commonly referred to as “circuit breakers” in Singapore.

      KCC Design creates monochrome office for own studio in former factory space

      “Before the circuit breaker, home was felt to be more within an office, but during the circuit breaker, it felt more like an office in the home; this was probably because the boundaries between the two shift and change with use,” he explained.
      “The dining/meeting room was a space for zoom meetings without interference from adjacent spaces; also, the foyer became a space where food deliveries and material samples could be left with no physical contact.”

      At night, the tea room transforms into a bedroom
      Studio Wills + Architects’ Project #13 is one of five small interiors shortlisted in the 2020 Dezeen Awards. Others include Single Person, a design gallery in Shanghai that’s designed to resemble a cave, and Smart Zendo, a family home in Hong Kong that’s fitted with voice-activated technology and space-saving furniture.
      Photography is by Khoo Guo Jie and Finbarr Fallon.
      Project credits:
      Architect: Studio Wills + ArchitectDesign team: Ng William, Kho KeguangC&S engineer: CAGA Consultants PteFitting-out contractor: Sin Hiap Chuan Wood WorksGeneral contractor: Wah Sheng Construction Pte

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      B2 Architecture creates optical illusion with office interiors for DDB Prague

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      Czech studio B2 Architecture designed office interiors for DDB Prague with coloured walls that project the company’s logo as an optical illusion.The office in Prague is occupied by a creative advertising agency that has a logo of a stylised B formed of two stacked D shapes.

      The segments of colour appear random when viewed from other angles
      Using anamorphosis, a perspective technique, B2 Architecture painted sections of colour on the walls and floors appear random and distorted unless viewed from a particular point – the front door.
      “The viewers entering the DDB Prague offices enter at the unique vantage point from which the DDB logo is visible in its perfect form,” explained B2 Architecture.
      “As their journey continues, the viewers can see that the illusion was formed by colour applied throughout the whole space of the agency.”

      The anamorphic illusion resolves itself from the doorway

      A striking black covers most of the walls and floors, providing a contrasting backdrop for another version of the agency’s logo picked out in neon behind the front desk.
      The opening from the lobby to the rest of the office is surrounded by abstract geometric shapes of white and blue the form the logo when looked at from the doorway.

      D-shaped benches can be tidied away by slotting into the wall
      White floors and walls continue through the open-plan office, with a slice of black in the corner adding to the graphic and dynamic vibe.
      The white wall next to this entryway is covered in two rows of the DBB Prague logo formed of colourful fabric-covered benches resting in slots carved into the wall.
      When employees gather for meetings they can grab a D-shaped stool and pull up a seat informally.

      A yellow “war room” punctuates the open-plan office
      In the centre of the L-shaped office sits the agency’s “war room”, a freestanding room shaped like a circular sector in plan and painted bright yellow inside and out.
      The interior of the room features amphitheatre-style stepped seating around the curved side, facing a floor-to-ceiling glass corner.

      Stacked curved benches form amphitheatre-style seating
      Black cushions and beanbag chairs provide comfortable places for colleagues to sit and hold brainstorming sessions together.

      Felice Varini creates optical illusion on roof of Le Corbusier’s Unité d’Habitation

      The glass walls can be used as surfaces to draw on or screened off with dark curtains to create a private room for meetings and presentations.
      Shelves along the exterior are also painted yellow and are used to display books and objects from past campaigns.

      Shelves line the exterior of the yellow room
      Following a consultation with the staff at DDB Prague, B2 Architecture incorporated a cafeteria and lounge area for staff to socialise in and hold workshops.
      “An office landscape has been created to promote communication and teamwork with a mix of open spaces, retreats and collaboration areas,” said B2 Architecture.
      “It also assures both transparency and discretion, enables rapid orientation within the space and reflects the agency’s creative character.”

      The office interiors are designed to reflect the agency’s creativity
      B2 Architecture is based in Prague and was founded by Barbara Bencova.
      The office for DDB Prague has been shortlisted for Dezeen Awards 2020 in the small workspace interiors category, alongside micro offices clad in corrugated aluminium in the Netherlands, and a timber music studio in a Finnish back garden.
      The winners of Dezeen Awards 2020 will be announced on 23 November.
      Photography is by Alexander Dobrovodsky.
      Project credits:
      Architect: B2 ArchitectureLead architect: Barbara BencovaClients: DDB Prague

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      Richard Parr Associates expands own office by converting 19th-century barn in the Cotswolds

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      A run-down barn that was once used for storing grain now houses additional office space for the Cotswolds-based staff of architecture practice Richard Parr Associates.The 95-square-metre workspace, which Richard Parr Associates has monikered Grain Loft Studio, is shortlisted in the small workspace interior of the year category in the 2020 Dezeen Awards.
      It’s situated amongst the green fields of Easter Park Farm in the Cotswolds, which was created as part of the Woodchester Park Estate in the middle of the 19th century.

      Top image: the Grain Loft Studio includes a wood burner. Above: Richard Parr’s office features a pitched Douglas fir roof
      An old hayloft, cowshed, bullpen and dairy barn on the farm had already been converted into office space for the practice, but as the number of employees has begun to steadily increase, they realised they were in need of extra room.

      The practice’s eponymous founder, Richard Parr, decided to make use of an abandoned barn.

      Parr’s office looks through to a laidback workroom for staff
      Parr’s office is up on the barn’s first floor in what was formerly a loft store for grain.
      After years of dilapidation, the practice could only save one of the room’s original Cotswold stone walls – the rest have been replaced with expansive panels of glazing that offer views of a nearby National Trust park and Parr’s own family home, which is also on the farm.

      The workroom boasts rubber flooring and black leather furnishings
      “It’s been a joy to extend our studio space, providing much needed flexible workspace for our team,” explained Parr, who has found using the Grain Loft Studio particularly handy during the coronavirus pandemic when many have been forced to work from home.
      “With views out onto the surrounding valleys, the new studio has provided solace whilst working remotely from the team.”

      Richard Parr Associates remodels Edwardian house for Rapha founder Simon Mottram

      The room is topped by a pitched roof constructed from lime-washed beams of Douglas fir.
      Directly beneath is a 2.5-metre-wide glass table surrounded by aluminium-frame chairs, where team members can sit and work with Parr throughout the day.

      At the back of the workroom is a timber volume that houses a kitchenette
      A doorway looks through to an informal workroom that’s meant to have a darker, cosier feel.
      The floor is clad with black recycled-rubber tiles, while the ceiling is clad with textured wood-wool panels.
      One wall has been panelled with timber salvaged from a farmhouse in a neighbouring village that was once occupied by Soviet architect Berthold Lubetkin, which Parr hopes will act as a small homage to “the pioneer of British modernism”.
      In the corner of the room is a wood burner, in front of which a black leather sofa and armchairs have been placed. A kitchenette and small shower room are contained within a grooved timber volume towards the rear of the room.

      There’s a meeting area downstairs in the barn
      An industrial steel staircase leads down to the barn’s ground floor, which was previously just used as a cart bay but can now serve as a meeting room or breakout area.
      It’s simply dressed with a couple of curved bench seats that were carved from a single tree, and a white version of Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen’s signature Tulip table.
      The practice preserved the space’s existing cobbled walls but has covered the floor in stable-block pavers rescued from another building on the farm.

      The exterior of the converted barn
      Richard Parr Associates was established in 2012 and works between offices in the Cotswolds and west London.
      The practice’s Grain Loft Studio will go head-to-head in the Dezeen Awards against projects such as 12 by Ortraum Architects, a music and ceramics studio that’s nestled in the back garden of a house in Helsinki.
      Photography is by Gilbert McCarragher.
      Project credits:
      Architect: Richard Parr AssociatesInteriors: Richard Parr AssociatesContractor: JM WestonFire engineer: Oculus

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      KCC Design creates monochrome office for own studio in former factory space

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      KCC Design has completed the interior design for its own office in Shanghai, which features an exhibition space and 21 enclosed boxes for individual work in a subdued colour palette.The studio, which works in architecture and interior design as well as wayfinding, regional planning and lighting design, created the office in an old factory building that has been converted into office space.
      KCC Design designed its new office, which has been shortlisted for the Dezeen Awards 2020 in the large workspace interior category, to make a move away from open-plan working.

      Top: the KCC Office reception area. Above: the ground floor is taken up by an exhibition space
      “The most important thing is that we have been working in an open office working environment so far,” KCC Design principal and design director Marco De La Torre told Dezeen.

      “We thought it is problematic because more and more people no longer want this kind of working environment but a living environment,” he added.
      “After all, as a design company, we spend a longer time at the office, so we need to re-think how an office should be.”

      The studio wanted the office to be a “living environment”
      Though the studio was working from home in February due to the coronavirus pandemic, life in Shanghai returned to a sense of normalcy after March, De La Torre said, enabling it to come back to the office.
      “We are wearing masks for public transportation and public venues like cinemas, all other activities have returned to normality,” De La Torre said.

      On the first floor, 21 boxes function as more private workspaces
      The studio discussed how to combine ideas of “individual and independent thinking” with “collective and cooperation creating” for the design of its office.
      The solution was to divide the space into separate uses for separate floors. The ground floor of the office is the studio’s public area, which it calls its “living space”.
      This floor has meeting rooms and tea rooms for client meetings, as well as an exhibition space that can also host events.

      White and grey were the only colours used for the interior
      Upstairs on the first floor, the core office area has 21 enclosed boxes that are used as the studio’s main workspaces. They are designed to function as private work areas where team members can also feel at home.
      “This office design is for the people to feel ‘living’ here, not only as work display,” De La Torre said.

      Old nylon factory converted into “cathedral-like” office space

      KCC Design worked with a limited material and colour palette when designing the space. When it came to colour, the studio kept its office mainly white and grey, and said the reason behind its colour and material choices was simple.
      “Concrete and paint are the only two materials,” said De La Torre. “The reason for choosing such materials is their extreme plasticity. These inert materials also symbolise human wisdom and technology.”

      The office entrance features geometric shapes
      “They have no personality,” De La Torre explained. “As dead as an inorganic substance. This extreme quietness is what we need most in a noisy urban environment and an impetuous work environment.”
      “Of course, the white of the whole wall also has the meaning of white paper to the designer,” he added. “It represents the birth can be anything.”
      Describing interior and architectural design as a poetic, logical system, De La Torre said artificial space should be respected as an artefact.
      “Therefore, the space poetry of this office space is ‘we living here instead of working here now’,” he said. “And the logical principle of our interior is a ‘fluid and continuous public space’ and a ‘solid and independent private space’.”
      Many former factory spaces and warehouses have been turned into offices, including an old nylon factory in Arnhem that is now a “cathedral-like office space and a heritage building in Mumbai.

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      Studio VDGA lines office in India with curving walls of honeycomb cardboard

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      Architecture practice Studio VDGA has renovated an office in Pune, India, with partition walls made from cardboard and MDF.Located in the Pimpri Chinchwad district, the four-storey office for 100 people has been given a recyclable fit-out.

      Partition walls are made from cardboard and medium-density fibreboard (MDF)
      Called Office in Cardboard, the project has been shortlisted for Dezeen Awards 2020 in the large workspace interior category.

      “We devised an innovative concept to replace the solid partition walls with more functional and textured material,” said Studio VDGA.
      “It also serves as a low-cost material since it does not require polishing or painting as it is kept raw.”

      Honeycomb cardboard is light, strong and low cost
      Studio VDGA’s paper-based design was made for an electric-components manufacturing company that is in the process of moving away from its previous work of making petrol and diesel vehicle components.
      The cardboard’s recyclable properties are intended to symbolise this shift towards a more environmentally-friendly industry.

      Cuts in the cardboard create patterns of shadow
      Sheets of honeycomb cardboard – a kind of paper packaging with an internal hexagon structure for strength – form divider walls, doors and a backdrop for the reception area.
      “Honeycomb board was first introduced in the aeronautical industry in the form of aluminium honeycomb boards,” said Studio VDGA.
      “In paper form, it is used extensively in Japan since being a lightweight material, it does not cause harm to life in the case of earthquakes,” added the studio. “IKEA is using it in abundance to create light modular furniture.”

      The cardboard has been left raw rather than painted
      In some areas, the cardboard elements wrap around the external walls and connect to form dividers between different zones of the office floors.
      Curving elements formed from the cardboard make sections of wall that billow into the room or wrap around supporting columns.

      Curving cardboard elements wrap around columns
      Sections of the sheets’ exterior have been cut away to reveal the internal honeycomb in order to create an interesting texture.

      Nudes creates cafe in Mumbai entirely from cardboard

      “What interested us was the cross-section through the board rather than the material itself,” said the studio.
      “Transverse cuts through the nodes of the hexagon reveals sharper fins, whereas longitudinal cuts through the board reveals uneven wider bands. This combination of sharper fins and wider bands, used in combination with bands of MDF, creates interesting patterns and shadows.”

      Paint tins have been turned into a plant display
      Cardboard absorbs sound, so the portion walls double as baffles to keep the background noise of the office low and grant employees more privacy.
      Slim horizontal slots form windows to allow light through in some areas. An installation of plants and electrical components displayed in white paint tins left over from the refurbishment hangs from the ceiling.

      Tins filled with plants and electronic components hang from the ceiling
      Ceilings have been left open, with the air ducts visible, so as to create as much height as possible.
      The reception area’s floor is tiled with different kinds of dark stone, and black metal railings bracket the stairs, with brass rings designed to look like an abacus.

      Railings on the stairs are designed to look like an abacus
      Based in Pune, Studio VDGA was founded by husband and wife team Deepak and Varsha Guggar in 2004.
      Cardboard was also the material of choice for this school office in Melbourne, a collection of colourful and corrugated furniture, and the entirety of this cafe in Mumbai.
      Photography is by Hemant Patil.

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      Old nylon factory converted into “cathedral-like” office space

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      HofmanDujardin and Schipper Bosch have inserted a steel frame into the expansive production hall of an old nylon factory in Arnhem to create the KB Building offices. The office is housed within one of several 1940s factories on a 90-hectare chemical-industry plant in the Netherlands, which local developer Schipper Bosch is transforming into a campus
      The post Old nylon factory converted into “cathedral-like” office space appeared first on Dezeen. More

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      Alice D'Andrea creates industrial coffee roastery in Vancouver steel foundry

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      Coffee roasting and tasting takes place in this industrial-style coffee shop in Vancouver, which local studio Alice D’Andrea has designed inside a historic factory building. Located in Vancouver’s Railtown neighbourhood, the space was built in 1923 as the Settlement Building, a steel foundry for manufacturing machinery parts, and then later used as a warehouse for lighting company Bocci.

      The roastery features existing industrial windows and ceiling beams
      It now forms the headquarters for speciality coffee company Pallet Coffee Roasters with space for team training, a tasting area, roastery operations, seating and merchandise.

      Douglas fir beams punctuate the ceiling, large, industrial-style windows bring natural light to the back of the building, and exposed concrete runs throughout, providing a nod to its history.

      Seating is set under a large skylight
      “The main goal for this project was to design a ‘destination’ for coffee lovers,” said Alice D’Andrea. “A place where customers could enjoy their coffee while being educated on the process and the passion that goes behind their product.”

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      The 7000-square-foot (650-square-metre) open space has been separated into different areas. To the rear of the space the roastery is furnished with a long table made of reclaimed fir, which is used for coffee tasting and team training.

      An L-shaped counter divides the open space
      An L-shaped coffee counter, patterned with black-stained oak planks in a herringbone pattern, forms the centre of the space. A gridded glass partition that echoes the former foundry’s industrial windows rises from the middle of the counter to offer glimpses of the production area at the rear.
      “The glass partition between the counter and the production leaves the view open on the production, on the machinery and the people working behind the scenes,” the studio said.

      Black-stained wood patterns the counter
      “Customers can enjoy their beverage while watching how raw beans from around the world turn into their favourite drink; a truly unique customer experience,” the studio added.
      The black volume is broken up by glass volumes that form display cabinets for pieces on sale and nooks for seating.

      The roastery occupies the rear
      Large copper pendant lights hang overheard to complement the warm hues of the wooden ceiling beams. Other copper detailing can be found in the counter kick and shelving.
      Customers can sip their coffee on a seating alcove under a huge skylight, or on wooden benches either side of large planters and stools. Decorative elements are provided by coffee bags piled atop pallets, and pops of greenery.

      Copper details add warmth
      Pallet Coffee Roasters HQ’s entrance has white-painted walls, greenery and pendant lights from Bocci – the building’s previous owner.
      Other coffee roasteries on Dezeen include Pilot Coffee roasting warehouse in Toronto that Williamson Williamson recently extended with offices and the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Tokyo designed by Kengo Kuma.
      Photography is by Andrew Fyfe.

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      Rapt Studio fashions soothing interiors for Goop HQ in Santa Monica

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      Design agency Rapt Studio has used curved furnishings and soft colours to create a calming ambience inside the Santa Monica headquarters of lifestyle and wellness brand Goop.The two-floor HQ measures 55,000 square feet (5,109 square metres) and provides a unified workspace for Goop, which was founded by actress Gwyneth Paltrow. Prior to this team members had been scattered between different buildings.

      The lobby of Goop’s Santa Monica headquarters
      “We designed their new, light-filled headquarters in Santa Monica to preserve the buzz they’d maintained in close quarters, while giving big ideas room to roam,” explained Rapt Studio.

      “[Staff] needed a place to concentrate their energy and efforts to propel the brand into its next phase of development.”

      A corner of the lobby is dominated by a sculptural metal desk
      Employees enter the head office via a spacious lobby. One corner of the room is dominated by a custom-made desk made by Los Angeles-based studio Artcrafters.
      The desk comprises four bulky metal blocks which are meant to mimic the rounded shape of the letters that feature in Goop’s company logo.

      The headquarters includes a kitchen where staff can test recipes
      Curved forms go on to feature in the adjacent waiting area where a pink, crescent-shaped sofa and bench seat perch on a woven circular rug. An oversized white pendant light is suspended overhead, while behind stands a golden wire-frame screen.
      The lobby leads through to a sequence of work areas – this includes a lab for developing new products, a podcast-recording studio and a fashion workshop where designs for Goop’s clothing line, G Label, will be drawn up.

      There is also a product showroom on-site
      A test kitchen finished with jet-black joinery offers a spot for staff to experiment with recipes and film cooking tutorials for Goop’s YouTube channel.
      There is also a small showroom on-site. At its centre is a chunky stone-topped counter inbuilt with a sink where the beauty and skincare products on display can be trialled out.

      Goop staff work around bespoke desks
      Staff have been given bespoke workstations. For formal meetings they can head to one of the conference rooms, which are decorated with past and present examples of Goop merchandise.

      Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop brand launches first home collection with CB2

      Expansive floor-to-ceiling panels of glazing flood spaces throughout the HQ in natural light.
      This is seen best in what employees refer to as the “All Hands” area, which boasts views of the palm tree-lined LA skyline.

      Conference rooms are decorated with framed Goop merchandise
      The room is used for casual catch-ups or large-scale staff gatherings. It includes a light-hued timber kitchen and a trio of arched niches that accommodate tan-leather seating banquettes.
      There are also a couple of grey modular sofas that can be rearranged to suit different-sized workgroups.

      Light-hued timber lines the staff kitchen
      “The intent of the material palette was to evoke a sense of calming familiarity,” said Rapt Studio’s president and creative director, Sam Farhang.
      “Natural, warm materials and soft tones create a welcoming environment, allowing the Goop team to feel at home within the space,” he told Dezeen.

      This light-filled room can be used for informal meetings
      Tapping into Goop’s wellness-focused ethos, Rapt Studio also made sure to incorporate a yoga room and a number of secluded lounge spots and private booths for staff.
      “These spaces – cocooned and concealed – are designed for reflecting, replenishing, and recharging,” added the studio.

      It features arched niches with tan-leather seating banquettes
      Goop was launched by Paltrow in 2008, starting life as a weekly newsletter before growing into a brand that offers wellness, beauty and style advice.
      Its trendy HQ is one of several that Rapt Studio has designed – back in 2017 it completed head offices for streetwear brand Vans, including meeting rooms lined with skateboards and huge graffiti wall murals.
      In 2014 it also created headquarters for e-ticketing company Eventbrite, which has break-out areas with stadium-style seating.
      Photography is by Madeline Tolle.

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