#HTE
All of us in the industry are well aware of the universal truth that designers & architects work really fucking hard. (Well, most of the time at least). The creative path is never linear, and despite looking glamorous from the outside, our work is all about solving problems and being able to make sense of complex issues, and turn them into elegant and effortless buildings, interiors, installations and products… that meet the budget and programme… within an allocated design fee… while also pleasing clients, councils, project managers, suppliers, contractors etc. Fun, right? No, dude – that shit is really, really hard to do well. Where am I going with this? I don’t know. I guess I just felt like I needed to vent. Soz.
Of course, we all know perfectly well we are profoundly influenced by the spaces we inhabit, and it is no surprise that people who design these spaces, are particular about their own workplace. Today’s Story takes a look at a diverse set of design & architecture studios around the globe, including our own back yard. Each studio is different from the next and speaks volumes about the breadth of design methodology between various practices, resulting in immensely different environments in which architects work.
What ties all of these studios together, however, is the fact these are all spaces where creativity comes to fruition – they are spaces of invention, idea-testing and collaboration. They are hot-beds of creativity, passion, inspiration, hard-work, blood, sweat and tears.
So without further ado, let’s take a look at the studios of some of the greats such as David Chipperfield, Tadao Ando, The Bouroullecs, Jaime Hayon, Studio Ilse, etc, as well as local superstars like Claire Cousins, Breathe Architecture, Woods Bagot and Bates Smart, amongst others. Thirty four projects in total. No, we definitely do not muck around with our Stories. Enjoy!
See More ‘Stories on Design’ Curated by Yellowtrace.
Photography by Frederik Vercruysse.
Hans Verstuyft Residence & Office in Belgium // Beautifully captured by Frederik Vercruysse, the residence and office of Hans Verstuyft Architects is the epitome of warm minimalism. Originally an 1960 office block in Antwerp, the architects have converted the building into a multi-use dwelling, with a penthouse that serves as an office and an apartment. Crisp, elegant and pure, the space perfectly reflects Hans Verstuyft’s refined aesthetic.
Related Post: Historical Residence in Gent by Hans Verstuyft Architecten.
Photography by Lisbeth Grosmann..
Clare Cousins’ Melbourne Office // Clare Cousins Architects have re-designed an 1970’s office block in North Melbourne into their own workspace shared with a construction company. The shared ‘Blackwood Street Bunker’ workplace retains the shell and reuses parts of the original fit-out, to create a non-corporate environment that evokes a sense of authenticity and capability.
Read the full article about this project & see more images here.
Photography by Mårten Ryner.
Swedish Architect’s MER Design Office in Stockholm // MER (MORE) is a leading architect and consultancy company that specialises solely in creating and changing offices for Swedish and international companies. The company has developed a new environment for their own office located in Stockholm, offering their staff and visitor an exciting journey of discovery amongst innovative solutions for a creative workplace.
“The office is a strategic tool that modern companies take very seriously for their success in attracting the brightest staff and most interesting customers. This also applies to MER,” says company CEO Cecilia Bejdén. The aim with the office was for the company to try our their own methods, test creative solutions and apply new research findings in their daily work. In MER’s office lab, the company continues to develop brand-building design and function.
Read the full article about this project & see more images here.
Images courtesy of David Chipperfield.
David Chipperfield’s Studio & Home // First his studio, then his home, David Chipperfield chose Berlin, after the city commissioned him to rebuild the Neues Museum in 1997. In the courtyard that contains both his house and his studio, Chipperfield also designed a canteen, a place where locals meet. The house is built of concrete, with large windows overlooking the street and the courtyard.
Read the full article about this project & see more images here.
Images via designboom.
Jaime Hayon’s Studio in Valencia, Spain // Located on the 5th floor of a residential complex in the city center, the workspace of Jaime Hayon is very homelike with its own kitchen, a common room with library and sofa lounge area; with floors covered original hydraulic mediterranean cement tiles that defines each room with different patterns. Throughout, random objects and art pieces add visual curiosity, complimenting his own designs – mostly prototypes that were conceived right in the workspace.
Very high ceilings and big windows let the spanish sun flood through the apartment, creating a very warm, comfortable atmosphere. The valencia studio is a work-in-progress – an adventure where furniture, drawings and sculptures are changing constantly, as well as the purpose of each room.
CN10 Architetti’s Workplace in Italy // The studio of CN10 architecs occupies three floors of a 19th Century house, located in a small village along the foothill road that runs along the southern front of the Monte Canto (Bergamo, Italy). The building consists of five levels, two of which are not visible from the street as they are recessed into the hillside. The studio spaces are available on the ground floor with direct entrance from the street and in the two lower floors facing the inner courtyard.
Images courtesy of Naturalbuild.
Waimatou Co-Working Loft by Natural Build Operation // Naturalbuild has always been fascinated with the issue of weathering in architecture, so in this particular project, the architects attempted to offer a close reading and a celebration of the weathered. “We have to reconcile the aesthetic appeal of the exposed roof framing and various degrees of enclosure for each programmed space, as well as corresponding placement of all the new equipment,” explains the design team.
The renovation approach was thus driven by the idea that, without taking any disruptive action, the existing weathered components should be exhibited and reinforced in their new spatial context. The worn and used elements here evoke a serene ambience, so by minimising the use of add-on materials, the architects have retained and reinforced the sense of old-world serenity.
Read the full article about this project & see more images here.
Images courtesy of CLS Architetti. Photography © François Halard for WSJ. Magazine.
CLS Architetti Studio inside 16th Century Church in Milan // Massimiliano Locatelli was searching for a new home for his architecture firm when he came upon a glorious 16th Century church in Milan. The “Firm in the Church” – a project created by the architects from CLS architetti at the end of 2014, is a structure located inside the church of San Paolo Converso on Corso Venezia.
The reception is located at the entrance of the front church, the library in the altar area, and a first meeting room in the area connecting the two churches. The partners of the firm decided to make the front church a place dedicated to creative disciplines, where international guests can organise their exhibitions, performances, and installations open to the public.
FAR. OUT!
Read the full article about this project & see more images here.
Images via Designboom.
Tadao Ando Studio in Osaka, Japan // Tadao Ando originally designed the building that houses his studio as a home for a young family. As it neared completion, the clients discovered they were expecting twins and the architect realised it would be too small for their needs. The studio was then extended three times, before it was rebuilt in 1991 to accommodate his own expanding team. The space features Ando’s trademark smooth concrete surfaces with carefully positioned apertures that channel natural light.
Photography by Peter Clarke.
Breathe Architecture Studio in Brunswick // Melbourne-based Breathe Architecture are clearly passionate about what they do, and we are clearly big fans here at Yellowtrace HQ as we’ve featured their work a number of times before. Breathe are celebrated for their genuinely ethical approach to architecture – this young practice cares about the city and its people, and the impact it’s architecture can have on them. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that their own studio marries ethic with aesthetic, featuring a multitude of sustainable, best-practice approaches to planning, materials and detailing.
The studio was an exercise in building more with less. Giving space, height, light and air. Data cables are curated in infinite lines on the walls. Five thousand pencils pixelate the skin of the double height meeting room. These spines give acoustic attenuation and hint at the architect’s endless search. The material palette is simple, natural, and unembellished – concrete, mild steel, raw brass, recycled blackbutt, cyclone wire and wild greenery come together to create a series of small yet delightful architectural moments.
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