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Studio Wok designed a new HQ for rapidly growing digital start-up Milkman within an industrial complex. Housing a current team of 80 employees, the 1,000sqm space is spread over two floors and was conceived to be dynamic, fluid and informal. The interior aligns with Milkman’s business philosophy, which focuses on investment in business development and human resources. Design choices focus on precise operations with low implementation cost that don’t sacrifice the quality of the workspace.

Custom designed elements had to be integrated with fixed parts of the existing building, such as the windows, certain partitions and system elements. Large open spaces are divided into smaller areas using purpose-built partitions and walls. Tables at individual workstations alternate with meeting areas and informal spaces for relaxation and socialising. On the ground floor, a large translucent concave wall divides operative areas, its shape playing off pre-existing structural pillars. An indoor garden sits at the centre of the curve, next to a printing area and phone booth.

The upper floor resembles a recreation hall, with a pitched roof and exposed timber beams. Mobile stepped platforms organize the largely open space according to the occasion, be it an event, company all-hands meeting, or brainstorming amongst small groups. The office is distinguished by a simple material palette selected to create a homely environment. Multi-layered wood is combined with polycarbonate in various levels of transparency, reflecting light.

Coloured curtains in tones such as teal and grey conceal the existing furniture and further divide the workspace space into different functional areas. This both gives a domestic character while at the same time assisting with acoustics. Numerous indoor plants are intended as an ‘architectural material’, interacting with the transparency of the polycarbonate and texture of the curtains, as well as purifying the air and reducing noise.

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