The brief for this project called for the transformation of a pre-existing warehouse space into a lively and integrated studio for a robust digital media production company. Working with a very limited budget, LOHA utilized reclaimed two-by-four studs as building blocks for what ultimately became an innovative landscaped experience that energizes a creative culture.
The two-by-fours delineate program, encircling a series of social hubs, platforms, and cocoons that comprise workspace, lounge areas, and ancillary bays. These wooden elements, painted a variety of colors and often separated by four-inch gaps, introduce an architecture of permeable screens, choreographed to produce a dynamic and vibrant visual rhythm that unites the interior.
Oversized light wells punctuate the ceiling, and an interior grid of live trees rises upward through the ground plane toward the natural light. This integration of natural elements is not only holistically sustainable, but also a decision that effectively reconsiders the workplace environment. Material choices, in addition to the reclaimed wood, comprise recycled cork and donated materials. Vendors collaborated with LOHA,approaching the project as an applied incubator for sustainable strategies and exploration. The brief, also, had called for a pet-friendly environment so that employees could bring animals to work.
Authentic Studios’ transparency of program and open gathering areas encourage casual congregation, discussions,and room for repose. The layered progression of varied areas, the occasional raising of the floor surface, the juxtaposed colors, and incorporation of trees culminate into an eclectic and distinct workplace.
