Head in The Cloud
New traditions meet old habits at The Cloud, Foolscap Studio’s socially minded workspace that blends creative studio, product design and prototyping, hospitality and wellness
Conceived as a social studio, The Cloud is a demonstration of Foolscap Studio’s company ethos: to craft healthy, future-focused and genuinely collaborative workplaces. Taking cues from the multi-disciplinary team’s key areas of practice — placemaking, hospitality and residential design —Foolscap conceptualised a studio that encompasses interior design, product design and prototyping, hospitality events and wellness initiatives.
Perched above Allpress Roastery in the back streets of Collingwood in Melbourne, the studio occupies a former shoe factory built in the 1920’s. Upon entry, visitors are drawn up a timber staircase that opens directly onto an expansive kitchen hub. Stretching 10 metres across the voluminous white warehouse, the well-appointed kitchen presents a natural gathering area where staff are encouraged to cook and socialise. ‘This has a great effect on the mood and culture,’ explains Foolscap founder and director Adele Winteridge.
The kitchen is geared for various meeting and event modes, supported by a multi-use breakout zone furnished with one of Foolscap’s prototypes. Soufflé is a modular sofa that can flex from family lounge or booth and perimeter seating to a bustling conversation pit for team brainstorms. The adaptability of the space allows Foolscap to host various events, fostering intra-industry and cross-disciplinary activity and thought.
A sheer curtain gently delineates a back-of-house ‘work anywhere’ space with fully adjustable sit-stand desks and efficient, dimmable task lighting. At the end of each workday, team members store their desk items in a dedicated tambour unit. ‘Essentially, the space resets each morning and staff can choose where they sit,’ says Winteridge. This truly agile model allows staff to find a work environment that best suits their specific and evolving needs.
A house-like structure is inserted along the eastern edge, and houses a strategy and meeting room encased in polycarbonate sheeting and a material library and workshop finished with limed-timber panelling. These discrete spaces allow meetings and design processes to happen away from the desk, and in doing so nurture staff needs and immerse clients in the studio’s creative atmosphere.
‘The concept of a cloud is key to tying all the elements together in a way that feels tranquil, light and approachable,’ Winteridge explains. This crisp, neutral language effectively draws focus to the diversity of design activities occurring within. Client, industry and staff interactions occur in new and different ways, while the culture of The Cloud allows for diversity, choice, wellbeing and mobility — a human-centric workplace that binds a broader community mindset.
Text / Hayley Curnow
Images / Nicholas Wilkins & Willem-Dirk du Toit
