THE CHALLENGE
The challenge was the fact that there was only 28m2 of office space to fit four creatives, desks and storage - and a budget of only R100 000 (€8 800) for the entire project, from dry-walling and electrical, to furniture and floor treatments.

The budget and space constraints created a unique opportunity for custom-fitting the shop. From concept to designing to drafting the plans to construction, all the elements would need to be handmade to save on costs and to use the available space to its full potential.

THE FINISHED SPACE IS THE PERFECT REFLECTION OF THE AGENCY’S BRAND IDENTITY. THE MAIN COLOUR PALETTE IS BLACK AND WHITE, THE AGENCY’S PRIMARY COLOUR THEME, CONTRASTED WITH ORGANIC WOOD AND GREEN HIGHLIGHTS.

The 3 meter long black ‘puzzle piece’ marine ply desks have ornate classical fretwork juxtaposed with modern tribal-inspired designs in white. The black of the floor to ceiling interlocking wooden shelves (no glue, no screws, no bolts) is broken by a green ‘heartbeat’ pinstripe and single green block that, together with the wheatgrass feature in some the blocks, gives an organic highlight to the structure.

The space constraints led to an unexpected creative direction in which to personalise each creative’s space. Each creative has an avatar that now forms a part of the agencies look, these individually designed characters were then applied to each chair. The white feature wall has hand-drawn artwork that adds a quirky personalisation to the office and begs you to look deeper, a nod toward the quirky attitudes of the designers.

Hanging Japanese paper lanterns replace the sterile glow of the original fluorescent strips with softer light, that is then reflected in the wooden glow of the floor to ceiling slatted partition that breaks the square space into two distinct areas.

Taking advantage of the shop’s retail location,
white vinyl copy and a black Japanese dragon on
the shopfront windows was created to intrigue and invite passersby to interact and get a feel for the brand by reading a story of the agency and its clients.

With agency’s brand being based on various tattoo styles (script, classic, Japanese, tribal) the space has become the perfect vehicle for promoting their skills, as well as a labour of love that ended with everything fitting harmoniously and coming in on budget. Read Less