Studio Edwards has designed a zero-waste workspace in Melbourne for B Corp registered creative agency Today Design. Client and architect were united in their 'unwavering' quest to create a piece of contemporary sustainable architecture in the office interior for the agency – its headquarters located in a 12-storey office block in the neighbourhood of Collingwood, within the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri/Woiwurrung people of the Kulin Nation.
Designing a zero-waste workspace
In order to achieve their goal, the architects, headed by studio founders Ben Edwards and Nancy Beka, opted to work entirely with readily available materials. There are no applied finishes in sight, and everything is placed fluidly around the existing building's rigid rectilinear column grid.
'This means no plasterboard, no laminate, and no MDF. All interior walls based on a standard material sheet size of 2.4m in height, minimising the need for cutting. Walls are crafted from timber framing and OSB board together with translucent corrugated sheeting that bathes the space in natural light while preserving privacy,' write the architects.
Sliding elements, fabrics and hinged panels serve as space dividers where and when needed. This results in a flowing interior with strong material textures and colour pops which bring vibrancy and a natural element where everything feels layered and tactile.
In terms of the workplace arrangements, large meeting tables and communal desk areas are balanced by private booths and dedicated video conferencing suites. Materiality takes centre stage everywhere, highlighting the project's innovative approach.
'Corrugated translucent panels wrap the meeting spaces, opening into an informal lounge/work area with scaffolded lounge modules that span the northern perimeter, providing a relaxed workspace with scenic views,' the architects continued.
'These modules are enveloped in translucent recycled sail cloth screens, offering privacy while allowing natural light to permeate.'
It all is testament to a harmonious client and architect collaboration, where a common goal energised and motivated the entire team. It is, hopefully, a 'space where creativity thrives in harmony with the environment,' they all agree.
-
How to elevate a rental with minimal interventions? Charu Gandhi has nailed it with her London homeFocus on key spaces, work with inherited details, and go big on colour and texture, says Gandhi, an interior designer set on beautifying her tired rental
-
These fashion books, all released in 2025, are the perfect gift for style fansChosen by the Wallpaper* style editors to inspire, intrigue and delight, these visually enticing tomes for your fashion library span from lush surveys on Loewe and Louis Vuitton to the rebellious style of Rick Owens and Jean Paul Gaultier
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekFar from slowing down for the festive season, the Wallpaper* team is in full swing, hopping from events to openings this week. Sometimes work can feel like play – and we also had time for some festive cocktails and cinematic releases
-
The Architecture Edit: Wallpaper’s houses of the monthFrom wineries-turned-music studios to fire-resistant holiday homes, these are the properties that have most impressed the Wallpaper* editors this month
-
An Australian holiday home is designed as a bushfire-proof sanctuary‘Amongst the Eucalypts’ by Jason Gibney Design Workshop (JGDW) rethinks life – and architecture – in fire-prone landscapes, creating a minimalist holiday home that’s meant to last
-
Neometro is the Australian developer creating homes its founders ‘would be happy living in’The company has spent 40 years challenging industry norms, building design-focused apartment buildings and townhouses; a new book shares its stories and lessons learned
-
The Melbourne studio rewilding cities through digital-driven landscape design‘There's a lack of control that we welcome as designers,’ say Melbourne-based landscape architects Emergent Studios
-
A Republic Tower apartment refresh breathes new life to a Melbourne classicLocal studio Multiplicity's refresh signals a new turn for an iconic Melbourne landmark
-
A Japanese maple adds quaint charm to a crisp, white house in SydneyBellevue Hill, a white house by Mathieson Architects, is a calm retreat layered with minimalism and sophistication
-
A redesigned warehouse complex taps into nostalgia in QueenslandA warehouse in Queensland has been transformed from neglected industrial sheds to a vibrant community hub by architect Jared Webb, drawing on the typology's nostalgic feel
-
Australian bathhouse ‘About Time’ bridges softness and brutalism‘About Time’, an Australian bathhouse designed by Goss Studio, balances brutalist architecture and the softness of natural patina in a Japanese-inspired wellness hub
