Located amongst the eclectic charm of inner city Cremorne, Cobild is a workplace that authentically externalises the values of the business it houses. An expansive use of mesh cladding to the building’s exterior, by architects Fieldwork, sets the tone for an inspired design narrative. A considered curation of textured materiality in the open plan environment encourages transparency and authenticity, both literal and philosophical. Natural stone, powder coated metal, concrete, leather and timber unite confidently and coherently, finding tactile resolve in the raw and the refined.
As its own flagship office space, Cobild Office sees the builder’s values brought to life through expressive and elemental insertions. Housed within one of Cobild’s own buildings in Melbourne’s inner industrial suburb of Cremorne, the concrete and glass shell by Fieldwork paves the ideal backdrop for Mim Design’s ensuing layering to unfold. Inspired by the open connectedness within the workplace, the space aims to capture the essence of the company’s people and approach to business. Mim Design proposes a series of interconnected spaces that support the combining of the refined and the technical.
Embracing the incoming light, the use of perforated mesh allows a shared illumination internally, while a fresh and light palette emphasises the sense of openness. Natural sunlight enters from all sides through full-height glazing, allowing enviable vistas over the area, connecting beyond the building’s edge. Similarly, transparency is a core driver of the space, representing both a process and the way the office space unfolds, where a perforated mesh stair becomes not only a sculptural feature but a subtle signal of movement, animating the space. The spatial approach, while being open and visually connected also speaks to a consideration of function, with dedicated meeting spaces, all differing in heights, where seating arrangements offer a varied opportunity to experience the space throughout the day.
Natural stone and timber don the kitchen and bathroom spaces, heightening the everyday engagement with the ancillary spaces through an emphasis on the tactile. Leather, concrete and powder-coated metal are then expressed in a raw and unconcealed manner. Tan, tobacco and burnt orange hues, together with elements of eclectic blue dotted throughout, enliven the interiors, adding textural depth and focal points throughout. At the heart of the modern workplace is an embedded flexibility and facilitation of customisation, which was a key driving feature of the project. A mix of exposed services overhead sit comfortably with dropped polished plaster ceilings in spaces, while metal framework frames other areas, creating a sense of enclosure while remaining open. Photography: Peter Clarke;
