PROJECT COMMERCIAL: OFFICE DESIGN
04. 2022
Located at 115 McCaul St, southeast of Dundas and McCaul, this building belongs to OCAD University, central home to the arts and culture hub of Downtown Toronto. This building redesign is derived from a garment from contemporary fashion designer Shaghayegh Tafreshi, who needs a fashion studio for her brand. The interior has been designed according to the client's needs and goals in having a physical studio.
Student Collaborative Project with : Aleighia Murphy, Neela Madhu & Sara Ragab
My contributions include client research, concept map, preliminary ideations, diagrams, floor plans as well as the LED screen partition detail work. As a group, I facilitated the space planning decisions and participated in concept building to ensure our group met deadlines on time with a high quality of detail to our work.
Software: Autocad, Sketchup, Vray, Adobe Illustrator & Adobe Photoshop
Client
CLIENT PROFILE
Shaghayegh Tafreshi designs connect art, culture, forms found in nature, geometry, and the avant-garde. Her aquatic collection is inspired by ocean life and believes that life underwater is like poetry as her designs talk about the poetry within nature.
THE GARMENT
Our redesign is based specifically on the layered and fluid-structure of her Betta Fish Dress. Made from crystal organza fabric, inspired by the fluttering form and fins of the betta fish.
"My designs explore abstract storytelling of human experience in the universe. People who wear my art pieces are willing to share their relation with nature and its organic forms and structure." - Shaghayegh Tafreshi
CLIENT GOALS
Due to her online brand presence, positions include public relations, visual merchandising, marketing, customer relations, and e-commerce managing.
While designing the interior, we came to the conclusion that having a physical retail space would be beneficial for consumers to try on the clothing, complete with a showroom, fitting rooms, and POS terminal.
Image courtesy of Shaghayegh Tafreshi
Concept Development
CONCEPT PARTI: RIPPLE
'Ripple' as the framework for the ST Creative House Studio balances an interconnected relationship between interactive and private spaces with forms and styles in the garment.
Drawing elements from Tafreshi's designs, such as the relationship between contemporary form and traditional material, this project will bring together elements such as reflection and movement to create a dynamic, connected, layered, and interactive workspace.
Ripple as a concept actualized would include biomorphic elements into the design - with curving forms, dynamic lines, layered approaches, kinetic structural features, and ethically sourced materials.
Preliminary Ideations
Preliminary sketch ideas of the interior reception space with showroom.
Initial parti diagrams to explore concept, focusing on circulation and form.
Bubble diagram ideations to space plan for multiple levels.
Floor Plans
Level 2 Floor Plan | Scale 1:100
Level 3 Floor Plan | Scale 1:100
Sections
Section displaying central lighting installation, showcasing double-height ceiling along with the banquette seating. Among the two levels, there is a variety of open workspaces, private workspaces, as well as conference rooms to ensure employee's needs are satisfied for the required work. Glass partitions create branding opportunities as well as information boards so employees are constantly up-to-date. Lighting fixtures provide ambient lighting, task lighting, and accent lighting so employees can work comfortably.
This section displays a brief idea of the level 3 showroom as well as the retail space provided for clients. The informal workspace is an excellent opportunity to give employees flexibility in whichever style they work, as they might prefer a bar-like space to focus on their tasks. Near more open spaces, such as the open workspace, there are posters and pin-up boards near walls and areas of circulation to help strengthen the team mentality as well as provide a method of communication to the majority.
Interior Elevations
Interior elevations showing the glass partitions as well as the scale of the space.
Interior Renderings
Level 2 Sewing Room
Level 2 Designer Studio
Level 3 Breakout Room
Millwork Detail
LED SCREEN PARTITION
Found behind the reception desk on the third level, this screen partition provides branding opportunities for the company. This partition also has additional space for showing new designs.
OPEN WORKSPACE DESK
A custom millwork desk designed with workplace trends in mind. We wanted to create collaborative spaces with flexibility for privacy levels and plenty of storage. These desks can be adapt to multiple modes of work and benefit space division.