Paper tube office

Australia

About

Creative use of recycled and affordable materials has allowed Zouk Architects to create an interesting space at minimal expense in their very own new open plan office, which is later called as the "Paper tube" office. Whereas most might use moving office as an opportunity to dispose waste, Zouk have done the opposite. By making the unwanted wanted, ‘waste’ materials have become an integral part of the design of their new premise.

Having found themselves with a mass of tubing, Zouk decided to put the materials to use in their new office. By creating a cardboard feature wall in their new office, both a striking visual component and functional semi-private meeting room has been added to the otherwise open-plan space. The tubing is also put to use elsewhere, forming the base of the meeting table, its surrounding seating, and, in the most traditional application, storage for rolled drawings. Smaller sections of cardboard tubing have also been filled with scrap paper and used as sun shades on Western facing window.
Their efforts alone weren’t enough to generate the quantity of cardboard tubes needed for this ambitious creation. Therefore, Zouk turned to local printing companies, Copy World and Technoprint who happily handed over the unwanted byproducts.

Sample materials, previously hidden away in the practice’s library, are also used prominently in the new premise. Rather than fitting a new kitchenette splashback, tile samples from Skheme tiles are upcycled, as a functional sample board. Paint and fabric samples introduce a splash of colour to an office wall, and carpet samples from Whitecliffe Carpet add a much-needed element of comfort to the cardboard tubing seating, transforming it into a vibrant and functional elements in the meeting room

Even the obligatory office cork board is re-imagined, following the same theme of material reuse. Recycled Wine corks are organized in the shape of the Zouk's logo, providing a noteworthy feature so visually arresting that no business card, invoice or any other piece of paperwork has yet been pinned to it. The innovative signage also extended to use of recycled keyboards to display the name of the practice. One of the few empty walls in the office is a deceptive addition to the space, being only intermittently blank. The sheen of the smooth surface can be attributed to Baresque Idea paint, which turns this surface into what Zouk refer to as their ‘brainstorming space’.

Though not recycled, shelving in the office is made from materials that are traditionally used for construction. The simple combination of plywood and concrete blocks - two materials both widely available and cost effective - has created a flexible space that provides the practice with a practical yet visually appealing way to store their material and catalogue library. The modular nature of its design makes the inevitable act of increasing shelving space in the future close to effortless.

Photography by Pulch Photography

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