Unit 3 Studio
A cork pod creates a warm, tactile work space in Selencky///Parsons' London studio, which uses pegboard walls for storing stationery, displaying models and hanging plants.
For our purpose-built studio space, we found a characterless commercial volume on the ground floor of a new residential development opposite the station in Brockley, London that we felt had great potential.
To operate successfully as a studio, we wanted to create a comfortable working zone within the space whilst maximising the benefits afforded by the highly visible site. The cork-lined pod mediates the external environment creating the right degree of exposure vs privacy. The space outside the cork pod acts as the social and support space of the studio consisting of a meeting space, display space, kitchenette and WC.
Cork engenders a warm and tactile environment for the pod as well as being cost-effective and highly sustainable. It has great acoustic properties which -combined with the array of holes in the surfaces - reduces reverberation within the space. The surfaces can also be used for pinning up work in progress, for discussions and for reviews.
It was important for us to have a flexible, adaptable environment. By drilling holes across the interior and exterior surfaces of the cork pod we have been able to add timber pegs to support shelves and models, or to hang coats and plants. These can be moved and reconfigured as required to suit the needs of the studio. These holes also act as a discreet ventilation from a plenum in the ceiling to maintain a comfortable temperature and air exchange across the studio space.
The exterior of the cork pod - where it is visible from the outside - is used for displays of recent work, engaging the studio with the street and building our local profile.
The social space of the studio was left largely unfinished as a contrast to the cork pod with the simple addition of a painted floor graphic that expresses the history of the practice and helps to animate the space.
