British designer Richard Shed has recently completed an office project for creative practice PD3 in Shoreditch. The brief was to rethink the configuration of their office space, creating capacity for a meeting room and a private area.
Shed came up with a slatted wall solution in untreated American White Oak, which provides privacy and a certain degree of separation, but permits a background awareness of activity on either side of the wall. The wood was left untreated on the studio side and clad with a layer of natural felt on the meeting side to absorb sound and give more privacy.
‘The slatted idea came from a few places,’ says Shed. ‘It’s a play on its structural function, bracing and battening the structure to stop it twisting or warping.’
Shed’s solution nicely complements the visual language and detailing of the pre-existing space, emphasising the level of craft in the construction details, features and the ceiling with exposed beams and joists.
Although the project from design concept to installation took about two months, Shed started to discuss concept ideas with PD3 about three years ago.
‘I used to work in the same building as PD3 on Curtain Road,’ says Shed, ‘we discussed ideas about three years ago but nothing came of it, so for me it was even more interesting to re-address the same brief 3 years later.’
Shed worked on this project with architect An Michiels from Studio AM. ‘A lot of my work is collaborative and I always find it very inspiring talking, making and sharing good practice with a company or another individual.’
