studio sklim: thin office

‘thin office’ by studio sklim in jalan besar, singapore all images courtesy studio sklim images © jeremy san

‘thin office’ by multi-disciplinary design practice studio sklim is a narrow office space for an IT company and a multi-media setup in a refurbished postwar building in singapore. given the creative clientele, the design of the working environment aims to provide wide flexibility to allow for maximum overlap of working trajectories. the resulting space aims to remain anonymous and to provide a blank canvas for various work scenarios and possibilities.

twist platform

the pre-existing split levels in the long and slim space offered the possibility of playing with raised platform elements. the resulting design of the ‘twist platform’ provides a meeting pod that capitalizes on the high ceiling to accommodate for storage underneath. the geometry of the subtly twisting space was driven by sight lines, privacy and anthropometrics elements. the unconventional form in an otherwise sleek and straightforward office space adds a dynamic backdrop to the ‘recharging point’, a small nook in the split level area, and the entry way.

split level

(left) looking into the kitchen from the multimedia room (right) meeting space

platform entryway

the design is loosely organized into eight clusters: the ‘boss boxes’, ‘long work top’, ‘discussion table’, ‘welcome mat’, ‘sanitary & storage’, ‘recharging point’, ‘twist platform’ and ‘multi-media corner’. to enable cross-pollination of creative work, each cluster is planned around an open plan configuration. the main working space, the ‘long work top’ which is comprised of a single stretch of working surface, allows for a fluctuating size of workers at a given time. the long piece of furniture lines one side of the office space, transforming from table top, reception seating, storage and finally to pantry space.

(left) kitchen / ‘recharging point’ (right) sitting area / ‘welcome mat’