Could the future of the workplace lie in embracing what the home has always known how to offer: comfort, intimacy and a sense of belonging?

Contemporary life has brought new ways of thinking about work. During the pandemic, when the office was forced to move into the home, perhaps we learnt to recognise qualities that had rarely featured among our priorities until then: natural light that changes with the passing hours, objects that hold memories and reflect who we are, textures and materials that engage the senses, and the freedom to inhabit a space at our own pace.

We came to realise that an interior is never truly neutral. The way it is organised, the atmosphere it creates and the sensations it evokes influence how we relate to one another, interpret the world, think and create. Architecture and design therefore play a fundamental role in shaping our everyday experience. After all, to inhabit a place is about more than occupying a physical space: it is about establishing a relationship with it.

Returning to the office has thus called for a fresh perspective: how can the demands of productivity be reconciled with the informality of the domestic environment?

In Portland, Pat Austin’s studio seems to offer an answer. Housed in the historic Cully Building, dating back to 1884, the project draws on the building’s industrial heritage to create an environment that is both sophisticated and relaxed. Exposed brickwork, large windows and the presence of an oak tree sit alongside vintage pieces, bespoke furniture and natural materials. The layout encompasses an open-plan workspace with desks and a meeting table, a lounge area, a materials library and a kitchen, offering different settings for concentration, collaboration and socialising.