SEASON 1 EPISODE 05:

Oliver Kampshoff: Creating a workspace to reflect an organisation’s culture

This week on the SpaceCraft podcast, Dan Moscrop interviews Oliver Cooke, an architect from CJCT Architecture.

In the first part of the conversation, Oliver explains CJCT's holistic approach to projects, which involves looking at the urban scale, the architecture itself, and the interior fit-out design in a comprehensive manner for workplace and office design. He describes their "quick option appraisal" process, where they rapidly generate multiple hand-sketched options to explore different scenarios and engage the client early on in the architectural process.

Oliver then discusses one of his favorite projects, the Condé Nast College of Fashion and Design, highlighting the collaborative relationship with the client and the decisions made to create a neutral canvas through interior design that could be enlivened by the students' work and branding.

The conversation shifts to CJCT's current projects, including the Scale Space co-working facility in collaboration with Imperial College London and Blenheim Chalcot. Oliver explains the challenges of designing a modular, temporary building aimed at tech startups through innovative architecture and workspace design.

They also touch on the firm's residential projects and how they incorporate flexible workspaces and communal areas for residents, blurring the lines between home and office environments through integrated design.

Additionally, Oliver shares insights on the trends and challenges in modern workplace design, such as the move away from open-plan offices due to acoustic issues and the need for a variety of work settings to accommodate different work styles and concentration levels.

Towards the end, Oliver emphasizes the importance of understanding the client's work culture and designing workspaces that reflect and support it through architecture, rather than simply following trends or gimmicks in office design.

Overall, the discussion covers CJCT's design approach, specific projects, trends in workplace design and branding, and the firm's philosophy of creating engaging environments that meet the client's needs through innovative solutions.