Basic Space featured in the AJBL
This yoga and pilates studio transforms a commercial storefront through strategic spatial planning and tactile materiality.
The design maximises natural light from generous south-facing windows, establishing the studio’s essential character.
A thickened wall separates the main studio from the lobby and changing areas, punctuated by contemporary glass blocks that allow light to flow deeper into the plan. The glass blocks function as both an architectural feature and a light-transmitting device, animating the threshold between public and private zones while concealing generous storage within the wall’s depth.
Existing concrete soffits are left exposed but painted to enhance light reflection in the lobby and studio spaces, maximising ceiling heights. The changing areas and bathrooms have lower ceilings to accommodate discreet servicing. The floor plan is exceptionally efficient – all circulation space is activated rather than consigned to corridors, ensuring every square metre contributes to the building’s purpose.
Subtle lighting details enable precise mood control, adapting the atmosphere throughout the day to suit varied activities and events. The design explores the tactile contrast between materials: the translucent, textured quality of glass block sits alongside the raw materiality of lightly polished concrete floors flecked with aggregate, the warmth of timber joinery and an organic plaster desk.
The project demonstrates how thoughtful spatial organisation and careful material selection can transform a simple commercial unit into a refined wellness environment. Light, both natural and artificial, becomes the primary design tool, choreographed through the plan to create distinct spatial qualities for different functions while maintaining visual and spatial connections across the compact footprint.
By leaving the screed as the finished floor, the soffits exposed, and making a feature of the carcasing of the joinery, the project saved an estimated 3.7 tonnes of CO2e when compared with a business-as-usual approach.