Eighthirty Ponsonby

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Eighthirty coffee roasters, asked us to design a Mini roastery in a tight tenancy (12sqm) in the Ponsonby Market. It called for a restricted workable space, busy with the production of coffee. The aesthetic was to display natural materials, warm colours, and clean lines  to allow focus on the quality of their product. The space needed to house a coffee machine, roaster, grinder, bagging station, P.O.S, scales display shelves  and lots of storage for beans and cups.

We responded to the brief by proposing a rigorously detailed coffee lab that uses  simple materials, pine and steel, in a systematic way, allowing for flexibility of display and storage, as well as showcasing the act of roasting coffee. Given the budget constraints we designed a modular shelving system and used a simple palette of wooden elements with a pop of unexpected colour to integrate the fit out into the Eighthirty branding. Formally we opened the corner and returned the counter shelving allowing light from the existing clear storey to illuminate through the level timber slats that doubled as storage.

The tight tenancy and limited budget called for an efficient system of storage and workspace. The simple spatial planning allows for an efficient workflow and direct connection between coffee production and beverage retail. On the other hand, bespoke cabinetry was designed for for eighthirty mini coffee roastery which can be self-assembled and replicated across stores. The cabinetry is conceived as one object constructed from an elegant systems of joints and vertical lattices.

The combination of the modular and specific created an aesthetic that emphasizes clean horizontal and vertical lines and displays an architectural tectonic .The high level shelving and mezzanine allows for efficient storage. Whilst the vertical slats simultaneously conceal the chaos, supports the red timber planks and allows light form the existing clear storey to penetrate into the market creating a lovely lighting effects. The simple palette of wooden elements with a pop of unexpected colour allowed subtle integration of Eighthirty’s branding into the fit out  The space is a simple and efficient workspace where every square meter has a function.