Little Trace Of // MAKE Creative.

M AKE Creative is a boutique design studio based in Sydney. Established in 2009 by Patricia Bondin and Antonia Pesenti, MAKE has a multidisciplinary approach working across the intersection of architecture, interiors and graphics. As a small scale studio, MAKE work closely and collaboratively with their clients on crafting thoughtful interiors.

Patricia Bondin studied at UNSW and the Design School at the College of Fine Arts, before she spent eight years working for leading design and architecture practices in Sydney and Melbourne. Antonia Pesenti gained her degree in Architecture after which she moved to Paris to take up a position at Ateliers Jean Nouvel, followed by working for Agence Philippe Starck.

Featured Project // Goodman Unit B4 – a contemporary workplace housed within an industrial warehouse in Alexandria (south Sydney).

Why MAKE Rocks // Not only does this project serve as a potent illustration of the possibilities of industrial spaces, it was also recently crowned as Best Workplace under 1000sqm at the Interior Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) held in Sydney earlier this month. Well done MAKE!

Below is a little Q&A with the creative duo about their award winning project.

+ What was your design inspiration for Unit B4 project – i.e was it a result of a specific brief, a particular concept etc?

The design of this project really emerged from a whole series of interconnected ideas – a purely sculptural response to the existing warehouse shell, which involved inserting forms into the space to create a composition of simple blocks and voids; evoking the scale and tension of an industrial landscape with the internal forms and the suspended timber frame; a response to the brief – creating a generous and innovative workspace for a collaborative team; a workplace that could really function as a showcase for the transformative possibilities of industrial spaces; and lastly layering the interior with graphic elements to further engage the user and explore the industrial context of the site and the clients brand.

+ What do you love about this project?

We were lucky enough to have been given a lot of trust and freedom with this project… good clients ready to take a risk on an unexpected solution.

+ Did you learn anything during the design/ production of Unit B4 project? Would you have done anything differently?

B4 is one of those rare projects where elements came together beautifully on site, and there are very few design regrets! Maybe the construction process would have been less stressful if the ductwork had been fully designed before commencing… but it ended up being a (nerve-wracking) but integral part of the interior landscape.

+ Any other interesting/ funny/ quirky facts you could share with us?

The stools in the breakout were off the shelf items that we customised and hand painted in our studio, and the long timber breakout table was custom made from old planks of structural ply found on site.

+ Best piece of advice you’ve been given?

Patricia // Not to be afraid of asking questions.

+ If you were not architects/interior designers, what would you be?

Antonia // an illustrator.
Patricia // anthropologist.

+ Nothing inspires me like…

Antonia // …travelling, Paris, Alexander Calder, Jean Arp + Hella Jongerius.
Patricia // Luis Barragan, Patricia Urquiola, contemporary Japanese architecture, Tomato‘s graphic design.

+ I am really good at…