A playful, flexible and dog friendly design
It’s difficult to pigeonhole Jacky Winter.
The Collingwood-based production studio has six different arms to its business, from showing artists’ work in its ground floor gallery, to fine art reproduction, printing and merchandise.
With 12 staff, the business also accommodates artists-in-residence in its Dandenong Ranges accommodation.
Given the diversity of the business, it’s not surprising the brief to Nest Architects was to create an interior fit-out that was ‘playful, flexible and even dog friendly’.
“Staff bring their dogs to work which changes the feel of the traditional office environment.
So that meant all surfaces, such as floors and walls, had to be robust and washable,” says Jeremy Wortsman, founder and managing director of Jacky Winter.
Set within a heritage-listed warehouse, this three-level space was formerly used as a home and artist’s studio.
“This is our sixth move in 10 years (when the business was founded), so we were looking for something that was going to feel right for the next 10 years,” says Wortsman.
One of the most important aspects of the renovation, even before the personal touches were applied, was increasing natural light.
“Previously, there were bars across the front windows and the top floor felt more like an artist’s garret,” says architect Anna O’Toole, who worked closely with Nest Architects’ director, architect Emilio Fuscaldo.
The ground floor now operates as the ‘Lamington Drive’ gallery, with punchy graphic art by artist Lachlan Conn covering every centimetre of wall space.
Having a lane at the rear, together with a pop-up drinks booth, allows this gallery space to become extremely animated at gallery openings.
“You could say this place is a combination of public and private spaces.
But there’s also a strong feeling of domesticity,” says Wortsman who with his staff, often spends as much time in the office, as in his own home.
The first floor of Jacky Winter, connected to the ground floor via a void and glass balustrade, includes a boardroom/meeting room that also doubles as a chill out space.
The meeting table, for example, can be used to play shuffleboard.
Nearby is a pinball machine.
However, this first floor space also functions as a professional shingle to clients wanting to see the company’s repertoire of products.
A row of brightly covered toilet paper by company ‘Who Gives a Crap’ features wrappings from the many Australian and international artists engaged by Jacky Winter.
There’s also a separate virtual reality space, complete with the latest machinery.
Those artists travelling from interstate or from overseas, looking for a city pad to stay during their assignments, have the benefit of a separate bedroom and bathroom.
Guests can also use the lounge and kitchen on the top floor that forms part of the open plan office.
“It was quite an unusual brief for us, as the spaces had to appeal to so many different people, from staff, artists and of course the occasional dog,” says O’Toole, pointing out the graphic pebble-like pattern on the vinyl floors.
The top floor, now filled with light via generous skylights, also includes large picture windows to take in the treetops of Collingwood.
There’s also a cork-clad unit in the centre of the third floor that’s used for in-house podcasts, titled ‘Jacky Winter Gives You The Business’.
Unlike some corporate-style offices that give very little away as to their function, Jacky Winter, named after a robin (giving artists the means to take flight) is extremely playful and joyous.
“It just feels right.
It’s a comfortable space to work in and to show art. It also fits into the local context,” says Wortsman, opening the roller door to the rear lane to show the graffiti garages.