Zooco Estudio designs the ideal working environment for flexible professionals with little ones in tow
In California, coworking spaces are evolving as a sign of the times, striking a delicate balance between the professional and personal realms. So it came as no surprise when Zooco Estudio unveiled Big and Tiny, a work environment welcoming the children of its members in a space to learn and interact with peers without being separated from their parents. A concept that fully grasps the quintessence of smart working, parents at Big and Tiny are able to save time from rushing to and from daycares while cultivating a tight-knit community.
Imbuing the coworking space for parents with a signature style, Zooco Estudio was inspired by simple geometric forms. Founded in 2008 by Miguel Crespo Picot, Javier Guzmán Benito and Sixto Martín Martínez, the Madrid-based studio flaunts a prestigious portfolio with a wide variety of projects. Many will recognize their work at the Centro de las Artes di Verin, with its monolithic volumes, or the De Vinos y Viandas wine shop enclosing interiors marked by simple and sinuous lines. Their trademark, however, is a keen sensibility to craft a clear concept for each project, responding to the needs and pre-existing spaces of each site.
In this case, the 196 square meter space for coworking in Santa Monica was organized with a precise primary objective: to construct a welcoming atmosphere with the right mix of formality and familiarity, resembling a home with spaces dedicated to diverse tasks.
The property was thus divided into three macro-areas: one for play, one for work, and one for meetings. To order the respective spaces, an intricate intertwining of wooden trusses marks the ceiling, where visual continuity is established moving down between geometric references. Arches, triangles, and rectangles become the guiding lines to interpret each space in a free but modular succession inspired by puzzles.
The relaxing effect of natural wood is felt in the furnishings and lighting from Ferm Living, while high walls and select industrial elements like exposed tubing create a harmonious visual balance. The color palette, meanwhile, draws on typical daycares and calming tones like pink and sky blue, which are further exalted in the play area and the relax area with ceramic tiles.
At Big and Tiny, adults can work between the furnishings from Normann Copenhagen, make calls in the complete privacy of isolated stalls, or organize meetings. Meanwhile, the little ones are free to play or follow classes at the in-house art studio.
