Custom Bricks Keep This California Coworking Space Cool

Steps from Venice Beach on Abbot Kinney Boulevard, a pilates studio-turned-coworking space captures the spirit of its locale with a hint of global flair. Renovated by Bittoni Architects and co-designed by Talia Laconi of Carbon&Bone and Brett Nestadt of Sweetfin, the space nods to its owner’s South African roots with an earthy palette and custom brick wallcovering.

The interior and exterior walls are coated in Carbon&Bone’s newly developed Kinney Block, a sustainable concrete wall brick designed by Laconi. “We created the custom brick out of necessity more than anything,” she says. “We had an idea of a fluted material for the exterior of the building and could only find these specific Spanish Thermal bricks that fit our vision. Unfortunately, these bricks were massive, and the project didn’t have clearance for the space the thermal bricks would have required, so we had to essentially create our own brick veneer in a similar style. It ended up being a blessing because we got to play with the dimensions until we came to the existing design.”

The space, which marks the first U.S. location of U.K. brand Flagship, features expansive windows that flood the interiors with California sun. Chairs by &Tradition and a sofa by Ferm Living add warmth throughout. “We tend to see a lot of workspaces that may be functional but skimp on design and coziness and feel sterile, and aren’t fun to be in. This space is a great example of how you can incorporate commercial-grade furniture for functionality in the actual ‘working’ area but still have a very design-forward lounge or wall finish to make the entire workplace feel more like a home,” notes Laconi. “With the abundance of hybrid working environments, it’s so important that employees love the office they’re going to for however many days a week they are there, and this one has everything that you need to be productive when the day calls for that and to lounge when you’re off the clock.”