Degrees of separation: Exploring the common ground of 31 Degrees Design’s new releases

At first glance, it’s the distance between DuO Too and CoALL that seems to define the relationship between 31 Degrees Design’s latest releases. However, while the degree of separation between a heavy-set public seating collection and a streamlined, tech-integrated workstation is apparent, this striking juxtaposition is just the surface of a far more singular narrative.

Inspired by the assertive gestures of Brutalist architecture and the sincere material expression of béton brut – raw concrete – CoALL brings a sense of deliberate presence and reassuring inclusivity to shared spaces and public environments. Mindfully balancing permanence with human scale, the seating’s cast-concrete bases confidently ground the design with their rudimentary geometry, while the precision-formed aluminium backs and arms temper this raw expression with refined simplicity and a promise of ergonomic comfort.

Engineered for the rigours of the public realm, the collection’s structural integrity signals an enduring commitment to heavy use in high-traffic spaces, yet this monolithic design reveals a delightful degree of flexibility. CoALL’s simple expression can be enriched with the warmth of plantation-grown timber battens, softened with durable upholstery and enlivened with matt gestures of powder-coated colour, adding layers of personality to how this seemingly rigid design relates to the spaces it occupies. This dynamism is further enhanced by the seating’s intuitive composition – the collection comprises a range of elements that can be curated into a variety of bespoke formations and adapted over time. This, in turn, brings lasting relevance to CoALL’s elementary volumes and positions it as a placemaking design for enduring spaces that can and should be shared by everyone.

It’s in that innate desire to nurture connection that CoALL quietly echoes DuO Too’s core purpose. Continuing the collaborative philosophy of the original range released in 2018 in response to demand for flexible, technology-integrated office spaces, the new workstation simplifies the complexities of hybrid work and rearticulates the workspace as an adaptable hub for connection, conversation and moments of individual focus.

Gently mirroring the versatile simplicity of form that defines CoALL’s robust volumes, DuO Too conceals a hardworking profile in a clean, unobtrusive and timeless silhouette that will feel at home in a range of modern workplaces. But while the shared seating’s bold expression engages in an assertive dialogue with the space it occupies, this restrained workplace performer delivers without asking for attention. With cable management, power access and ergonomic flexibility seamlessly integrated into its structure, this quiet design deliberately reduces visual distraction to enhance performance. Here, design authenticity is found in functional clarity – a pared-back palette of durable, easy-to-maintain laminates, veneers and powder-coated metal finishes yields a pragmatic visual language that discreetly fits into any design scheme.

Much like CoALL, DuO Too also provides designers and end users with outstanding adaptability. With a sit-to-stand capability and flexible configurations, including back-to-back and side-by-side workstations or single desks, DuO Too is designed to cater to a variety of work styles and tailored layouts, and to evolve and scale alongside them.

And so, while CoALL’s grounding fusion of strength and simplicity is best suited for civic spaces, educational facilities, hospitality precincts, commercial environments, and residential poolside and landscape settings, and DuO Too’s unobtrusive agility belongs in the dynamic realm of the modern workplace, the degree of separation between them is much finer than it would first appear. And it’s no accident – the integrity of form, clarity of purpose and enduring relevance these two seemingly disparate releases share is the core ethos of 31 Degrees Design.

Established in 2018 by designers Hamish Cockburn and Jonathan Miles, the Perth-based studio has dedicated the last few years to cultivating a rigorous design and manufacturing approach unequivocally rooted in Western Australia’s distinct landscape, climate, material sensibility and artisanship. This context provides a distinct lens through which the studio views Australian furniture design – the objects must be as resilient as they are refined. The emerging ethos is expressed through a steadfast commitment to designing and manufacturing unique, honest and enduring products grounded in classic design principles, timeless craft and deliberate palettes.

While this design approach anchors the studio’s practice, Hamish and Jonathan foster fluidity that enables them to mindfully respond to the shifts in how we inhabit, interact and connect with shared spaces. Over the years, the early foundations of 31 Degrees Design’s robust furniture have evolved into more nuanced, technically sophisticated systems and architecturally expressive forms. Underpinned by the studio’s signature, deliberate approach to materiality, function and longevity, both DuO Too and CoALL aptly express this dynamic intentionality.

And while they may respond to different needs and occupy different typologies, both designs demonstrate that whether an object is meant to anchor our interactions within public spaces or facilitate connection as part of an increasingly digitalised workflow, its relevance inevitably comes from its ability to evolve, endure and enhance the very human connections that shape the environments we share.

31 Degrees Design
www.31degrees.design

Innerspace
www.innerspacewa.com.au

Duo Too
www.innerspacewa.com.au/products/duo-too-workstation-by-31-degrees/

CoALL
www.innerspacewa.com.au/products/coall-by-31-degrees/