Tandem Design Studio has designed a new fitout for Melbourne retailer Hugg, a new 100m2 shop that sells health and sheepskin products located on Lonsdale Street in Melbourne City.

This project by Tandem Design Studio brought two disparate products together; footwear and health and beauty products, in a spatially coherent interior. The space had to accommodate a large amount of stock and perform as two shops within the one space.

The design of Hugg was influenced by the possibilities of timber craftsmanship and affordable off-the-shelf materials left in their unadorned state. Assembled from readily available building materials, the fitout explores the interplay of two geometries; one regular and modular the other a series of irregular surfaces.

The design evolved during the construction project as there were open and frequent conversations between builder and the design team, says Tandem Design Studio director, James Murray. “As an example the original intention was to put a coloured epoxy over the existing large format floor tiles,” says James. “The floor had been used for the setout and had builder codes and notes, paint overspray and other markings. The first coat of epoxy was clear – entombing the construction markings, we all agreed to leave the epoxy clear revealing the site markings.”

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