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The Chemistry of Creativity : The view was one of the reasons FoxP2 chose to rent the space in the Lifestyles on Kloof centre in Cape Town. The Astroturf links the working environment to outside where the team often conducts informal meetings or brainstorms. -
The Chemistry of Creativity : The laboratory concept is expressed in even the finest detail, such as this intravenous drip that waters the plants. -
The Chemistry of Creativity : Space is freed up in the creative lounge by accommodating the bar, wine rack, library, trophy case and even some seating on the walls. Andrew calls the foosball table at the centre of the room “the heart of the agency”. -
The Chemistry of Creativity : Spatial designer Rotem Shachar wanted to retain a sense of openness, so utilised glass space dividers with varying degrees of transparency in her design. -
The Chemistry of Creativity : Celebrating the unattractive — a special room, which emits a luminous green “radioactive” glow, was designed for the photocopy machines and printers. -
The Chemistry of Creativity : The retro-lab creative offices are where art directors and copywriters crack the creative codes of leading brands. -
The Chemistry of Creativity : Rotem Shachar was the creative alchemist behind the design of the new FoxP2 office.
WORDS: Alma Viviers | PHOTOS: Andrew Whitehouse
I can picture it: pale, androgynous lab technicians bent over microscopes in the clinical white cubicles, a mad scientist frenetically scribbling formulas on the glass dividers with elaborate experiments bubbling in the background. But FoxP2 is not that kind of laboratory. Brand mutations, design experiments and cracking the code to effective communications are the brief for this top creative agency.
The unusual name is an acronym for the Forkhead Box Protein P2 gene, dubbed the creativity gene by scientists. “When we started out we felt that the only thing that set us apart from the competition was our standard of work,” Creative Director Andrew Whitehouse explains. “That’s why the name was important – it gave us something to live up to everyday.”
And boy, does the agency live up to it. FoxP2 has received many accolades and most recently came out tops in the individual agency rankings at the 2009 Loerie Awards: The agency scooped eight Loeries including a Grand Prix in the relatively new category of architecture and interior design for its own office space. The category recognises physical spaces that are utilised to express or enhance a brand’s values.
Spatial designer Rotem Shachar was responsible for the alchemy of form, function and fun, which continually reminds staff and clients of the agency’s culture. Rotem, a former art director, has an intimate understanding of the inner workings of an advertising agency and the FoxP2 brand, as she and Andrew are married. Quite coincidentally, they won the Grand Prix on the night of their first wedding anniversary – fitting recognition indeed for this talented duo.
Rotem also designed FoxP2’s previous lab-like office space, which the agency outgrew due to expansion. The visual language inherited from the name and logo translated into a new three-dimensional environment. “The theme of a retro sci-fi laboratory was quite obvious but I wanted to apply it in a more subtle way,” Rotem recalls.
So beakers replace drinking glasses, conical separators are used as alcohol dispensers, plants are watered by intravenous drips and services, such as air-conditioning, are exposed. More subtly, the spatial divisions and work stations were designed to resemble clone-like cubicles that appear to continue endlessly. Details such as the drawer handles and warning labels reference the typical science lab aesthetic, while one of the most unconventional features is the test-tube boardroom table, which was awarded a Silver Loerie in the 3D and Environmental Design category for architectural and interior design.
“After looking at many references and visiting the University of Cape Town’s science laboratories, I realised that test tubes read like pixels when seen from above,” says Rotem. “So, essentially, you can use them in a grid to create a pixelated image.”
Great idea, but getting it right was a labour of love for Rotem and carpenter Sven Grimmelikhuijsen of Svencraft, who had to cut the grid three times before achieving the right test-tube density. Working with resin also presented a challenge but the result is an immediate talking point when clients first sit down in the boardroom.
“Your creativity is evident in your work and credentials, but clients like to see that you’re really living it on every level,” says Andrew, who wanted this type of office because he believes we are all, to an extent, products of our environment. “If you are working in a stunning space such as this, it is bound to have a positive impact.”
More information: FoxP2 021 424 4802, www.foxp2.com, Rotem Shachar 082 777 7820
Q and A with spacial designer Rotem Schachar
What was your approach to the spatial design of these offices?
Working in advertising taught me the value of a good idea, so I approach a space as a 3D concept and work out how to make the idea live in the space, rather than deciding what materials, fabrics and so on will be put into it.
How did you address storage requirements?
We learned from the first space that there’s no such thing as too much storage, so we chose wall units with integrated storage and the studio desks incorporate slots for layout pads.
Was it easy to find a balance between personal, team and communal spaces?
In the previous office, staff sat around one large table. We wanted to retain that sense of openness – you want to see the interaction. But many of the processes in advertising are also quite intimate, for example a copywriter and art director team need somewhere to brainstorm. So, the glass elements create a sense of continuity while the hexagonal patterns in strategic places create more privacy. Staff can meet informally, have lunch or relax in the creative lounge and outdoor areas.
How does the design support a culture of creativity?
Everything in the office has a function. Some of it may appear indulgent but it all serves a purpose. For example, the ugly photocopy machines were treated conceptually by placing them in the “radioactive” copier room. The conceptual strength of the space makes it a true embodiment of the company culture.
How were the brand identity and values incorporated into the design?
I think the design says: “Bang! This is who we are”. The agency name gave rise to an entire visual language and the logo, which is such a strong symbol, was used for the pixel image in the test-tube boardroom table.
