nettletontribe

nettletontribe’s Brisbane studio repurposes a 100+yr old brick merchants bulk store, originally designed by Chambers and Powell in 1913. The 2020 refurbishment created a collaborative studio for forty-five staff using a fresh way of thinking about how people engage in the workplace environment and placing an emphasis on staff comfort and interaction.

The site at 85 Bowen Street Spring Hill was previously occupied for over 40 years by the Little Tokyo Japanese restaurant. Famous for hosting high-profile celebrities in Brisbane during the 80’s including the Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger.

After 45 years the restaurant closed in 2012 with nettletontribe purchasing the site in 2019 for use as its new Brisbane headquarters. Although in a state of disrepair, the building with its definitive sawtooth roof line presented an opportunity for nettletontribe to repurpose the space into a vibrant and active office.

Using the embedded value of the original construction, the refurbishment has sought to minimize the impact on the building fabric reducing the buildings carbon footprint.

The completed project has created a vibrant new architectural studio space for nettletontribe that is lively and engaging. The workspace is an active environment based on the principles of collaboration and consultation. Revealing and celebrating the materiality of the original building the design has reinvigorated the Spring Hill streetscape.