Collab Room 01 is a coworking space located in the Caribbean. This space is for young entrepreneurs and creatives who wish to put their talents together and collaborate. Collab Room 01 is centered around the idea of informal and formal collaboration. The common bench framed by the library bookcases is the central space for conversation. It’s the space for the first introductions and to give informal proposals. The bar height Stan tables and Funda stools act as spaces for individual and collaborative research and their adjacency to the common bench encourages interjections and unexpected collaboration. This space is divided by poufs which act as a break space with a view of the sea. The Trestle table and benches are the space where more formal and hands on meetings occur. The table height and width is conducive to working on large documents and collaboration on the same project. The architectural elements of the space are inspired by features of Caribbean architecture such as breeze blocks and curved arches. Natural breeze and the view to the sea act as a mental escape and as a way to keep one's mind clear throughout the day. The variation in furniture height and layout is meant to keep the mind constantly stimulated and to allow one's mind to go from a structured way of thinking to an unstructured one.
The island of Barbados has a community driven culture but when it comes to collaboration many people are hesitant. A space like this breaks down those barriers by encouraging open conversations that engage the people that are also present in the space. Terracotta and concrete tile floors reflect the vibrancy in colour and type of materials used on the island. The design uses different colours of furniture to denote spaces and also to encourage playfulness and variation. The collaborative space with the wood frame surround acts as an informal library exchange, a meeting space and as a space where icebreakers begin with movable poufs and tables that can be adapted to each user. I used Formica laminate on parts of the wall to further break down the stifling boundary of not having space to express and explore ideas. By having these writable surfaces in common areas it further encourages the idea of peer review and collaboration. The café inspired layout of the Stan tables and Marteen Plastic chairs is the one space that specifically facilitates working as an individual and is meant to balance out the communal spaces and allow for breakout sessions. In Barbados most creatives don’t have a large space to work at home and this would be a step towards a free space to express and collaborate.
