Foolscap Studio: Crafting Spatial Narratives in Contemporary Workplaces

Design, at its best, begins with inquiry. Before material or form, there are questions. Who is this for? What rituals shape the day? How do light, colour, texture, pattern, and sound move with the people who inhabit a space? How can a space support connection rather than sit as a backdrop? Foolscap Studio is a practice shaped by these questions. Their work brings narrative, material empathy, and human behaviour together to create environments that feel grounded, generous, and quietly transformative.

Foolscap Studio is an independent, cross-disciplinary interior architecture and design practice with studios in Melbourne (Naarm), Sydney (Eora), and Perth (Boorloo). Founded by Adele Winteridge in 2009, the studio has become a consistent presence in Australia’s design landscape.

Foolscap begin each project with curiosity. They look closely at who a space is for and how daily rituals unfold. Light, texture, sound, and movement are treated as part of the human experience rather than aesthetic decoration. This inquiry-led approach allows them to move beyond trends and design with empathy and depth. Planning and technical elements such as lighting, acoustics, and circulation are balanced with softer qualities that support hospitality, interaction, and ease. The result is a body of work shaped by warmth, intention, and a genuine understanding of how people gather and live.

The Commons QV

The Commons York St, Sydeny

Sustainability and local craft guide their material and design choices. Foolscap collaborate with Australian makers, select local materials, and design for longevity and adaptability. They aim to create places that endure socially, physically, and emotionally. Context is also a constant anchor. Every project responds to its city, its climate, and its community. Each space feels rooted in its surroundings and shaped by the people who inhabit it.

Material integrity plays a central role. Natural stone, timber, textiles, acoustics, and crafted details bring emotional depth and a sense of calm to daily routines. Their spaces reflect how people actually work. Work is rarely linear, so they design for focus and flow, solitude and collaboration, rest and activation. Libraries, wellness rooms, maker spaces, retreat areas, event kitchens, lounges, and playful amenities such as music rooms or golf simulators are integrated as essential components of daily movement.

Anthologie is a purpose driven consultancy that blends strategy, design, and technology to help organisations and communities create meaningful, sustainable impact.

Studio Culture & People

Foolscap’s internal culture reflects their design values. The team is collaborative, diverse, and non-hierarchical. They encourage cross-pollination, open conversation, and shared learning across project types. New team members are chosen for curiosity, sensibility, and perspective. This supports a culture of inclusivity, creative thinking, and thoughtful collaboration. Transparency, shared responsibility, and ongoing dialogue underpin how the studio works each day.

Why Foolscap Matters in the Future of Workplace Design

As workplace expectations shift, design must offer more than function. It must support experience, culture, identity, and belonging. Foolscap’s workplaces cultivate human warmth, sensory grounding, and environments where people gather with intention. Their commitment to inquiry, narrative, and craft positions them at the forefront of workplace design. They create environments people want to inhabit. Spaces that nurture connection, inspire creativity, and evolve with their communities.

Space as a Living Narrative

The strength of Foolscap’s workplace portfolio reveals a simple truth. Design is most powerful when it is conscious, conceptual, and rooted in human rhythms. In a landscape where workplaces must do more than house desks, Foolscap offer environments that support culture, community, and evolution. Their work shows that design is not only about how a space looks. It is about how it feels, moves, gathers, and grows with its people.

/ Images source: Foolscap

Foolscap’s Cloud is a welcoming, holistically productive workspace that blends hospitality, residential warmth, and creative studio functions into a relaxed, community oriented environment anchored by a seven metre kitchen, flexible gathering spaces, and sustainably sourced materials.

For a deeper look at Foolscap’s workplace portfolio, explore their projects here