Rothelowman’s Perth Studio: A Workplace Shaped by Western Australian Materiality
The spaces we create are a direct reflection of who we are, what we value, and how we choose to work.
Perched on Level 8 of OneNinety in central Perth, Rothelowman’s new studio goes beyond a standard fitout. It reflects a clear design direction and expresses how the practice approaches growth, collaboration and the everyday rituals of design.
Located within walking distance of its projects at 609 Wellington Street and 108 Stirling Street, the studio reinforces the practice’s commitment to Western Australia. At the same time, it remains closely connected to its national collective of designers and thinkers, reflecting a shared culture that extends beyond state lines.
About Rothelowman
Rothelowman is a national architecture and interior design practice focused on sustainable urban growth. The studio works across residential, mixed use, workplace, and city scale projects, partnering with clients and collaborators to shape places where people genuinely want to live and work.
Its mission centres on long term thinking, collective effort, and design that supports daily life. Guided by a clear manifesto of seven design principles, aims to create outcomes that are thoughtful, useful, and beautiful.
Rothelowman’s Seven Design Principles
Aesthetics as a Consequence of Ideas
Commerciality, Viability and Sustainability
The Perth studio expresses these values in built form.
A Studio Designed Around People
The layout is open and flexible, centred on a shared collaborative hub that feels less like a circulation space and more like the social heart of the studio. At its centre sits the Viking Table, handcrafted by local joiners. It anchors the room with quiet confidence and becomes the stage for design reviews, workshops and spontaneous conversations that shape real projects.
“Wherever you stand, you can always see people, creativity and collaboration unfolding around you,” says Principal Kylee Schoonens.
The planning allows an easy rhythm between focused work and collective exchange. Desks do not feel isolated. Meeting spaces do not feel enclosed. There is a constant visual connection that keeps ideas moving.
What stands out is the energy. You can sense when a workplace has been designed around genuine behaviour instead of hierarchy or habit. Here, creativity is visible and conversations overlap naturally. There is a hum that feels productive without being overwhelming.
It is a reminder that good workplace design is about creating the right conditions for people to think clearly, challenge each other and build something bigger together.
Completion: 2023
A Palette Grounded in Western Australia
Materiality is where the studio feels unmistakably Western Australian.
“For Perth, we wanted to find a palette that truly represents Western Australia, but also feels fresh, playful and a little unexpected,” say Schoonens and Lofflerova. “We looked to the beautiful hues of jarrah, native to Western Australia, and the soft blues of the city’s expansive skies for inspiration.”
The story becomes personal in the lobby. A custom jarrah front door sets the tone on arrival. A vintage jarrah bench, originally crafted by Schoonens’ grandfather and repurposed by her father, layers family history into the workplace. “Jarrah represents local craftsmanship and authenticity,” Schoonens says. “It’s also deeply personal. Working with jarrah has always been part of my family’s story.”
That sentiment changes how the space is experienced. Material carries pieces of memory, continuity and care.
The building itself strengthens this narrative. OneNinety, one of Perth’s tallest solid brick commercial buildings, offers a structural honesty that the team chose to celebrate. Original brickwork is revealed within meeting rooms, wrapping from exterior to interior. The brick adds weight and tactility. It reminds you that this studio sits within a larger urban fabric.
Every junction, alignment and material decision feels deliberate. The intention is clear, to create a studio that feels generous, grounded and real. A place where ideas can move easily because the environment itself feels resolved and confident.
Local Roots, National Reach
“Our Perth studio embodies how we work nationally, deeply connected to a broader collective of designers and thinkers across the country,” Schoonens says. “It’s a physical expression of our belief in shared creativity and our growing, enduring presence across the West.”
That duality is what gives the space its strength.It is distinctly Western Australian in its craft, colour and material language. Yet it also carries the confidence of a practice engaged in shaping cities across the country. The studio operates as a local base and a national node at the same time.
In peeling back brick, honouring jarrah and centring collaboration, Rothelowman has created more than an office. It reads as a living expression of its values. When those elements come together, workplace design becomes an active participant in the culture of a practice, shaping how people think, connect and build the future around them.
“ Thoughtful. Useful. Beautiful. ”
Project Credits
Architecture and Interior Design: Rothelowman
Builder: OPRA
Project Management: Bright Group
Photography: Dion Robeson
