Studio Spotlight: Studio Gram
Some design studios become known for a particular aesthetic. Others become recognisable for a way of thinking. Studio Gram belongs firmly in the latter category.
Founded in Adelaide in 2014 by architects Dave Bickmore and Graham Charbonneau, Studio Gram was born from a long-standing creative partnership that began while the pair studied architecture together at the University of South Australia. After gaining experience with larger architectural practices and collaborating on projects interstate, the pair established Studio Gram with a shared ambition to challenge the one-size-fits-all approach to design.
Over the past decade, the studio has grown into one of Australia's most awarded architecture and interior design practices, delivering projects across hospitality, residential, commercial and workplace sectors while earning national and international accolades for its distinctive approach.
91 King William | Photo by David Sievers
Zed | Photo by Corey Roberts
Workplace Design
Prembroke Middle School John Moody Centre | Photo by Timothy Kaye
Inspired by travel, art, culture and the familiar moments that shape everyday life, Bickmore and Charbonneau describe their work as balancing "the comfort of the familiar and the allure of the unexpected." It's an approach that produces rich interiors that continually surprise those who experience them.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the transformation of their own Adelaide studio. Once an ageing industrial mechanic's workshop, the building has been reinvented into a warm, inviting creative hub.
The arrival sequence sets the tone immediately. Framed by a bold yellow sculptural form on one side and a quiet courtyard on the other, a tall timber door opens to reveal the inside space.
Warm lighting softens against materials like timber, stone and concrete whilst reflecting dynamically against the more metallic, industrial elements of galvanised steel, aluminium and stainless steel.
The neutral palette looks like an intentional canvas for a thriving collection of contemporary art curated by Adelaide artist James Brown, alongside unique furniture and lighting pieces crafted by local makers.
The upstairs mezzanine is wrapped in a semi-transparent steel mesh balustrade is reminiscent of its own industrial roots and the artist lofts that emerged throughout New York's abandoned post-industrial neighbourhoods during the 1960s.
Regular exhibitions, workshops, talks and its “Groundwork” wellness initiative further reinforce the practice's belief that supporting the mental and physical wellbeing of both its own team and the broader design community, helps great ideas flourish.
Credits
Practice
Studio Gram
Directors
Dave Bickmore & Graham Charbonneau
Architecture & Interior Design
Studio Gram
Photography
Timothy Kaye
Builder
Build Inc.
Landscape Design
John Bowler
Art Direction
James Brown
Artwork
James Brown
Madeleine Collopy
Bon Engel
Hari Koutlakis
Nico Krinjo
Christian Lock
Henry Jock Walker
Emmaline Zanelli
Timber
Timber flooring - Made by Storey
Timber panelling - Adelaide Timber Supplies
Stone
CDK Stone
Eco Outdoor (stone surfaces and flooring)
Furniture
Studio Gram
Remington Matters
Grazia & Co
Lighting
Volker Haug Studio
Thomas Maxam Studio
Coco Flip
Objects For Thought
Unios
Vitra
Hardware
Bankston
Appliances
Fisher & Paykel
Through an ongoing in-residence program, Studio Gram welcomes artists, students and creatives from diverse disciplines beyond design itself into the studio, recognising that the most meaningful ideas often emerge at the intersection of different perspectives.
Through a strong founding partnership with a shared philosophy on storytelling, Studio Gram continues to thrive as a leading voice in design, creating spaces that are distinct in their own unique identities. By using their own studio space as a platform for creative exchange and community collaboration, they are actively paving the way for the future of design.