Jacobsen case study: Zoosh Studio, Auckland

When multidisciplinary workplace designers Zoosh Studio outgrew their previous space, they didn't just relocate — they reimagined what their workplace could be.

This standout Shaw Contract Design Awards entry is an Auckland studio that works twice as hard: part creative office for 10–13 people, part live showroom that puts their design thinking on display from the moment visitors walk in. Their previous space lacked soul. This one was designed to have it in abundance.

Their brief to themselves was clear: reject the corporate office template entirely. Drawing inspiration from hospitality and residential environments, the design team envisioned a space that feels joyful, human and unexpected — an extension of their creative process rather than a container for it. The strategy was to promote unplanned collisions and curated calm in equal measure, giving the team a place that inspires as much as it functions.

Curved forms, layered materials and a confident use of colour give the studio its visual rhythm, with each zone carrying its own tone and temperature — from cocoon-like focus areas to high-energy collaborative spaces.

Custom finishes, vibrant upholstery and expressive joinery reflect Zoosh Studio's design language: bold, unconventional and emotionally resonant.

Writable walls, flexible furniture systems and integrated technology support the studio's hands-on, iterative workflow — the same design thinking principles Zoosh Studio brings to their clients' projects, turned inward.

For the flooring, Zoosh Studio specified Shaw Contract Community Flat Weave in Argan. The textile-like quality and refined palette complement the studio's layered, tactile aesthetic without competing with the boldness elsewhere in the space. Our team at Jacobsen supported the process with sampling and specification guidance, ensuring the product landed exactly as intended.

The Community Flat Weave carpet tile brings warmth and texture underfoot while holding its own in a high-traffic environment — practical enough for daily studio use, refined enough to make the right impression in a client-facing showroom.

The finished space is deeply authentic to who Zoosh Studio are: expressive, collaborative and built for the way creative teams actually work. Visitors get that ‘wow’ on arrival. The team gets a place they're genuinely proud of. As head of operations and projects, James Fisher, put it, the new studio is "the perfect balance of form and function, a true representation of what our creativity and craftsmanship can accomplish."

A standout Shaw Contract Design Awards entry and a compelling example of what happens when a design studio turns its full attention on itself.

2025 Shaw Contract Design Awards Entry | Zoosh Studio | Photography by Nick Walker