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Project Details Polyglot is not corporate, it is not slick. It is not a shiny-cool-new-wall-ceiling-floor office fit out. Neither is it a normal warehouse conversion; curated heritage polished up alongside detailed contemporary intervention. Instead, it is a true palimpsest, an insertion into a heritage space that through careful zoning and layout of a design parti enhances what is there with what has been added, achieving maximum impact on the tightest of budgets.

Polyglot, is a not-for-profit children’s theatre company; with ‘children at the heart of our art’. They approached us to help find a suitable site and interpret/extrapolate the brief into compliant grant documentation subsequently approved with a matched-funding model. The Sacred Heart building at Abbotsford Convent was the perfect fit, an alignment of philosophy and values. We helped select a soaring first-floor space with exposed trusses, peeling paint and lost tiles a palimpsest of the former young women’s ward at the convent, complete with decorative metal bars still on the windows. An extraordinary space, light flooding in, with the curiosity of a beautiful pale yellow, teal and lavender screen in one corner and in the other corner pale yellow tiles. We articulated the dichotomy that although a company for children, it was an office for adults; yet we wanted to design a space with a sense of playfulness, wonder and joy. We wanted a design that was also socially sustainable, with local or Australian-made products sourced wherever possible.

The design solution is centred around; the Polypod! A bold curved polycarbonate boardroom pod designed to draw the eye across the space in an optical illusion that transforms the entire tenancy, giving maximum impact.

  • YEAR: 2019
  • SITE AREA: 200m2
  • LOCATION: Abbotsford Convent
  • PHOTOGRAPHY: Shannon McGrath
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Polyglot
Photographer : Shannon McGrath
Photographer : Shannon McGrath
Photographer : Shannon McGrath
Photographer : Shannon McGrath
Photographer : Shannon McGrath
Photographer : Shannon McGrath
Photographer : Shannon McGrath
Photographer : Shannon McGrath
Photographer : Shannon McGrath
Photographer : Shannon McGrath
Photographer : Shannon McGrath
Photographer : Shannon McGrath
Photographer : Shannon McGrath
Photographer : Shannon McGrath
Photographer : Shannon McGrath

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Polyglot

About the
Professional

A design-led architecture, interiors and urbanism studio in South Melbourne

McMahon and Nerlich established in 2013 with a focus on finely crafted residential and commercial projects. Directors Rob Nerlich and Kate McMahon weave together influences from the built environment, architectural urbanism and design theory to create beautiful buildings and spaces

McMahon and Nerlich is an experienced design studio based in South Melbourne, founded in 2013 by directors Rob Nerlich and Kate McMahon. Our multi-disciplinary studio brings a unique vision and dedication to each project. We work across all scales with expertise in residential, education, commercial and urban design across metropolitan and regional areas. We remain passionate about designing houses for people. Each project we undertake contributes to our practice research and our focus on design-led architecture that is sustainable and a portrait of our clients. We hold studio leader positions at the Melbourne School of Design at the University of Melbourne. We have a growing published and award-winning portfolio of built work across the residential and commercial sectors and we have a strong and clear practice/process philosophy and social sustainability ethic. We welcome you to contact us and become part of our practice journey.