Co-working space B:Hive, Smales Farm, covering 11,000m² of floor space, took home the top prize at the 2019 Interior Awards. The Supreme Award winner was designed by Australian firm BVN in association with Jasmax, and it also won the Workplace (over 1,000m²) category at the awards event on 27 June 2019.

B:Hive is touted as the largest purpose-built co-working facility in the Southern Hemisphere and the fit out has been truly state-of-the-art. The building’s five floors ebb and flow, where curved edges and indoor planting abound and bright furnishings are juxtaposed with stark white surfaces. The Awards jury noted that “this space is not afraid to be bold in both its programme and its palette”.

Full jury citation:

Co-working, in a way, democratises commercial real estate by allowing small and medium-sized businesses access to the well-located buildings that used to be prohibitively expensive… B:Hive’s interior does democracy with a tonne of flair. To begin with, well-being has been placed squarely at this project’s heart; a grand, brand-defining staircase takes pride of place while the lifts are made slightly more difficult to reach.

Mechanisms to enhance natural light and ventilation have been prioritised to the point of defining the exterior envelope. Community-building has been considered at design stage rather than as a furniture-driven afterthought. Spaces have been made to suit not just different styles of working but also different personality types – catering for both the introverted and the extroverted. The B:Hive boasts a fluid interior: one that feels vibrant and experimental, organic and highly flexible.

There is a generosity of spirit at play here and it is reflected in both the interior architecture and the level of detailing. The B:Hive is a state-of-the-art workplace; it signals what the future of work might look like and proves that quality is no longer the exclusive realm of firms large enough to afford it.

Watch the winning presentation here:

See the full list of winners from the 2019 Interior Awards here.

Purchase your copy of the June 2019 issue of Interior magazine here for extended Awards coverage.

With thanks to our 2019 sponsors: