Working together since 2014
We’ve been working with Virgin Active since 2014, delivering around 15 projects across their family and childcare spaces. Working to their brief, we have developed furniture concepts that responded not only to the practical needs of each site, but also align with their brand identity and ethos.
It has been a collaborative process, shaped by updated brand directions, and the practical realities of how these spaces are used day to day. That means thinking carefully about how colour, material, and form create spaces that feel coherent with the wider club environment.
One of the key aspects of these projects has been designing for a wide range of ages and activities. The spaces need to support crawlers, toddlers and older children in different ways. From quieter, more protected areas for the youngest children to places for socialising and active play for older age groups. We also have to consider how the space might be used throughout the day: how children arrive and settle, how they move between activities, where they gather, and where they can retreat.
In our project work, we often return to the idea that children benefit most from environments that do not over-direct them and so, as far as possible, remain open-ended. When spaces are too fixed, too themed, or too prescriptive, they can limit interpretation and reduce the possibilities for exploration. We aim to create children’s spaces that encourage invention, movement and change.
We believe that, in childcare environments, the balance between ‘action’ and retreat is especially important. We want to create spaces that support social interaction, group activity and collaboration, while also offering children moments of pause, privacy and regulation.
For us, this partnership continues to be a valuable opportunity to create thoughtful, beautiful spaces for children and families, in collaboration with the childcare team and the brand directors. We’re always grateful for the positive feedback we receive, and we’d like to thank Virgin Active for their continued trust in our work over the years.
