Studio Tate creates “textural earthiness” for Relinque wellness spa
CategoriesInterior Design

Studio Tate creates “textural earthiness” for Relinque wellness spa

Melbourne-based Studio Tate has used raw and tactile materials to create “a soothing urban oasis” for the Relinque spa in Melbourne.

Located in north east Melbourne, the 800 square-metre space includes a day-spa, spinal clinic, pilates and yoga studios.

Reception Relinque
The interiors are informed by local parks and waterways

Local practice Studio Tate was informed by nearby parklands and waterways to create “a soothing urban oasis”.

“It was important to create a textural earthiness that evokes the senses, while striking a balance between sophistication and approachability,” explained Studio Tate senior associate Emily Addison.

Treatment room Relinque
A deep rust tone in the treatment rooms was selected to be gender neutral

The treatments rooms were located on either side of a central reception area, with the spa and yoga studio located on one side and the spinal clinic and pilates studio on the other.

Studio Tate used green marble, honed granite and hand-glazed Japanese tiles in the reception area, where visitors are encouraged to relax and browse the retail products before stepping into treatments.

Corridor Relinque
Curved corridors encourage visitors to explore the space

The yoga studio was intentionally positioned close to the entrance facing the street, which allows plenty of natural light. A timber floor and ceiling were desigend to create a sense of warmth in the room.

Moving further into the spa area, the tones get darker to provide privacy. Spaces were arranged in a circular configuration, which “encourages a continuous experience of the venue”.

Relinque spa
The design aimed to have “textural earthines”

A curved corridor finished in polished plaster leads visitors to the spa area. Five individually-contained treatment rooms feature a deep rust tone, steam showers with sage green tiles and a granite shower bench.

Above the treatment bench, a backlit ceiling creates a halo around a circular acoustic fabric panel. The gently diffused light helps calm the mind throughout treatments.

The rounded steam room is lined with mosaic tiles, facing directly onto an ice room centred around an ice well covered in Japanese ceramic tiles.

“Luxurious accents are balanced with raw and tactile materials, ensuring the space feels welcoming to all,”added Addison.

Shower Relinque
Steam showers are lined with sage green tiles and a granite shower bench

A palette of greens, greys, burgundy and earth tones were used throughout the space in response to the nature-themed design narrative, according to Addison.

Studio Tate is led by interior designer Alex Hopkins and Carley Nicholls. The studios previous work includes an open office design for Burnet Institute and a day-spa with calming interiors in Melbourne.

The Photography is by Lillie Thompson.

Reference

White leather curtains enclose Lisbon wellness centre by AB+AC Architects
CategoriesInterior Design

White leather curtains enclose Lisbon wellness centre by AB+AC Architects

Portuguese practice AB+AC Architects has designed a multifunctional wellness centre in Lisbon that doubles up as an artists’ residence.

The Open Hearts wellness centre is arranged around one large room, which AB+AC Architects refers to as the shala. This Sanskrit term refers to the idea of home but also, in the context of yoga, a place where people can learn and practise together.

Curtained interior of Open Hearts Lisboa
The Open Hearts centre is orientated around a curtained room known as the shala

As well as yoga classes, this adaptable space will host everything from breathwork classes and sound baths to meditation sessions, film screenings, dining experiences and creative writing workshops.

Running around the periphery of the shala are floor-to-ceiling curtains crafted from white vegan leather, which can be drawn to keep the room out of view from the bustling street outdoors.

At the front of the room, a wall of gold-tinted mirrors conceals a series of storage compartments. When an event is being held, the room can also be temporarily dressed with floor cushions and long birchwood tables.

Interior of Open Hearts Lisboa
Behind the shala is the artists’ residence

“Normally, when a design is very flexible, there is a risk of ending up with a very generic or sterile space, as if the only way to address adaptability is through non-specific design,” explained AB+AC Architects.

“We knew that creating a neutral mood that could accommodate a variety of programs would not be stimulating, so we decided that the centre had to be able to evoke different emotions based on the function occurring at that given moment.”

Wooden kitchen inside Open Heart Lisboa's artist residence
This includes a dining room and bespoke kitchen

A grand limestone archway to the side of the shala grants access to the artists’ residence, which is entered via a narrow lounge area.

The room is topped with a light-up ceiling that measures eight metres long and, when the artist is hosting an exhibition, washes their work in a complementary glow.

Next up is a small dining area and a custom-made kitchen suite featuring wooden cabinetry and a terrazzo-style countertop.

Surfaces in the adjacent bedroom are painted a crisp shade of white while the corner dedicated to the bathroom – complete with a freestanding tub – is clad in distinctive terracotta tiles.

The same gold-tinged mirrors from the shala are used here to help disguise the toilet.

Tiled bathroom inside Open Heart Lisboa's artist residence
A terracotta-tiled bathroom contrasts with the white walls of the bedroom

Should the resident artist want some fresh air, they can head outside to the small private patio.

Here, a concrete planter that winds around the edge of the space is overspilling with leafy tropical plants, while volcanic stone pebbles are scattered over the floor.

Outdoor patio of Open Heart Lisboa's artist residence
Foliage lines the private outdoor patio of the artists’ residence

Open Hearts Lisbon has been shortlisted in the civic and cultural interior category of this year’s Dezeen Awards.

Other projects in the running include a cow shed-turned-library, a historic cinema in Berlin and the world’s first multi-storey skatepark.

The photography is by Ricardo Oliveira Alves.

Reference

An AI-powered mental health and wellness app for families
CategoriesSustainable News

An AI-powered mental health and wellness app for families

Spotted: According to Australian startup togetherAI, over 70 per cent of caregivers struggle to communicate with their children. And over the last three years, the likelihood of young people having a mental health problem has increased by 50 per cent. TogetherAI is helping families to have difficult conversations about mental health and wellbeing with an app that combines wellbeing expertise with artificial intelligence.

The togetherAI app was developed by a team with decades of experience in child psychology, research, and clinical care, and the startup’s wellbeing framework is based on empirical, evidence-based research and insights. Moreover, the company is quick to highlight that its solution is different to parent monitoring platforms which it says destroy communication. Instead, the app hopes to encourage timely conversations that develop positive mental health, build resilience, and keep children safe.

The app is based around several core features. Children create their own ‘digital companion’ that will check how they are feeling, share positivity, play games, and provide lessons on how to understand, manage, and talk about emotions. For parents, the app provides step-by-step conversation guides, as well as real-time insights into how their children are feeling. Based on these insights, the app’s AI-driven detection will flag to parents when conversations with children are necessary, and when best to have them. For the whole family, there is a messenger that enables private, secure, and personal messaging within the app.

TogetherAI is still early in its development, having only
been founded in 2021. According to Crunchbase,
the startup has raised A$3.7 million (around €2.4 million) in pre-seed and seed
funding.

Other mental health innovations spotted by Springwise
include an AI-powered
mental health companion, and a virtual
environment for treating phobias.

Written By: Matthew Hempstead

Mental health is a complex issue, and those in need of urgent help can find information about the services available on the United for Global Mental Health website.

Email: hello@togetherai.com

Website: togetherai.com

Reference