switchup has been tasked to design the modern Colu offices, the software tech company, located in Tel Aviv, Israel. Colu is a tech company that promotes civic engagement through an innovative app. In order to cater to such an innovative company with a community-focused mission, Switchup sought create a design that is warm, and then integrates natural textures and colors throughout the office.
The initial reception area sets the overall tone for the design of the office space and features a mosaic tile with varying shades of brown tones. Each tile is stamped with a different pattern, giving the flooring the same kind of imperfect beauty as the acacia wood reception desk. A well-placed indoor plant also brings in natural greenery that will be seen throughout the space.
The meeting spaces within the office continue using acacia mixed wood, including in this board room where it is used as a wall covering. Pops of colors pervade different areas, including the conference table here, whose stripes mimic the pattern of the wood paneled wall.
The kitchen adjoins a living room lounge space to create a mixed-use room where employees can meet, mingle, and eat, as well as relax on comfortable couch seating while watching television. The TV could also be used to conduct video calls with clients in an informal setting. The kitchen tile is a scale pattern featuring different shades of green, a departure from the warm woody tones in other parts of the office, but still conducive to the organic color scheme. A long cafeteria style table as well as a bar top open the kitchen up to more seating than traditional modular tables and chairs, allowing for a greater capacity.
In the stairwell, the pops of different colors meet the natural brown tone motif to create a meld of looks that work to create a youthful energy. Wood paneling that features a mix of browns and muted colors reaches only halfway up the wall so that a space like a stairwell that may otherwise feel cramped is actually bright and open.
Design: switchup
Photography: Yoav Gurin