This issue of FRAME magazine explores the rise of work-near-home spaces, what it takes to make them successful, and how they fit into an overall trend for more localized urban living.

The remote working revolution has left us with choices. While working from home suits some demographics and personalities, we’ve learned that it’s not the solution for everyone. The downtown HQ still has appeal, but soul-sapping commutes are something to which few want to return. Does the solution lie somewhere in between?

Reporting From
While visiting Dubai Design Week 2021, Lauren Grace Morris finds a city poised to assume a valuable position in the design industry – if regional creativity is at the core. And: During a recent trip to Helsinki, Peter Maxwell asks what cities can learn from the Finnish capital in achieving a more sustainable future.

Business of Design
How jewellery retail is targeting Gen Z. Why ghost kitchens are coming out of the shadows. What the trend towards slow travel means for hotel design. How shopping has gone from in-store and online to on-air. Why retailers are going rural.

In Practice
S-P-A-C-E Projects on creating material-driven (brand) experiences. MAD Architects on achieving ‘intimidatingly difficult’ designs. Polestar on striving for sustainability without sacrificing its aesthetic.

Frame Awards 2021: winners of the year
Retail. Hospitality. Work. Institutions. Living. Shows. Executional. After a year of celebrating Interiors of the Month, we’ve worked with a grand jury to distinguish the Frame Awards 2021 Interiors of the Year across these sectors. Discover all the winners – as well as those crowned with Honorary Awards – alongside insights from the jury.

The Next Space: Laying the groundwork for the resilient city
Drawing from Frame’s inaugural think tank The Next Space, our white paper outlines the roles spatial design plays in advancing self-sustainment, sharing economies and circular networks. What lessons can we learn for developing the resilient city – and what changes can the design industry make right now?

Frame Lab: The 15-minute office
Research by Accenture in March 2021 found 74 per cent of Gen Zers worldwide wanting more opportunities to collaborate in person, and that young urban millennials were most likely to feel healthy and productive working on site rather than remotely. But ‘on site’ doesn’t have to mean a return to the huge central HQ. Capitalizing on the demand to work near home, workplace providers are eyeing up regional towns, suburban malls and even bus stops to create third places for work.

The Challenge: Work in between
In the lead-up to each issue, we challenge emerging designers to respond to the Frame Lab theme with a forward-looking concept. Attitudes and expectations towards our working life have changed permanently. As hybrid work models based on greater choice and flexibility gain ground, the need for alternative settings to the (home) office rises. But what shapes should these settings take and what should they offer? We asked three creative practices to share their ideas.

Market
Furniture fit for alternative workspace futures, designs with soft silhouettes for warm welcomes, and sustainable items that are easy to separate, sort, salvage and ship.

This issue of FRAME magazine explores the rise of work-near-home spaces, what it takes to make them successful, and how they fit into an overall trend for more localized urban living.

The remote working revolution has left us with choices. While working from home suits some demographics and personalities, we’ve learned that it’s not the solution for everyone. The downtown HQ still has appeal, but soul-sapping commutes are something to which few want to return. Does the solution lie somewhere in between?

Reporting From
While visiting Dubai Design Week 2021, Lauren Grace Morris finds a city poised to assume a valuable position in the design industry – if regional creativity is at the core. And: During a recent trip to Helsinki, Peter Maxwell asks what cities can learn from the Finnish capital in achieving a more sustainable future.

Business of Design
How jewellery retail is targeting Gen Z. Why ghost kitchens are coming out of the shadows. What the trend towards slow travel means for hotel design. How shopping has gone from in-store and online to on-air. Why retailers are going rural.

In Practice
S-P-A-C-E Projects on creating material-driven (brand) experiences. MAD Architects on achieving ‘intimidatingly difficult’ designs. Polestar on striving for sustainability without sacrificing its aesthetic.

Frame Awards 2021: winners of the year
Retail. Hospitality. Work. Institutions. Living. Shows. Executional. After a year of celebrating Interiors of the Month, we’ve worked with a grand jury to distinguish the Frame Awards 2021 Interiors of the Year across these sectors. Discover all the winners – as well as those crowned with Honorary Awards – alongside insights from the jury.

The Next Space: Laying the groundwork for the resilient city
Drawing from Frame’s inaugural think tank The Next Space, our white paper outlines the roles spatial design plays in advancing self-sustainment, sharing economies and circular networks. What lessons can we learn for developing the resilient city – and what changes can the design industry make right now?

Frame Lab: The 15-minute office
Research by Accenture in March 2021 found 74 per cent of Gen Zers worldwide wanting more opportunities to collaborate in person, and that young urban millennials were most likely to feel healthy and productive working on site rather than remotely. But ‘on site’ doesn’t have to mean a return to the huge central HQ. Capitalizing on the demand to work near home, workplace providers are eyeing up regional towns, suburban malls and even bus stops to create third places for work.

The Challenge: Work in between
In the lead-up to each issue, we challenge emerging designers to respond to the Frame Lab theme with a forward-looking concept. Attitudes and expectations towards our working life have changed permanently. As hybrid work models based on greater choice and flexibility gain ground, the need for alternative settings to the (home) office rises. But what shapes should these settings take and what should they offer? We asked three creative practices to share their ideas.

Market
Furniture fit for alternative workspace futures, designs with soft silhouettes for warm welcomes, and sustainable items that are easy to separate, sort, salvage and ship.