As leading workspace experts, Inhouse Design Studio was commissioned to design the new Cape Town headquarters for Travelstart, one of Africa’s foremost online travel agencies. Relocated to a two-and-a-half-storey office in Longkloof Studios, just off Kloof Street, the company sought a working space that would reflect its efficiency and modernity.
Inspired by the office featured in Nancy Meyers’ 2015 film The Intern, Travelstart’s CEO envisioned a dynamic new environment, a vision that Inhouse Design Team Director Phillip Wyatt and Senior Designer Chrismari Loubser were delighted to bring to life. Recognizing the importance of first impressions, Travelstart requested a reception area with a significant “WOW effect.” To achieve this, Inhouse Design Studio created a reception dominated by a huge, circular blue light box, a visual nod to Travelstart’s logo, making an immediate brand statement upon entry. Adjacent to this is a coffee bar, and behind the light box, a lengthy 24-seater communal table, a piece of custom designed furniture crafted from a tree log set on a steel frame with large castors.
Through expert space planning, the Inhouse Design Team ensured optimal flow and functionality across the multi-level office. A two-meter-long model aeroplane, relocated from Travelstart’s previous offices, playfully suspends from the ceiling in the triple-volume reception space, serving as a whimsical reminder of the company’s service. Upstairs, the first floor opens onto a central kitchen and stadium seating area, ideal for company presentations, with the office expanding in both directions. Glass-walled meeting rooms divide the space, while shared worktables line the walls, creating an easily accessible and roomy communal workspace. The second-floor features slightly more enclosed, yet still glass-walled, spaces, including recreation rooms like a games area and a meditation room, alongside offices and the main boardroom. The boardroom, notably, bears an oval frame, distinguishing it from other enclosed rooms.