Travelstart

About the Project

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. This meticulous interior office design maintains an air of capaciousness and accessibility throughout, embodying Inhouse Design Studio’s commitment to creating cutting-edge office designs that foster productivity and employee well-being.