African Design Magazine April 2015 | Page 30

Photography by JP Beukes/Louise McCann RAW STUDIO’S INVOLVEMENT What did you provide to the project and how do you feel it added to the interiors? Peet van Straaten: Raw Studios had the second biggest contract on the project (second only to the main contractor), providing all the workhorse office elements including all workstations, storage cabinets from our Offis range, meeting tables and a large amount of our Din+ range chairs. Our products form the core of the working environment at CK and I believe it would have had a lower ergonomics in use, higher environmental impact and most definitely a very different look and feel had another supplier been used. Feedback from staff and other users have been very positive to say the least. How did your input help the designers fulfil Nando’s brief? The brief stipulated high quality South African design from sustainable materials and that is what we have been providing for many years now. Apart from just filling the brief, I believe that what the project designers (and client) got as a result of using Raw on the project is beautifully light, elegant and clever modular design that is built for industrial use. What are your favourite elements of the completed project? I could not find anything included in the project that was not well done. Tracy, JP and Eve did an outstanding job on initiating, curating and managing basically the best design and art the industry is able to deliver at present. My personal favourites include Kasamento and Goet’s chairs and couches, David Krynauw’s lights, Thinking’s pot plant holders and all the works by Joburgs’ Dokter and Misses. 30 africandesignmagazine.com