Martina Gemmola
Martina is a photographer in Melbourne (Naarm) who works with designers of all disciplines. After living in Europe and the USA, she honed her craft, capturing her surroundings with sensitivity and balance. Led by light and form, she is constantly delighted by the spaces and gardens she works in, and the warm relationship she forms with her clients.

The Project
Established across 2730-square-metres and two floors, Forum Workspace stands proud as part of Fortis’ Sixty-five Dover precinct in Cremorne. Designed by Foolscap’s longtime collaborators Fieldwork, the basebuild sees a truly carbon neutral footprint projected to reach a 5 Green Star rating and 4.5 NABERS score. Forum is a collaboration between developers Fortis and coworking operators The Commons. Foolscap were engaged early on; briefed with no more than the name and a target demographic and entrusted to conceptualise and deliver the interior strategy and design. Excited by Fortis’ developer-as-operator approach to their first foray into coworking, Foolscap conceptualised Forum’s offering with the greater precinct in mind.

Through meticulous spatial planning, Forum accommodates 452 desks and 11 meeting rooms as well as premium amenities such as a full-scale kitchen breakout area, golf simulator, collaborator spaces, library, sensory room, and parents’ room. Forum’s concept is inspired by traditional Roman forums as the great social spaces of ancient times. Foolscap researched these public arenas and used their archetypes to foster a modern incarnation; a hub for platforming voices and exchanging ideas. Recognising Cremorne as a rapidly growing community of startups and professionals, it was critical the spaces appealed to this design-conscious clientele.

Architect: Foolscap Studio, Fieldwork, Fortis, The Commons