HUMMING PUPPY

“Humming Puppy was born from a desire to follow my passion for teaching yoga and inspire those who thought that yoga maybe wasn’t for them, and was only for hippies. Chris and I also wanted to present yoga in a way that was unlike anything in the industry, and provide our students with an experience that thought about their every need,” says Co-founder, Jackie Alexander.

The studio designed by Karen Abernethy in collaboration with Louisa Macleod is located in the inner city suburb Redfern, which has been undergoing a large urban transformation. Positioned in an existing old Victorian warehouse, this yoga studio feels like a sanctuary, an escape away from the busy streets below.

All the original, elegant bones of the building such as the high ceilings, timber beams and brick walls have been kept and left exposed, so there is a strong connection to the buildings past.

You access the studio via a flight of stairs, which take you to the first floor where the reception and bathrooms are located. Here a neutral, white palette has been chosen. The original floors have been finished white and the brick walls whitewashed, softening their rawness. The many large original windows let in an abundance of natural light and have been framed by floor to ceiling, white flowing drapes. The result is a tranquil, spiritual space, a sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle.

Inserted into the original shell of the building are new, modern elements such as the angled screen you see as you enter level one. The screen, which is lined with dichroic coloured filters looks like a jewel within the space, glimmering and changing colour as you move around it.

The bathroom/change-rooms are located on the other side of the staircase. The floor to ceiling black walls inserted into the space here, divide the rooms and give a sense of grandeur and depth. The round cylindrical basin and water pipe further enhance the spiritual feel of the space. The palette here has been kept neutral and monochromatic, in keeping with overall design.

The white palette transitions to black in the Yoga studio, which is located on the level above. The whitewashed walls are left but the ceiling and plywood flooring has been finished black and the windows framed with black flowing floor to ceiling drapes. You would think the boldness of the black would take away from the calmness of the space, but it is quite the opposite. The space is stronger but still feels tranquil and calm. The result is an immersive experience, from the moment you enter.

The lighting throughout the space has been kept minimal as the many large windows allows for an abundance of natural light, during the day. Inlite Tuba II Surface spots have been used throughout the space for general lighting.

On level one a white finish was chosen in keeping with the palette. The spots have been placed between the raw exposed beams, concealing them from most angles.

In the Yoga studio the black was chosen and the fittings become an extension of the ceiling and black beams.

A big congratulations to Karen Abernethy for taking out the Social Space Award at this years INDE Awards for Humming Puppy! It is a truly beautiful social space.