Creative spaces design guides

These design guides help to plan and provide new creative spaces, including rehearsal rooms, performance spaces and artist studios.

The detailed technical reports help to ensure that new creative space projects are fit-for-purpose and provide the best outcomes for the artists and creative workers who will use them. The resources are for local government, the creative sector, property developers and anyone who is planning to build a creative space. They are free to use.

More guides for other types of spaces will be available soon.

Takeaways

• Creative spaces are often provided without due consideration for the specific operational, spatial and technical requirements necessary for them to function as needed. This can result in spaces that are not fit-for-purpose, limited in creative potential or an ongoing burden to their users, owners and operators.
• These creative spaces design guides were developed to guide good decision making in the planning and provision of creative space projects. They demonstrate best practice. Not all aspects will be applicable or achievable for every project.
• These guides are detailed technical reports that should be used in conjunction with other guidance, expert advice and consultation with the intended operators and users of proposed creative spaces.
• These design guides include rehearsal spaces, small theatres, sound recording studios, and fabrication spaces for timber, metal work and scenic art.
• After publishing these guides, we partnered with Creative Victoria, the City of Melbourne, and the Office of the Victorian Government Architect to develop additional guides for exhibition spaces, photography studios, digital games studios, TV & film studios, and creative office spaces. These additional guides can be found on the Creative Victoria website.