Founded by Maz Mahmoudi, the studio relocated to Cannon Workshops near Canary Wharf in 2023
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Next time you’re in an office or a workspace of any kind, just stop for a minute and take time to notice its design.
The colours, the furniture and even the layout will have likely been chosen and combined by someone like Maz Mahmoudi, founder and director of 3equals1 Design.
The company moved its clutch of creatives to Cannon Workshops, adjacent to Canary Wharf, a year ago, relocating from Waterloo to build on nearly a decade and a half in business.
“We were based at an old city farm in Waterloo for seven years before moving here, but developers got their hands on it,” said Maz.
“I looked around and was trying to think what the good transport links would be.
“Selfishly, I wanted somewhere I could get to my home in Kidbrooke from, as I have a baby.
“We looked at a place in Mile End, but it was a bit sketchy and then noticed a ‘To Let’ notice as we were going past Cannon Workshops. We saw this unit and loved it.
“The move allowed us to reimagine our own workspace.
“We did the flooring, all the painting, the wiring and the electrics.
“I like that it’s on two levels and we love the community aspect of being here too.
“I had no idea this whole world even existed – the dock, the nice little pubs and London Museum Docklands.
“This was the first time I’d signed a five-year lease, which felt very grown up – we need to keep the business going for at least that long.”
a history in design
Maz is energetic, interested and interesting, suggesting that another few years won’t be much trouble to achieve.
Having originally trained as a furniture designer, she initially embarked on a career as a maker and found herself the only woman on the workshop floor.
“I had a great time,” she said. “But furniture making is physical.
“By 30 a lot of the guys were having back problems and I found myself at a crossroads trying to decide what I wanted to do.
“I did a bit of set building for movies and some art direction, before going on to work at a furniture dealership.
“I’ve always loved furniture. People identify with it.
“There’s comfort and longevity there – history and craftsmanship too.
“A dining table might be used for Christmas dinners or summer parties, but it’s also where the kids do their drawing.
“Dealers curate pieces for architects and it was mostly workplace stuff.
“I was made redundant in the 2008 credit crunch and then went on to work for a design-and-build architecture firm, learnt a lot about that sector and was then made redundant again.”
founding 3equals1 Design
While dreaming of relocating to New York, but with limited visa prospects, Maz decided to start her own design business with two friends.
Her partners went on to pastures new, but she stuck with 3equals1, evolving the company as new work came in.
“I started it in London at my kitchen table and it’s really changed,” she said.
“Initially my customer base was all furniture dealers.
“I’d get floor plans and made sure furniture fitted the spaces.
“Then I’d get work from design-and-build companies that didn’t have their own in-house designers.
“There wasn’t any huge strategy, just a lot of interest – going out, networking and speaking to the right people.
“I’d meet clients who would ask me to come back and do more work and now we work with a few asset managers when they are trying to get tenants into their buildings.
“After Covid, nobody wanted to be in a workspace with desks and boardrooms, everybody wanted to feel places were personalised – a home away from home.
“Then there’s sustainability to consider.
“We really have grown organically.
“Today we are predominantly commercial interior designers for workplaces, hospitality venues and some residential properties for developers.”
interrogating the space
Whatever the project, understanding how a space will be used by those inhabiting it is crucial to Maz and her team’s process.
“I couldn’t do any of this without the people around me – having different designers with their own ideas is what keeps us varied as a business,” she said.
“Each of us challenging each other is what makes design really exciting and organic and prevents it from becoming stale.
“It’s especially important when we’re designing an environment for lots of people not to be a lone ranger – you need different voices to make sure you’re catering for the different people you’re designing for.
“When a client comes to us with a space, we try to understand the demographic of the people working in the company.
“How do they dress? Are they in suits, smart casual or jeans?
“We need to create an environment where they will feel at home.
“ Everyone says that most of our lives are spent in work – so to have a comfortable space allows people to be productive.
“We look at everything, from the flooring to the architecture of the building we’re working with and we try to give a nod to that.”
a sustainable approach
“We also look at longevity – we typically don’t want to do overly fashionable design that’s cool for a year and then everyone would feel deflated.
“For me, a big part of sustainability is how long the materials you put in will last.
“It’s about getting the right stuff in – timeless design that doesn’t shout.
“It’s also about speaking to people. But it’s not about what I or the team want for their office.
“It’s about what the client wants. They have to be happy where they are.”
3equals1 Design is eager to collaborate with more companies in Canary Wharf and east London and there’s one particular project on Maz’s wish list.
“I really want to design a pub,” she said.
“It would be great to really rethink what the space could be. I have this idea that it could be a co-working space during the day and then turn back into a drinking den in the evening.”
key details: 3equals1 Design
3equals1 Design is a workplace interior design company based at Cannon Workshops near West India Quay.
Maz and her team offer a range of services to transform and refresh spaces for all kinds of organisations and businesses.
Find out more about the business here
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- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
