The Commons Health Club
Cork flooring enhances the wellness experience at The Commons Health Club
Installed in the entrance, lounge, café, and co-working areas, Wicanders cork flooring complements The Commons Health Club’s holistic approach to wellness, combining natural aesthetics, comfort, and acoustic performance. FlooringThe Commons Health Club, in Richmond, Australia, is a space where wellness becomes a sensory experience through architecture designed to promote comfort, connection, and balance. Designed by DesignOffice, the project combines different use areas in a contemporary and welcoming environment, where light, materials, and textures play an essential role in creating a calm atmosphere connected to nature.
It is in this pursuit of a more natural and immersive wellness experience that cork takes on a particularly relevant role in the design of this space. Installed in the entrance, lounge, café, and co-working areas, Wicanders Originals Natural flooring, from the Cork Essence collection, was selected to reinforce the center’s identity, adding a natural and sensory dimension to the environment
![The Commons Healthclub Richmond (Cork Essence Originals Natural) [Platform Design Office] 04](/media/11391/the-commons-healthclub-richmond-cork-essence-originals-natural-platform-design-office-04.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=756&heightratio=0.6243386243386243386243386243&format=jpg&quality=90&slimmage=true&rnd=134332340050000000)
With an appearance that preserves the authenticity and natural expression of cork, the flooring introduces texture, warmth, and depth into the interiors, complementing the project’s contemporary language. Its tone and organic variations blend naturally with the material palette, helping create visually warmer spaces and a closer connection to nature.
But cork’s role in the concept of the space goes beyond its visual contribution. Thanks to its cellular structure and elasticity, cork provides a greater sense of comfort underfoot, contributing to a more pleasant experience and reinforcing the wellness dimension that defines the project.
In addition, cork’s acoustic properties help create a quieter, more serene environment. Flooring from the Cork Essence range can reduce walking noise within a room by up to 38%*, helping minimize the sound impact of everyday activities and preserve a calmer atmosphere.
![The Commons Healthclub Richmond (Cork Essence Originals Natural) [Platform Design Office] 01](/media/11394/the-commons-healthclub-richmond-cork-essence-originals-natural-platform-design-office-01.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=756&heightratio=0.6243386243386243386243386243&format=jpg&quality=90&slimmage=true&rnd=134332346050000000)
Cork also contributes to a greater sense of thermal comfort, thanks to its natural insulating properties. Cork flooring maintains a more stable surface temperature, providing a pleasant sensation throughout the year. This feature reinforces the sensory experience of the space, adding a layer of comfort that can be felt through contact with the floor.
Beyond the experience created through contact with the flooring and the acoustic environment, indoor air quality adds another dimension to the project. Wicanders solutions are supported by various independent certifications related to VOC emissions into indoor environments, helping ensure low emissions and meet the requirements of spaces where indoor air quality is a priority.
At The Commons Health Club, cork flooring thus becomes more than a functional element. Its natural appearance reinforces the space’s visual identity, while underfoot comfort and acoustic properties add new dimensions to the user experience. Together, these characteristics help bring to life the holistic approach to wellness that defines the project, demonstrating how material choices can influence not only how a space is perceived, but also how it is experienced by those who use it.
Credits
Location: Richmond, Melbourne, Australia | Year: 2026
Project: DesignOfficeModern
Photographer: Dianna Snape