Collect is the leading international art fair for contemporary craft and design, presented by the UK’s Craft Council. In partnership with Collect, Trimble SketchUp invited acclaimed designer Tola Ojuolape Studio to bridge the gap between digital concept and physical experience. Using SketchUp as the foundation for her creative process, Ojuolape has transformed an ambitious vision into a tangible installation for the Collectors’ Lounge that showcases craftsmanship and inspires conversation and discovery.
The Concept: A Contemporary Maker’s Library
Imagined as a modern homage to the maker’s library, the Lounge is far more than a waiting area. It is an inviting, flexible environment where craft, materiality, and curiosity converge. Ojuolape’s design philosophy celebrates bold, contemporary design with a focus on texture and materiality. The installation manifests a tactile narrative, storied, purposeful and quietly expressive. Designed with a commitment to conscious construction, it uses lightweight, recyclable, and adaptable materials to leave a lasting impression without a heavy footprint.
Render of Collect exhibition space designed in SketchUp as a space for reflection and conversation around craft and design.
Your Vision Brought to Life
The Collect Lounge will serve as the first creative centerpiece of Trimble SketchUp’s ‘Your Vision Brought to Life’ campaign—a series of installations at leading global design and architecture events that bring to life how SketchUp empowers designers to turn ideas into reality.
By using SketchUp’s core workflows, Tola Ojuolape Studio was able to iterate on the Lounge’s intricate layouts, ensuring every joint, texture, and light source was accounted for before the first material was cut. For collectors and architects alike, the space serves as a living case study in how digital tools can preserve and enhance the "hand-made" feel of a design.
"Working on the Collector’s Lounge with Trimble has been a genuinely rewarding experience and a natural continuation of our collaboration. The partnership sits at the intersection of design, technology, art, and craft, which closely reflects how we work as a studio. The project offered an opportunity to translate those shared values into a physical space, using SketchUp to develop, test, and clearly communicate ideas. That process supported an approach that was both expressive and precise, allowing the space to be realised with confidence."
— Tola Ojuolape, Founder and Creative Director of Tola Ojuolape Studio
For collectors, designers, and anyone who loves material-driven storytelling, this is a space to slow down, explore, and get inspired.
Wide render of the Collectors Lounge at Collect, designed in SketchUp, a curated space for engagement with contemporary craft.
Collect: Shaping Craft Today
Collect returns to Somerset House for its 22nd edition, bringing together over 300 living artists and galleries from across the globe. With participants spanning Japan, South Korea, the UK and beyond, it remains the definitive destination for design excellence and contemporary craft. From curated presentations to immersive spaces such as the Collectors’ Lounge, Collect offers a considered lens on the ideas, materials, and makers shaping the future of craft today.
Discover Collect Art Fair for yourself—explore the curated exhibitor list, and see how the future of craft is being designed today.
Ready to see how SketchUp can boost your workflow? Start a free trial here or find the right subscription for your needs.
