August 2007

The architecture of the building is inspired by the local environment and is sited in a “golf landscape” as an object or a sculpture. The building presents itself as a solid volume towards the street and opens up towards the golf course reinforcing its strong relationship with the surrounding landscape.Environmental sustainability is inherent in the design and with this in mind the building allows maximum sun through the split skillion roof. The roof floats lightly above the volume of the building strengthening it’s horizontality within the landscape.

The internal planning of the building is a well thought out arrangement of spaces which maximizes interaction with outdoor activities. Varying types of rooms, open-closed, solid-light and transparent all act to bring people together which in turn enhances the feeling of being welcome.

The brief included a separation of the front and back of house. The front of house features a Boardroom, Big Star and Little Fish meeting rooms. The use of warm deep timbers, soft grey stone tiles and lightweight screening panels creates a sleek yet inviting environment in which to conduct business.

To add interest and a unique identity to the front of house, specialized lighting was chosen to enhance the meeting rooms and entry foyer. A cardboard reception desk, designed by the architect, is positioned in the foyer, making a bold statement upon entry. A brag wall occupies an entire wall of the boardroom, with backlit orange panels hinting at the company’s corporate colours.

The back of house includes office spaces, a staff soft room and general service spaces. The challenge was to create a light filled open office in a deep space that allowed acoustic privacy for each staff member. This was achieved by each office being fully enclosed by glass. Sliding doors open into a brightly lit 4m wide central hub space, forming an atmospheric, light, spacious meeting and discussion space.

The final product not only meets the brief, but exceeds the client’s expectations, with a 30% increase in staff productivity. This process reflects the creative and highly successful collaboration between client and architect.

The foyer represents a flexible space that can easily transform from a private enclosed space to a large open entertaining area encompassing both the reception and the boardroom. The recycled timber floor continues vertically up the face of two large pivot doors that enclose the reception and ingeniously swing open, transforming the space into one large welcoming area. This idea is reinforced with an acoustic perforated ceiling that is continuous through the two spaces.

The combined space is also split in two, lengthwise with a pietra grey marble floor running under a cantilevered wall with exposed concrete slab over to reflect the split in materials.A feeling of spaciousness throughout ensures staffs enjoy ease of movement and comfort within their work environment. Adding to this, the palette of materials used are warm in colour and raw in nature to meet the clients aspirations to create a contemporary yet professional feel.

The interior layout compliments the inspired approach to the overall use of space. The layout is designed to split the space into four distinct zones – the private offices, general administration area, services (kitchen and store discreetly concealed behind an angled wall), and the front of house (reception and boardroom). Each zone retains an amalgamation between spaces without compromising on privacy and a sense of professionalism.