Another example of a firm taking risks on its own space and pushing the boundaries of the workplace, this simple reworking of a typical 1970’s commercial office floor creates a daring interior working space using only the bones of a high-rise concrete building.
IN BRIEF
Create new office space for the firm in the heart of the Sydney CBD in a low floor of the recently refurbished Hilton Tower.
ARCHITECT’S WORDS
The studio is a remarkable transformation from a typical grey carpeted and painted low ceilinged space, to an open floor with no solid internal walls, and a stripped back to concrete finish warmed by an internal timber deck along the Pitt Street-fronting windows forming what has been termed the studio ‘verandah’.
The ceiling has been removed and for the most part the services exposed providing an industrial aesthetic that is further enhanced by the large square building columns being stripped back to their original ‘as built’ concrete state, complete with builders pencilled notes. Editing the building, removing what is not absolutely necessary has been the driver behind this design.
Finally the lighting is a masterly mix of lots of daylight particularly when the sun floods the east facing verandah that is filled with different configurations of couches, small and large meeting tables and chairs as well as stools, whereas there is minimal downlighting in the main open workspace, with working light being provided by individual table lamps for each worker.
What the BVN design team did was rework B Grade office space into an environment that encourages collaboration and improves productivity. We achieved this by providing a range of different physical spaces to meet, to work out drawing details, to brief other staff and clients, and of course to work on computers.
To do this we used a range of different elements from something as simple as two stools by a window, to meeting rooms that are placed on the periphery to maximise natural light and are made of movable walls all of which can be drawn on and that also incorporate screens for video-conferencing and computer projections.
At the end of the day it has been the response of our people, clients and visitors to the studio that has affirmed that we have been successful in turning an ordinary space into an extraordinary architecture studio.
ACCOLADES
• BVN Sydney Studio has been shortlisted for the 2011 RAIA Awards.
• The project was also entered in the Inside (World Festival of Interiors) Awards
PRODUCTS
FEATURE CORK WALL
PORTUGAL CORK CO., CORK SHEET
VERANDAH
CORPORATE CULTURE, SOFA
CARL HANSEN, MEETING CHAIR
KFIVE, BREAKOUT CHAIRS
UNIFOR AUSTRALIA, SOFA
JASPER MORRISON, CORK STOOL
RONAN AND ERWAN, METAL SIDE TABLE
ANIBOU, HIGH STOOL
STYLECRAFT AUSTRALIA, BREAKOUT TABLE
WHITCLIFFE IMPORT, FEATURE RUG
THONET AUSTRALIA, LOW CHAIR
KVADRAT/HALLINGDAL, BANQUETTE SEAT
RECEPTION
CORPORATE CULTURE, RECEPTION WAITING CHAIR
PLAFONNIER ARAIGNEE, CEILING LAMP
OPEN PLAN
STEELCASE AUSTRALIA, STEELCASE THINK TASK CHAIR
ANIBOU, HIGH STOOL
LIVINGEDGE, HIGH BENCH
GLOBAL VENTURES, JOINERY BENCH
LIGHT2, CEILING LAMP
BARBANTIA, TOUCH BIN
KUBIS, TWO-DRAWER METAL PEDESTAL
PLANEX, BVN CUSTOM MADE STORAGE TRAY
TRAINING ROOM
WIKHAHN, STACKABLE CHAIR
CORPORATE CULTURE, FOLDING TABLE
MEETING CHAIRS
LIVINGEDGE, SIDE CHAIR
