INDESIGN X OFFICE SPECTRUM
The more time we seem to be spending in the office, the more we come to the realisation that our working environments need to be places of calm and comfort. For Charter Hall Flexispace, a new co-working style office, the brief was to create an environment that would truly embrace these qualities. So much so that it felt like a second home.
The specific needs of the Charter Hall space were complex. Clients of the brand for example, can come in and rent a desk, rent an office, a conference or function room – and as such, the environment needed to be truly flexible, and capable of catering for a wide variety of clientele. But how can you achieve the needs of many in a single space, while keeping an atmosphere of comfort and calm?
“The space needed to offer clients various ways of working,” says Joyce Seeho, director of Office Spectrum. “We worked with Felice Carlino of Sumu design because of his extensive experience and understanding in designing luxury airport lounges like the Qantas Premium Lounges in Hong Kong and Singapore.”
Carlino’s approach to harmonising the needs of Charter Hall and their clients, was to integrate a system of beautiful furniture throughout the space that performed remarkably well for the functional requirements of the users, but that also conveyed and contributed to establishing that sense of calm and comfort. It was also important that the space reflect the existing Charter Hall brand.
“The idea for Charter Hall was to provide quality finishes and a sense of luxury on a tight budget,” notes Carlino. “Here, we included some really beautiful pieces from Maruni, pieces that are driven by a very Japanese approach both in aesthetic and philosophy. The private working booths and workstations have been finished in fabric with soft colourways to add a bit of life, colour and warmth to the space. We also added the flourish of molo lights to add a softer glow and a less harsh geometry to the environment.”
As well as creating a very flexible, calm and comforting space, one of the other key drivers of the project was sustainability. To this effect, Office Spectrum reused and recycled all of the glass petitioning left on site from the original Macquarie Bank fit out. Office Spectrum also enlisted the help of an independent environmental auditor, who confirmed the project conserved some 19 tonnes of carbon.
All the light fittings were reused from Charter Hall’s redundant light fitting stock which were “as new”, blinds on the floor were cleaned and the old carpet tiles were recycled in other fitouts. This kind of sustainable approach further contributes to the positive dynamic of the space. Seeho explains: “By reusing as much as we could, you can see that there are savings in both carbon emissions and money for not having to purchase new materials. These savings were redirected towards purchasing high quality Maruni FSC designer timber reception furniture, molo design LED light pendants, a huge 14 metre long feature graphics wall by Natasha Hammond of Krasivaya Design and and beautiful styling elements by David Harrison.