French Blue, steel and stone: Functional office beauty by Those Architects

BresicWhitney Lower North Shore is set within the historic Mosman ANZAC Memorial Hall, a building over 100 years old. With this heritage framework in mind, the project is executed with a light touch. The first decisive step in the design process was to identify which elements of the building were to be retained, with character features such as windows and a wooden stairway fully maintained. The interior space has then been significantly opened up by removing partition walls. In their place, less obtrusive devices distinguish different spaces of the design, making for a more open and multifunctional workplace overall.

An intricately designed steel ribbon acts as the primary means for organising the main workspace, subtly distinguishing between more public and private zones. At 1500 millimetres in height and with a curvaceous aesthetic, it separates workplace areas for different uses while still maintaining visual connections across what is now a warm, open space. The reception area and meeting rooms, for example, are clearly set apart from the main office without losing a sense of occupying the same workplace and having access to natural light.

Desks are also crafted using steel, with single architectural, sculptural pieces creating a non-hierarchical office zone defined by continuity and curves rather than individually fixed workstations. Multifunctionality and flexibility are consistent themes throughout the redesign, perhaps most notably in the juxtaposition of two meeting rooms – one is more formal, the other less so. A sculpted skylight brings natural light into the former, while the latter achieves a distinctly cosy feel. Both meeting rooms are able to cater to varying needs with clients or internal meetings.

An office kitchen is tucked away behind the steel ribbon, maintaining connection to the rest of the workplace at the same time as carving out a quiet corner of privacy. The bathroom, meanwhile, provides a refreshing change of colour and materiality with its warm, tonal hues. Here, natural stone adds a richness that is also on display at the main reception area. Visitors are greeted by a striking stone desk in the entry area, situated at the top of the charmingly restored wooden staircase.

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A deep, bold and endearing French Blue adds a coherent backdrop to much of the workplace. This striking colour, visible from the street, covers a new mesh ceiling and some storage areas. It’s offset by soothing, neutral wall tones which are enriched with a gritty texture, as well as natural oak flooring.

The overall effect is a project with a limited but deeply considered set of materials and colours – steel and natural stone alongside the blue and neutral colours. These are all deployed with enough overlap and distinction to create a balance between visual openness and functional separation.

Another notable functional aspect is the integration of a storage space for keys, one of the niche requirements highly specific to what is a real estate office – though one that deliberately avoids the cliché of a shopfront with property listings in the window.

The thoughtful composition of spaces matches the kind of architectural sensitivity and knowledge that BresicWhitney is known for. “We have enjoyed working collaboratively with the BW team to create a space that is welcoming for their customers, who have a high appreciation of design, while also ensuring that it meets all the functional requirements of running a busy office,” adds Ben Mitchell, Co-Founder and Director of Those Architects.

Those Architects
thosearchitects.com.au

Photography
Luc Remond

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