Turning a disused print shop into a contemporary office space provided a unique opportunity to design from the ground up.
May 26th, 2011
Three conjoined derelict buildings in Sydney’s inner east suburb of Surry Hills were the framework for a new office space for creative agency Host.
The project team, consisting of designers who|design (now merged with Group GSA), builders MPA Projects and engineers Medland Metropolis designed services from scratch for the abandoned structure.
“Basically, it housed pigeons,” said Nick Crace, Director and Senior Project Engineer at Medland Metropolis, of the original state of the building.
“The services were done from the ground up, from the power reticulation to the lighting. [The building] had never been airconditioned before. We were starting from scratch.”
The creative re-use of the space offered a unique opportunity for the way services were provided, particularly from an engineering perspective.
“We had the opportunity to think outside the square and be a bit more innovative in how we reticulated everything,” says Crace.
A sustainable outcome was one of the main drivers of the project, and it was made possible by the fully integrated design.
Lighting, for example, was designed based on its end of use. A mini substation – one of 2 of its kind in Australia – was built into the building for maximum efficiency and to save floorspace.
“By having services designed from the ground up, one of the advantages is that you can start with a clean sheet. And when it comes to sustainability, that’s the way to approach it,” says Crace.
“If you can design the building with [sustainability] in mind from the beginning, you can get a better result.
“For a successful commercial project, sustainability doesn’t have to cost you more money.”
Read more about Host in Issue 45 of Indesign magazine, available now.
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
The Sub-Zero Wolf showrooms in Sydney and Melbourne provide a creative experience unlike any other. Now showcasing all-new product ranges, the showrooms present a unique perspective on the future of kitchens, homes and lifestyles.
Discover the manifestation of century-old techniques realised with modern technologies
Savage Design’s approach to understanding the relationship between design concepts and user experience, particularly with metalwork, transcends traditional boundaries, blending timeless craftsmanship with digital innovation to create enduring elegance in objects, furnishings, and door furniture.
Pecha Kucha Night, devised by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham (Klein Dytham architecture), was conceived in 2003 as a place for young designers to meet, network, and show their work in public.
But as we all know, give a mike to a designer (especial
Brisbane-based architects Design Nest have transformed study rituals with the design of the new PACE library at the University of Queensland.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
What’s in a name? At Wardle, a new name marks the next progression in the architecturally designed road for this outstanding practice.
Woven Image refreshes its popular, multi-award winning Embossed Acoustic Panel collection with a new range of colours that bring warmth and comfort to commercial interiors.