Accounting may not be the first industry that comes to mind when thinking about fun and playfulness, but that was precisely the focus of tech-accounting company Hnry when they partnered with Designgroup Stapleton Elliott Architects (DGSE) to create an inspiring new office in Wellington, New Zealand. Hnry had outgrown their previous offices and decided to relocate to the iconic Resmic House on Lambton Quay in Wellington’s CBD. A key part of bringing this vision to life was using a bold array of floor coverings from Milliken, which would play a major role in defining the tone, flow, and functionality of the office.

“Hnry’s brief called for an office space that fostered fun, creativity, and collaboration, with a vibrant and colourful interior,” says Sam Prabhakaran, Senior Associate at DGSE. “As a result of this approach, deliberate inclusion of bright and contrasting colours spatially identifies zones of function, circulation, collaboration and privacy.”

The architectural footprint of the new office presented unique opportunities and challenges. The square footprint is flanked by three street frontages and is divided by a central car park ramp into two sections – a layout that made it challenging to bring natural light deep into the space. To maximise daylight, open-plan work areas line the perimeter, while the core houses breakout areas, meeting spaces, and a spacious kitchen and social hub. Flourishes of greenery, playful lighting, and bold colours in furniture, acoustics, and flooring add character to the space, visually demarcating zones and activities.

“We wanted the flooring to be playful in more casual, collaborative spaces and muted in serious working spaces, such as the open plan areas,” explains Prabhakaran. “We also wanted the flooring selection and the colours to dictate a hierarchy on the typology of spaces and create a way to identify the spaces within the tenancy.”

Milliken floor coverings have been utilised with remarkable impact, ranging from carpet to luxury vinyl tiles. Wayfinding and circulation lines are mapped in contrasting floor finishings and colours, and adjacent casual break-out zones are highlighted through dynamic colour pops.

Milliken’s floor coverings played a starring role in the fit-out, with contrasting finishes and colours defining circulation paths and highlighting breakout zones. The Circular Relationships collection, designed in collaboration with Ashley Rose Oswin, is the star here, with the patterns inspired by the natural beauty of New Zealand’s South Island adding an evocative touch of biophilia to the fit-out.

Milliken’s Circular Relationships in Tussock Albatross, for example, maps circulation around the open-plan areas, while the Colour Connect 2.0 collection in Linx Sea Wash energises meeting rooms and booth seating with vivid splashes of colour. In the tiered seating area, Colour Connect 2.0 in Linx Violet Silk creates a striking contrast between floor and ply seating, and in the Project Space, the carpet tiles extend seamlessly up the walls to create an immersive experience.

“Given the size of the floor plate we were keen to have some textural finish to the open-plan office areas,” explains Prabhakaran. “Our choice was to go for Milliken’s Circular Relationships collection due to the organic design pattern. The use of dark and lighter colour carpet clearly defines the different spaces.”

Milliken Metro Park LVT in Stone, Arts Avenue Fairmount was also used in high-traffic areas. The natural organic stone pattern of the floor finish creates a dynamic contrast to the patterned carpet tiles, and the PROGUARD treatment makes the tiles highly durable, with superior scratch, scuff, and stain resistance and a polish-free finish.

Milliken’s carpets offered more than just aesthetic appeal – they also provided crucial acoustic benefits and assisted with acoustic separation between offices and meeting rooms. Milliken WellBAC® cushion-backed carpet tiles absorb 50% more noise than hardback carpet and three times as much as hard surface flooring.

Milliken also helped the fit-out achieve its ambitious sustainability goals, a result driven by the brand’s Works with WELL license. This distinction affirms Milliken floor coverings contribute to achieving the strategies outlined in the WELL Building Standard, a world-leading standard focused on advancing health and well-being with a library of holistic, evidence-based strategies applicable across buildings, organisations, and communities.

“It’s always a great experience working with Milliken,” says Prabhakaran. “The company’s assistance and service throughout the duration of the project was outstanding, and these efforts have contributed to a very successful project outcome. The collaboration was key to achieving our client’s brief beyond our initial expectations.”

Milliken
millikenfloors.com.au

DGSE
designgroupstapletonelliott.co.nz

Photography
Jason Mann