[interview] the project story
Image Credit : VISPENN Photography
Project Overview
Red Hill Health is a health superstore, located along the bustling Swanston Street within Melbourne's CBD. The company began in Victoria's hilly Mornington Peninsula. This background heavily influenced the aesthetic and the overall outcome of the CBD store - which is a one stop shop for all health and vitamin needs. The client's vision was to create the next generation of health stores, thus needing an interior fit out which would reflect and highlight their point of difference - a space that would stand out from the traditional chemists and pharmacies.
Breaking away from the typical chemist shelving and display systems - the client required a fresh and relaxing environment, whilst maintaining the company's professionalism. With clients being able to both shop and consult on-duty practitioners with ease and comfort. Inspired by the practice of naturopathy and their home landscape of the Peninsula, greenery was implemented as a way of referencing the store's humble beginnings. The jagged, geometric ceiling feature was also inspired by the peaks and terrain of Red Hill - the store's birthplace and origin.
Project Commissioner
Red Hill Health
Project Creator
Rptecture Architects
Team
Vincent Choi
Sandra Siew
Project Brief
The design for this project was directly influenced and driven by the client's desire to be a point of difference within the health and pharmacy retail sector. It was of great importance that the store had a starkly different feel, atmosphere and aesthetic to a typical chemist or pharmacy. The client's brief for this flagship store was to create a unique, professional retail environment, which was to include a professional health consultancy.
Inspired by the practice of naturopathy itself - an alternative form of medicine, employing a wide array of natural modalities - Red Hill Health seeks to be an alternative shopping experience within the retail industry. Also heavily influenced by the rolling, lush and fertile landscape of the Mornington Peninsula - the design draws its forms, materiality and atmosphere from the business' birth-place. Ultimately creating an interior which has a relaxing, soothing and comfortable atmosphere.
Project Innovation/Need
The ceiling feature as inspired by the jagged terrain of Red Hill, the store's birthplace, - is a point of difference within the project. Cut from acoustic panelling, the ceiling feature is not only a design feature in itself, but it also has a immense impact upon the acoustic properties of the interior. The acoustic panels help to absorb a lot of the background noise from the hustle and bustle of the busy Swanston Street, allowing the interior to have a calmer, more enjoyable atmosphere. This feature, which is suspended from the tenancy ceiling, creatively conceals the services above - thus further increasing the functionality for this one feature.
As per the client's brief of wanting an a-typical health retail experience - shelving and storage options needed to be heavily considered and well thought out. These storage solutions were addressed by transforming standard gondola shelving units into platforms - rethinking and reinventing the way that the display gondolas work. Clad in various timbers, each shelf has its own dedicated lighting source. The lighting levels also needed to be optimised to showcase and suit the individual items on display.
Design Challenge
Creating a calm and relaxed atmosphere can be a challenge in itself when considering the context of the space; the very busy, loud, and ever-changing Swanston Street. Other site limitations of this project included the Heritage over lay of the store, meaning that the outer fabric of the building could not be altered in any way. This, in turn resulted in the limited options for the exterior of the store.
As one of the most innovative aspects of the space, the ceiling feature also involved some challenging aspects. The feature needed to be carefully suspended in order for the services, such as the ceiling hatch and sprinklers, to be still be accessible. The dark coloured acoustic panelling used within the ceiling feature blocked out and absorbed more light than initially anticipated. In order to overcome this challenge, extra fluoro lights were added into the space, with them being hung just lower than the ceiling feature.
Sustainability
The choice of materials were chosen with strict concern and consideration in regards to long term durability, sustainability, recyclable properties and environmental friendliness. It was imperative that the shop fitter sourced materials from companies that had good environmental policies implemented, wherever and whenever possible. Melamine particleboard, that has been tested extensively to the Australian and European Union Standards, is used for all cabinets and carcasses. Given the large amount of timber cladding used throughout the store, it was ensured that all adhesives used throughout the construction of Red Hill Health, emit low volatile organic compounds (VOC's). The paints used on the walls and ceiling are low in VOC's to improve the air quality and working environment within the store.
2016 Melbourne Design Awards
Interior Design - Retail
This award celebrates innovative and creative building interiors, with consideration given to space creation and planning, furnishings, finishes and aesthetic presentation. Consideration given to space allocation, traffic flow, building services, lighting, fixtures, flooring, colours, furnishings and surface finishes.
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