Image Credit : Tyrone Branigan
Project Overview
As Canberra has shifted “from small town to cool capital” in recent years with recognition for its elevated gastronomic, bar and art scenes, JAGA was looking to introduce an innovative, suburban coworking space to match.
Axiom was commissioned with designing a premier office share experience appropriate to the capital city’s fashionable upgrade, creating a contemporary multipurpose arena that focused on efficiency, flexibility, connectivity and space utilisation.
It was imperative we maintained close collaboration with the client, in order to determine a clear understanding of their distinctive needs; and in turn, we offered the client full transparency of the design process by way of axonometric visualisation and 3D imaging.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Donna Zampino - Interior Designer
Annelie Xenofontos: Senior Workplace Strategist
Rico du Plessis: Project Manager
Dory Georges: Site Manager
Lindsay Robinson: Project Coordinator
Matt Woods: Head of Projects
Arnie Light - Client Relations Executive
Kruno Pelegrin: Technical Consultant
Project Brief
The brief was to create an innovative coworking space in Canberra’s suburbs, introducing a variety of different spaces that needed to be flexible and agile. It was also vital to implement connectivity of the front of house area to all common spaces across the workspace.
Axiom was charged with finding the perfect, mixed balance of bespoke offices and open, collaborative workspaces and given the long and narrow floor plan, we had to take into account best possible utilisation of the space while still creating an ergonomic flow.
The client’s marketing guidelines defined the colour palette for the design and their love of nature and the outdoors meant that greenery was a must for oxygenating the office with a calm soothing ambiance.
Project Innovation/Need
Introducing a new premier co-working space in the suburbs of Canberra was the innovation. We were working with a client that had identified that this was a key requirement within this geographic location, so we had to create a space that was dynamic and multi-faceted.
As with all coworking venues, the efficacy of the space has to go above and beyond to balance out the equation of appealing to a wide variety of tenants on a tiered membership basis rather than the more traditional leasing model of a single tenant under a fixed long-term agreement.
Following this equation, we had to design a variation of spaces to meet copious needs in the coworking environment. The different ways of working had to include open spaces for collaboration, multiple meeting rooms of varying sizes, breakout areas that can be adaptable to functions, while also incorporating the kind of facilities and perks that embellish the membership subscription offering, including a wellness room for exercise activities like yoga and boxing, and café experience upon arrival.
Design Challenge
The challenge, then, was in creating a welcoming, comfortable, and inspiring space with a stylish aesthetic within a tight budget.
As such, budget and space utilisation were paramount. Axiom had to provide the maximum amount of opportunities for the floor plan as possible while keeping it creative and cost-effective. Axiom delivered an innovative floorplan that answered the challenge of demonstrating connectivity and flow throughout the space, by developing a journey from the initial open spaces such as the arrivals and breakout areas to more private spaces such as the wellness areas and meeting rooms.
We experimented with new materials such as plywood in the kitchen joinery and allowed the colour palette to be determined by the corporate colours of the JAGA marketing guidelines, as exemplified by the brightening shades of yellow and gold throughout the space. To bring a sense of complementary nature and fresh air into the office, a green wall bearing the logo on arrival sets the tone and is carried throughout the layout with plants hanging from ceiling windows in a manufactured canopy in the more collaborative areas.
Sustainability
The emphasis on sustainability in this project came from the recycling of existing materials and the use of local suppliers during the challenges posed by the COVID pandemic.
We re-used the existing ceiling tiles, and gridwork, and were able to work with the existing floor tiles and existing base build carpet, extending it in a sensible way instead of ripping it all up.
The furniture had to be sourced here in Australia so not only were we reducing our carbon footprint by avoiding the emissions of importation, but we were able to support our local businesses during these tough economic times. In the same vein, Axiom also used Canberra-based contractors.
Interior Design - Co-Working & Studio Space
This award celebrates innovative and creative building interiors, with consideration given to space creation and planning, furnishings, finishes, aesthetic presentation and functionality. Consideration also given to space allocation, traffic flow, building services, lighting, fixtures, flooring, colours, furnishings and surface finishes.
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