Natural tones and a sense of team community were key in the Datacom offices interior fit-out

The coming together of Datacom's Auckland staff from five locations to the Datacom Building was a key driver in the interior design.

Interiors specialist Gaze Commercial was asked to create a vibrant fit-out that both created a sense of localised neighbourhoods, and also encouraged wider socialisation across all five floors of the Datacom offices. Senior designer at Gaze, Anel Difford, explains some of the features of the design.

"Datacom wanted the space to feel earthy and inviting, with plenty of living plants, natural materials, and daylight," says Difford. "Hence the lush green wall on the public entry Level 1 and emphasis on wood around the cafe servery area and on planter boxes. Wood also created a warm focus for the tea stations on all levels."

The decoratively clad support columns add to the light feel on Level 1. These are clad in metal with tiny back-lit perforations that represent data code. The back lights can be dimmed when shared events or screenings are in progress. The three training rooms on this floor can open up to each other, and to the cafe space, with sliding partition walls.

"This was a substantial fit-out over five floors so creating a sense of individual neighbourhoods was key. This was done by choosing colour themes for floors and touches like individual naming of rooms."

The localised colours Level Two is in oranges and reds for example appear as bright carpet strips against the two-tone grey base carpets around the tea stations, in booth seating areas and some general office spaces. These orienting colours also appear on joinery, furniture, laminates, fabrics, and feature walls. Even the acoustic treatments have base and accent colours that match the relevant floor's wayfinding theme.

Several strategies were used to create the feel of overall team togetherness. One high-profile element is the central timber stair, with its landings providing for casual bump' meetings.

At the same time, the communal areas such as the Level 1 games zone and cafe provide encouragement to bring staff out from behind their desks and interact with others from across all floors.

"This was a big project simply due to the scale of the fit-out and also due to the tight timing," says Difford. "We were literally bringing together the interior design as the building was still being completed. Close liaison with trades and having a great client to work with ensured the fit-out was hassle-free and delivered on time and to budget."

To contact Gaze Commercial in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch, phone 0800 575 657, email: info@gaze.co.nz, web: www.gaze.co.nz

Story by: Trendsideas