Greener pastures

Green Square North Tower's expansive floor plates were conceived by developers to appeal to tenants in terms of generous, open, highly flexible workspaces. As Cardno was bringing together several business units under one roof, it wanted to create a strong inter-staff connectivity across all four floors of the new head office. In fact, in conjunction with Harry Poulos Architects, the company took this idea a step further.

Provision had been made in North Tower's design for the inclusion of internal stairs at a later date. This was considered a drawcard the concept being that it would create an easy connection across all levels of a large fit-out, so that staff would not need to walk long distances to the central lift lobby or fire stairs.

Harry Poulos Architects designed the light-filled stairwell, which would require cutting through solid concrete floors on three levels, creating a strong architectural feature, says Harry Poulos.

"Besides providing a way to move quickly from level to level, the broad flights of stairs are also places to meet with other staff informally," says the architect. "To encourage this interaction, tea and coffee stations have been positioned near the stairwell on all levels of the tenancy making the stairwell the spine of day-to-day activity for the Cardno offices."

However, the first sight to greet clients and visitors to Cardno's offices is the clean, crisp reception desk and an adjacent reception pod framed in timber.

"Cardno is a global company, and this relocation means its local operations have become one. Given both these factors, the circle is used as a graphic theme for the interiors," says Poulos. "The reception counter reflects this motif, as do the office dividers, carpet and cabinetry in the meeting areas."

The use of back-lit, textured white acrylic on the reception counter and a predominance of white finishes generally create a crisp, international flavour. To balance this, elements such as the timber frame on the reception waiting area bring touches of warmth.

Graphics representing people and places that have benefited from Cardno's expertise are seen in frosted-glass etchings on glass boardroom doors and walls.

There is a predominance of meeting rooms and breakout areas in the fit-out. The offices themselves are open plan, modular and standardised to allow for reconfiguration to match future staffing requirements.

To this end, Green Square North Tower has shallow, easily accessed service areas as part of the base fit-out, adding to the flexibility of the tenancy for Cardno.

"This project is about personal communication," says Poulos. "From the light-filled stairwell and open floor plates to the lunch areas in the winter gardens, Cardno's offices present a convivial environment for staff and visitors alike."

For further details, contact Harry Poulos Architects, 165 Melbourne St, South Brisbane, Qld 4101, phone (07) 3255 2828, fax (07) 3255 2424. Or visit the website: www.poulos.com.au.

Story by: Trendsideas