Well connected

Developing one commercial building on an architecturally significant site is demanding enough. But it's even more challenging to provide two buildings that each have their own architectural identity, yet are also intrinsically linked in a visual sense.

The smaller of the two new commercial buildings in Canberra's City West precinct, 7 London Circuit, is in no way dominated by its taller neighbour, 18 Marcus Clarke. On the contrary, 7 London Circuit has its own distinctive architecture a design that reflects the innovative, high-tech business of its key tenant.

As with 18 Marcus Clarke, the building was developed by Leighton Properties and designed by Woods Bagot. David Patmore, business development manager for Leighton Properties, says the company wanted to create a building with stand-out architecture.

"We didn't want to provide a staid old office building. We wanted a building with pizzazz a design that would be appropriate for the key tenant National ICT Australia (NICTA). This organisation was established by the ACT and New South Wales Governments, in conjunction with the Australian National University and the University of New South Wales, to promote Australian technology and innovation in the world arena. The architecture needed to respond to the high-tech nature of this business."

Architect Earle Arney, director of Woods Bagot, says 7 London Circuit also needed to make a strong visual statement to reinforce the significance of the City West site. Both buildings are situated in a key part of the city, adjacent to the Parliamentary Triangle. This triangle is formed by three prominent axes that complement the hexagonal street grid laid out in the City Hill master plan developed by architect Walter Burley Griffin in 1912.

"In keeping with Griffin's urban design principles, 7 London Circuit is designed to reinforce the primacy of this important corner site, while also providing mid-block connectivity by way of a through-site link on the axis with City Hill," says Arney. "This axis is reinforced by an activated pedestrian street that runs through 7 London Circuit to the secondary or rear entrance of 18 Marcus Clarke. The spaces between the buildings are just as important as the buildings themselves the resultant commercial campus is informed by the larger City Hill urban structure envisioned by Griffin."

Arney says another significant design influence for 7 London Circuit was the need to ensure the building was as compelling from above, as from ground level.

"From the outset, we treated the building as though it had five facades four sides plus a roofscape, which is overlooked by 18 Marcus Clarke. We were also conscious that the silhouette of this building was to be seen from afar, and we understood that it was to have a significant visual impact."

To this end, the roof design is similar to a fly roof on a tent a metal foil hovers over the building to provide shading, and forms a soaring canopy.

"The design also integrates passive environmentally sustainable strategies. The roof acts as a veil, providing passive shading and inducing convection. This veil is also folded over the west facade to shield the building from the harsh afternoon sun. Research was undertaken with the team to ensure that all facades were tuned to their orientation to optimise thermal insulation, daylight penetration and glare control."

David Patmore says the interior also reflects a new approach to commercial office design.

"Many older buildings in Canberra do not have an internal focus. Unless you happen to have an office near a window on the outside of the building, there is nothing to look at. And even then, there is no contact with what's happening at street level. For this project, we wanted to open up the buildings to provide a much more animated, people-focused workplace."

The large, seven-storey atrium, which separates the two buildings that make up 7 London Circuit, fulfils this function. Glazed office walls and an open stairwell provide a transparency that allows workers to see what's happening at all levels of the building. The atrium incorporates bridges and cantilevered glazed pods that further animate the space.

"People moving through the atrium can see a lively and dynamic workforce going about its business," says Patmore. "Similarly, the people inside have a strong connection with what is happening elsewhere."

Arney says the two sides of the atrium have been designed so they are not symmetrical, in order to create a spatial tension along the through-site link. The seemingly randomly located pop-outs are complemented by a large, four-storey module adjacent to the atrium that incorporates the internal circulation for NICTA. All these elements are deliberately re-centred, and a variety of glazing elements are employed to help articulate the space.

In keeping with the more people-focused design, meeting rooms are positioned beside the atrium, and are afforded extensive views into the atrium.

"The stairs are also a very important element of the work place and encourage staff interaction," says Arney. "Studies have shown that often the most productive conversations are the result of chance encounters in the work place. Similarly, a generosity of space filled with natural light, similar to that provided in the NICTA void, can encourage people to linger, and provides alternate places to work and interact."

Patmore says the building further breaks the mould with its large, 2000m² floorplates, which increase the net lettable area. Column penetrations are minimised and exterior columns are hidden behind the curtain wall.

Additional ESD features include double glazing, and the use of low-E glass. Energy-efficient lighting, including motion sensors, also features throughout. In addition, workers are encouraged to leave their cars at home, thanks to a reduced number of car parking bays and the provision of bicycle racks and showers.

For more information, contact Leighton Properties (NSW), Ground Floor, 472 Pacific Highway, St Leonards, NSW 2065, phone (02) 9925 6666. Website: www.leightonproperties.com.au.

Or contact Woods Bagot, PO Box N19, Grosvenor Pl, Sydney, NSW 1220, phone (02) 9249 2500. Website: www.woodsbagot.com.au.

Story by: Trendsideas