Hands up if you ve spent large chunks

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Jennifer George
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Photography: jeremy toth OFFICE SPACE Sharon Stephenson has roamed the globe to find work environments where architects and designers have created interiors that up the colour, and creative, ante.

Hands up if you ve spent large chunks of your working life held hostage by drab, uninspiring offices with beige walls, bad carpet and an over-exuberant use of cheap-but-functional furnishings.

1 Photography: jeremy toth OFFICE SPACE Sharon Stephenson has roamed the globe to find work environments where architects and designers have created interiors that up the colour, and creative, ante. Prepare to be jealous. Hands up if you ve spent large chunks of your working life held hostage by drab, uninspiring offices with beige walls, bad carpet and an over-exuberant use of cheap-but-functional furnishings. You are not alone. But office managers are beginning to understand that the space in which staff work can have a direct impact on their mood and efficiency, which, in turn, affects their creativity and productivity: that the workspace should be designed for maximum inspiration. Whether it s for a small start-up involving three people or the large-scale operation of an international corporation, the design, layout and, perhaps most importantly, the use of colour, are essential considerations in creating a stimulating environment. Read on for five of our favourite office spaces. urbismagazine.com 97

what really puts the sparkle in the space s tiara is the top floor, which houses a

November 2012, this five-storeyed, 3,500m² floor space was completely reworked by

The company has been based in the Greys Avenue building for 15 years, and the

only was inspirational but also met the operational needs of the 200 staff and

Each of the five levels was designed to reflect the unique nature of the respective

But generous lounge, kitchen and bar space that works for house group meetings and

In a creative industry like ours, the importance of our working environment cannot be

It really is like working in a completely new and fresh office, says Justin Mowday,

2 what really puts the sparkle in the space s tiara is the top floor, which houses a generous lounge, kitchen and bar space DDB Group Auckland, New Zealand Completed in November 2012, this five-storeyed, 3,500m² floor space was completely reworked by Campbell Johnson, DDB s senior environments designer. The company has been based in the Greys Avenue building for 15 years, and the challenge was to breathe life into the large space and create an environment that not only was inspirational but also met the operational needs of the 200 staff and visiting clients. Each of the five levels was designed to reflect the unique nature of the respective DDB Group entities; these include advertising, digital, social media, data, PR, events, brand strategy and design. Furniture and fittings came from New Zealanders Simon James and Douglas + Bec. But what really puts the sparkle in the space s tiara is the top floor, which houses a generous lounge, kitchen and bar space that works for house group meetings and functions for 200 people or more, and small get-togethers. In a creative industry like ours, the importance of our working environment cannot be underestimated, and the revamp of the DDB building has been a fantastic success. It really is like working in a completely new and fresh office, says Justin Mowday, managing director of DDB. ddb.co.nz Photography: jeremy toth These and previous pages. The DDB office makeover spans five floors of a central Auckland office building and showcases furniture by local designers. 98 urbis 73 urbismagazine.com 99

Coca-Cola s brightand-breezy Mexico City office was designed by ROW// Studio architects.

company s commitment to creativity, it s never going to be dull There s no mistaking who the

brands belonging to the fizzy-drink behemoth, it also reinforces the company s values in its

It is named Espacio C, or C Space; the letter C stands for the initial of Coca-Cola, as well

The brainchild of Mexican architecture and design firm ROW//Studio, the 120m² space is used

Hence the three rooms follow a concentric layout around a multifunctional fixed module; this

3 Coca-Cola s brightand-breezy Mexico City office was designed by ROW// Studio architects. Coca-Cola Mexico City, Mexico when you re dealing with the bright-red cocacola logo, and the company s commitment to creativity, it s never going to be dull There s no mistaking who the client is in this bright-red office-cum-training facility in the south-western sector of Mexico City. Not only does the design include elements effervescence and Coke-red walls of the different brands belonging to the fizzy-drink behemoth, it also reinforces the company s values in its moniker. It is named Espacio C, or C Space; the letter C stands for the initial of Coca-Cola, as well as for commitment and creativity. The brainchild of Mexican architecture and design firm ROW//Studio, the 120m² space is used primarily for teamwork and brainstorming sessions, lectures and presentations. Hence the three rooms follow a concentric layout around a multifunctional fixed module; this allows them to be either joined together or separated out, according to need. A key feature is the use of colourful graphics to create a composition based on the Coke logo, formed by a continuous wave of bubbles, animals and plants. According to ROW designer Alfonso Maldonado Ochoa, colour is at the heart of this space: When you re dealing with the bright-red Coca-Cola logo, and the company s commitment to creativity, it s never going to be a dull, beige space. rowarch.com Photography: Juan Marcos Castaneda 100 urbis 73 urbismagazine.com 101

Google has refurbished its central London headquarters and nearby engineering facility

it s a commercial property solution that ticks all the fun and practical boxes.

Google London, United Kingdom So enamoured was Google of Watford-based architecture

engineering base in Buckingham Palace Road, but also its UK HQ in Covent Garden.

Starship Enterprise, and includes cutting-edge gaming rooms, music studios, a park,

There s also an android studio and flight pods, designed as laid-back spaces for

Across town, Google s Covent Garden 14,800m² HQ (both fit-outs are featured on these

private booths), parks, a granny flat, retro-themed café and allotments on the ninth

There s also a town hall-type auditorium and a gym/ dance studio with gob-smacking

4 Google has refurbished its central London headquarters and nearby engineering facility to include vegetable gardens, dance studios and cafés. it s a commercial property solution that ticks all the fun and practical boxes. it s about designing your heart out with a normal-ish budget. Google London, United Kingdom So enamoured was Google of Watford-based architecture firm Penson that it commissioned them to design not only the global company s engineering base in Buckingham Palace Road, but also its UK HQ in Covent Garden. The former, which consists of 13,000m² of floor space, has been likened to the Starship Enterprise, and includes cutting-edge gaming rooms, music studios, a park, coffee lab, lounges, micro-kitchens and an auditorium labelled Tech Talk. There s also an android studio and flight pods, designed as laid-back spaces for coworkers to hang out in. Across town, Google s Covent Garden 14,800m² HQ (both fit-outs are featured on these pages) lies at the other end of the design spectrum, with secret gardens (wireless private booths), parks, a granny flat, retro-themed café and allotments on the ninth floor, where staff members are encouraged to grow their own vegetables. There s also a town hall-type auditorium and a gym/ dance studio with gob-smacking views over the south of London. It s a commercial property solution that ticks all the fun and practical boxes, says Lee Penson, founder of Penson. It s about designing your heart out with a normal-ish budget. pensongroup.com Photography: David Barbour 102 urbis 73 urbismagazine.com 103

The head office for gaming company Pocket Gems looks more like a rumpus room than a corporate building.

.. that incorporates distinct areas for play, relaxation and work.

Gems. Located in San Francisco s South of Market district, Pocket Gems leases the top floor of a 1920s building that had been

The brief was to open up the 2,133m² space to create an open-plan environment that takes advantage of the existing skylights

The finished space, which was completed in 2011, features a roomy kitchen, glass-enclosed meeting rooms and large skylights

5 The head office for gaming company Pocket Gems looks more like a rumpus room than a corporate building. Pocket Gems San Francisco, USA The brief was to create an openplan environment... that incorporates distinct areas for play, relaxation and work. You d expect, wouldn t you, that if you spent your day creating fun and funky mobile games, the space in which you do so would reflect your design ethos? You d be right in the case of the space Min Day, a Bay Area architecture practice, created for mobile gaming company Pocket Gems. Located in San Francisco s South of Market district, Pocket Gems leases the top floor of a 1920s building that had been subdivided into small office spaces. The brief was to open up the 2,133m² space to create an open-plan environment that takes advantage of the existing skylights and exposed wooden structure, and incorporates distinct areas for play, relaxation and work. The finished space, which was completed in 2011, features a roomy kitchen, glass-enclosed meeting rooms and large skylights that flood the area with light. A key feature is the pixilated floor covering that unifies and animates the open space as it transforms: the orange and red hues are used to spotlight the public spaces, while the blues indicate more-private working zones. The same hues are used for feature walls. Unsurprisingly, the pièce de résistance is a lounge complete with gaming consoles, a big-screen television and a pool table. minday.com Photography: Bruce Damonte urbismagazine.com 105

At the Denmark offices of LEGO, a slide has been installed to move staff between floors.

bonsai gardens and a slide connecting floors welcome to LEGO s development department,

Designed by the Copenhagen-based Rosan Bosch Studio, the 2,000m² space folds the

dynamic working relationship between designers.

ideas, while the Fun Zone contains not only a bar but a room in which children can test

They ve also raided the paint shop for the brightest colours and dreamed up a fun way

You can t expect the developers at LEGO to invent new and exciting toys if their

6 At the Denmark offices of LEGO, a slide has been installed to move staff between floors. Paintwork and furniture complement the aesthetic of the brightly coloured toys created there. you can t expect the developers at lego to invent new and exciting toys if their environment is dull and monotonous. LEGO Billund, Denmark Wallpaper featuring giant blades of grass, tables with built-in bonsai gardens and a slide connecting floors welcome to LEGO s development department, where the emphasis is on fun, playfulness and creativity. Designed by the Copenhagen-based Rosan Bosch Studio, the 2,000m² space folds the concepts of development, play and creativity into the spatial design and allows for a dynamic working relationship between designers. Podiums and model towers give designers the chance to display their work and exchange ideas, while the Fun Zone contains not only a bar but a room in which children can test new products. They ve also raided the paint shop for the brightest colours and dreamed up a fun way to travel between floors. You can t expect the developers at LEGO to invent new and exciting toys if their environment is dull and monotonous, says Kasper Kloch, project manager for Rosan Bosch. Today s companies need their employees to be creative, innovative and collaborative on a higher level. By creating working environments that support these competencies, it s possible to enhance human capacity, encourage employees to perform better and increase the company s results. rosanbosch.com Photography: Anders Sune Berg 106 urbis 73 urbismagazine.com 107

Case Study(2) Lego PMD office

University Of Bahrain College Of Engineering Department Of Civil And Architecture Engineering Interior Design Program. Case Study(2) Lego PMD office Name : Fatim Abdulshaheed Ali ID: 20110228 INTD320 INTERIOR