Black Kite
by Bureau de Change architects, for Black Kite
Created by award-winning architecture practice Bureau de Change, the new office for independent visual effects and design studio Black Kite features innovative spatial design that caters to different levels of privacy and socialisation within a single open-planned space.
Situated in East London, the recently opened office boasts beautiful geometrical forms resembling traditional iron kilns that feature across the layout as dispersed intersecting circles. Within each of these timber-clad volumes are various working environments including visual effects suites that are isolated from external noise and light, as well as semi-private break-out spaces, allowing for subtle yet distinct transitions between different modes of working. Adjacent to the volumes, which reference the building’s industrial past as an Engineers and Iron Foundry, is an open-plan lounge that links the reception to the production desks at the back, as well as a stainless steel kitchen which acts as a centrepiece in the office and the main area for socialising. These minimalist touches are balanced by warm, homely furniture, to create a relaxed yet spacious interior.
The judges said: “Strong use of circular geometry supports the approach of creating private rooms and open areas but also creates nooks and in-between spaces that provide a unique response to the brief, balanced between functionality and playfulness.”
Cecilia
by Ekho Studio, for PRS for Music
Design consultancy Ekho Studio has created Performing Right Society (PRS) for Music’s new London headquarters. Capable of accommodating 450 colleagues across 185 desks, this new workplace was built to be efficient and flexible.
Working to five design principles, including supporting new ways of working and promoting wellbeing, Ekho created a space which is nimble, agile and clever, bringing together a large team, but also allowing for necessary break-away areas. Aesthetically, the office showcases a minimalist style with niche touches of materiality, lighting and artwork. Clean lines, exposed brick, bold graphics, occasional punchy colours and some striking pieces of joinery combine to create a sophisticated and timeless space suited to a contemporary company such as PRS. Above all, the design supports the team’s dynamic work processes, extracurricular activities, and enables and encourages collaboration.
Here + Now
by Hawkins\Brown, for V7
Here+Now brings nearly 13,935 square meters of sustainably-focused workspace to Thames Valley Park near Reading. Designed by architectural firm Hawkins/Brown, this giant project seeks to promote a better connection with nature, enhanced wellbeing, and new modes of working.
Formerly a tired office building owned by Microsoft, the disused space has now been transformed into a stage for business, creative and social interaction. Implementing features such as suspended ‘treehouse’ meeting pods, a bleacher presentation area, and quiet rooms, and fitting these with timber panelling and a neutral and earthy colour palette creates a sense of calm and focus. Meanwhile, a dedicated Peloton room, fleet facilities where tenants can rent outdoor equipment such as paddle boards and skateboards, touchless sensors, and easy-to-sanitise materials, prioritise worker health and happiness, whilst encouraging more environmentally friendly methods of transportation.
Dyson Global HQ Singapore
by M Moser Associates, for Dyson
Office design specialists M Moser Associates created a new global headquarters for Dyson in Singapore. The historic St. James Power Station, the site of many engineering firsts, is now the home of the design-led company, and aims to advance growth and support innovation whilst championing sustainability and wellbeing.
Transformed into a highly functional space in which Dyson scientists and engineers can develop future technologies, the campus-like masterplan for its creation works within the confines of the existing heritage architecture. Using smart technologies, biophilic elements, inclusive amenities and energy reduction strategies, M Moser has developed a headquarters that lives up to its company’s forward-thinking ethos. At the heart of the project is a four-story turbine hall which serves as a transitional space to other parts of the campus, in which employees can find a range of work settings to suit their needs. The office utilises an elegant and reductive material palette to provide context and meaning, including concrete floors and black metal as a reference to the structure’s past, and polycarbonate, metal mesh and mirrored cladding as a nod to the future. These are balanced by the inclusion of natural materials such as wood and stone which ground the headquarters in its green surroundings.
Workplace Interiors
HALL OF FAME WINNERS
shortlisted
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Clockwise Southampton
by Hawkins\Brown, for Castleforge Partners
Clockwise Southampton is a new co-working space designed by architectural firm Hawkins/Brown. Catering to workers who don’t want to do the long commute into London, but also don’t want to be stuck within the confines of their home, this space offers a range of working environments.
Mixing experimental open-plan desks, acoustically-separated desks, single office pods, and private ‘zoom rooms’, the layout of Clockwise facilitates both interaction and networking as well as privacy and focused work. Set within the port city of Southampton, the design naturally draws on the local area’s marine heritage, as well as its Regency architecture, to create a space that aligns with its unique context. With sustainability also an important aspect of the project, Hawkins/Brown have used long-lasting, recycled, low VOC materials, as well as lime-based paint, repurposed carpet titles, and furniture made from marine waste.
