Bar room was a space within the premises of the State Courts catered for lawyers as they await their trial in the State Courts. Hence, it was a crucial space where the lawyers gathered their thoughts before they were summoned to the courts. We were engaged to propose the interior design for this crucial space that has been the provision of the former State Courts at Havelock Square.
CONCEPT
The new State Courts was an important building designed by the world renown architect Moshe Safdie, famous for his work at the Marina Bay Sands and the Jewel Changi Airport.
Bar room was a private room in the basement that the State Courts had provided for the lawyers, a familiar offering in the previous State Courts. In envisioning the space for contemplation and reflection for the legal practitioners, we designed the space with a calm and warm palette of colors and fabrics. Essentially an open plan, the room was spacious. We catered for an ambience of modern comfort with sofa seats as well as study tables for work and discussion.
A working station with computers and printers was provisioned as well. This was integrated with a well-stocked pantry that allowed the catering of refreshments and coffee. The final result was a purposefully designed space with a cozy ambience suited for the preparation of one’s thoughts and emotions.
The office premises were for a conglomerate that consisted of a legal
department, finance, capital markets, real estate and wealth management
services. Located at the new commercial office of Paya Lebar Quarter, the company
was relocating their staff from their existing office in Raffles Place. As a dynamic
company, the office wanted a new location that could allow for future
expansion.
CONCEPT
We envisioned the new office to be a modern outfit, equipped with technological
improvements and capabilities with an interactive and social advantage for the occupants.
Our proposal incorporated conducive work environments with creative niches and
break out areas. The pantry would be an open-concept design with opportunity to
mingle and socialize. The library would be similarly developed as a
collaborative space – encouraging cooperation with inter-department users. The
meeting rooms provided would be large and small; designed for comfort and empowered
with modern technology.
The Law Society of Singapore was moving into a new office space located in the heard of the Central Business District. They would be occupying the ground level of the newly-restored Maxwell Chambers which was a significant heritage building in Singapore. In our design , we sought to rethink the work environment for their new office premises to embody the unique context and reflect the progressive nature of the establishment.
CONCEPT
The new office is a series of connected spaces surrounding a central courtyard. The distinct outdoor spaces formed the primary inspiration for the interior design of the offices. The language of the office spaces would be creative and lively – catering for both work and collaboration.
In planning for the office spaces, the more “public” spaces would be located in close proximity to the central courtyard. These include the reception, meeting rooms and the pantry areas. The reception was designed to be modern and inviting, with a open island table for discussions and a connected meeting room.
At the center of the courtyard was a large space enclosed in double glazing. We proposed a flexible design that provided for a long communal table, mingling coffee chairs and tables and cosy corners for reading and contemplation. The space would be a agile environment that could be converted to a seminar space as the furniture were easily movable.
The “private” spaces of the finance, human resource, IT rooms and management offices were located further inwards. These spaces would be corporate spaces that would be accessibly only by staff.
Gatefosse is a France based biochemical and pharmaceutical ompany that is
rooted in research and technology. Well-established in Europe since 1880 , they
started a Asia Pacific office with their head quarters in Singapore. The office
was located at JTC Summit at Jurong and it was a environment that would be
minimal and modern with space for future expansion,
CONCEPT
We designed the
office with an appreciation for its business operations. The reception lobby
includes a broad company poster and an interactive Ipad for visitors to browse
the company’s electronic brochures and website. The main conference room is designed
to be sound-proof with audio -visual conferencing equipment to allow for international
meetings and discussions.
There is a integrated
storage facility within the office premise that is 24 hour cooled. The office
is a conducive working environment, with hot desking areas that allow for overseas
staff collaborations.
Founded in Scotland in 1887, William Grant & Sons are a premium spirits company which distributes some of the world’s leading brands of Scotch whisky. Their unique blend of spirits – Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, Hendrick’s Gin and Sailor Jerry Rum has become well-known brands that we know today.
The essence of the company and their branding for these spirits form the inspiration for our design of their new Asia Pacific office in Singapore.
CONCEPT
Our design was to create an open plan office with work stations close to the external glazing. The working areas would be illuminated with natural light; highlighted by greenery in side planters beside the desks.
A central circulation spine permeates the office and visually connects the elongated office floor plate. Open workstations lined the window areas whilst enclosed meeting rooms were designated within interior spaces.
The meeting rooms were inspired by the brands of spirits that the company is famous for – the board room would be highlighted with a custom designed chandelier of Balvenie bottles; the creative meeting room would be illustrated with quirky graphics from Hendrick’s gin; the Sailor jerry room would have retro-inspired sofas and memorabilia.
Break out areas were introduced in between office workstations that encouraged brain-storming sessions. These areas were characterized with as creative environments often styled with casual seating and furniture,
The office areas were designed as an agile working environment, allowing for flexibility and mobility, Workers travel often and collaborations across their offices were facilitated by these hot-desking arrangements.
The project won the Silver Award at the Interior Design Confederation Awards in 2015.
The showroom for Universal Building Products was located in a suburban area that was to be accessible to project clients. A premier supplier of ceramic and homogeneous tiles, their intention was to create a conducive and productive environment for clients, designers and architects.
CONCEPT
We envisage the space to be open-concept with distinctive displays of the materials. The main entrance showcased the marble-look homogeneous tiles on the wall – which served as a backdrop for the main signage. The flooring featured timber like tiles in a herringbone layout. The displays of the tiles were categorized according to their character and origin. Working closely with our Clients to achieve the right mix, the display areas were allocated with careful planning. A working high table was designed to be a central island that would allow for small and large format tiles to be place at eye level for easy viewing.
Sao Mai development
was situated in the town of Long Xuyen that is about 200km from Ho Chi Minh
City, Vietnam. The project was a called for a mixed development consisting of a
retail development, with basement parking, a podium with swimming pool and two tower
blocks – one a hotel development and the other a office block development.
The strategic
site meant the project would be the flagship development of the town, with
majestic views to the city across the river.
The proposal
was awarded First Prize in the nation-wide competition.
CONCEPT
Our design encapsulates the essence of a
destination of choice. Designed to take advantage of the site as a water
fronting location, the office and hotel towers have clear visibility to the
river. The retail component brings the buzz and vibrancy to the ground and
makes this an exciting location for both work and play.
ACCESS
Accessibility to the site is via the main
Tran Hung Dao road. The ingress roads designed with separate and distinct drop
off for the hotel and office. Direct drop off for retail shoppers is at the center
of the shopping complex.
The lobbies for hotel and office are
separate with access to the building above as well as car park in the 2
basements provided. Drivers can enter the basement directly upon drop-off via
the ingress and egress roads located on the periphery of the site.
RETAIL
The retail levels span from 1st to 5th,
with 2 basements for car parking. A central void opens up the retail mall upon
arrival from the drop off at the center of the building, allowing shoppers a
clear visual connection to all floors above. F & B outlets as part of the
retail offering are located at the side facing the river allows maximum
frontage to the river and acts as the preferred stage for lively outdoor
activity.
HOTEL
& OFFICE TOWER
The hotel tower is a 20 level iconic
building. The distinctive facade treatment accentuates and distinguishes the
hotel building from the office block. The interiors are designed to be inviting
for the modern traveler – comfortable furnishings with a touch of class and
style. An extension of the interior space towards the outdoors is achieved with
balconies that face the soothing eastern sun and afford all rooms the
magnificent river views.
The office building at 15 stories has the
main facade facing the southern and eastern orientation. A distinctive modern
curtain glazing clad the office building on the main facades, and allows for
maximum visibility to the river; making it an attractive destination for
tenants.
At the podium level where the hotel and
office buildings congregate, the facilities are distinct yet complimentary. An
infinity edge pool allows hotel guests to enjoy relaxing times while taking in
the views to the river. An outdoor landscape deck allows activity to spill
outdoors, with a cafe catering for office workers and hotel guests alike.
Within the hotel, a gym and spa facility compliments the outdoor activity.
Functions rooms are provided for the business and private usage. In the office,
there are further provisions of meeting rooms for conferences and business use.
Faci’s Asia Pacific Office was a decision by the founders to erect a stand-alone building on an existing industrial site. With a desire to grow their team, the motive was to create a commercial environment for their own usage.
Located in Jurong Island within a large site primarily used for production, the building would serve for the company’s future expansion and corporate direction.
BRIEF
The design brief for Faci Asia Pacific’s corporate office in Singapore was derived from an intent to accommodate an expanding business and to cater for a venue for client collaborations.
The company manufactures non-toxic metal stearates and derivatives of fatty acids. Its main raw material Is palm oil. Established in Singapore on Jurong island since 2000, it has expanded its output and range of products.
The building had to be emblematic of the company’s business and strategy, with a strong underlying desire to promote their sustainable corporate image.
Our solution was for an efficient building to fulfil the company’s needs– both for current capacity and for future expansion, as well as a building that reflected the company’s ideals, identity and innovation.
CONCEPT
We proposed a sustainable office environment based on an efficient balance of its power usage, cooling requirements and water consumption. PVC cells were installed to provide power for hot showers. LED lighting in office areas and motion sensors for circulation areas.
Our inspiration was derived from the organic origins for Faci’s products. The main façade would reflect this background with an integrated vertical green wall design juxtaposed with the façade glazing. The series of green walls were composed of Versiwall panels which were light weight modules that were not only high-strength but fire-resistant.
We engaged the Clients closely to understand their work practices and requirements. The first level incorporated a large canteen space for the workers’ use with attached locker and bathroom areas for convenience.
This zone was separated from the main office area and access to the lobby to the upper levels. Different front entrances to the canteen and the office area were provided. There are two staircases provided with a clear width that was generous to allow for easy access between floors.
We worked closely with the Client, Consultants and Contractor to ensure the vision of the building was possible. This began with understanding Client’s work process to planning and designing the spaces for construction.
From design to construction implementation, the building utilised methods that incorporated green practices. These include the use of sustainable products such as low-VOC paint, green label ceiling boards, water proofing, raised floor system, timber door veneers, dry wall partitions, silicon sealants and adhesives.
The final outcome is an efficient and sustainable commercial building that maximised its small footprint for its purpose.
Facing the entry road to the site, the façade of the five storey building stands out as a visible landmark for the large industrial site. Incorporating a pattern of vertical greenery with the openable glazing, the façade has been designed to be a distinctive feature- representative of a corporate philosophy of ecologically sustainable manufacturing and technology.
The project won a BCA Green mark Gold Plus award in 2018 and the Singapore Good Design Mark Award in 2019.
