This four storey Newmarket building started life in 1963 as an office building. Since then its been converted to a fast food restaurant, gymnasium, squash court, shops and finally a site office for constructing a neighbouring building. As a result the floors had become a rabbit warren of trashed darkly lit partitioned rooms, disconnected stairs and excess toilets.

It needed a good clean out and some serious planning rationalization. To generate a new brighter future for the building our approach was to go back to the original design. The new design proposed a centrally organized core with lift, stairs and toilets to allow large open plan office floors.

The façades also needed replacing and the new façade was inspired by the original 60’s design. Now the façade again features metal panel frames with floor to ceiling curtain glazing, ensuring future tenants have good daylighting and great views of Newmarket. In the fitout of the floors parts of the original concrete columns and beams, block walls and old squash court are left exposed, new modern finishes now are juxtaposing with original structural elements and will remind future occupiers of the building’s history.

Another building owner may have briefed us to start from the future, but credit to this building owner for recognizing that designing starting from the past can create a richer future.

A contemporary look to surpass the neighbours and attract a new long term tenant

The owner of this office building was having increasing trouble releasing it. Potential tenants turned it down saying it looked more like a house than a commercial office building. Built in 1980 this office building had a traditional domestic pitched roof with a verandah and was clad in residential materials like brick veneer and shingle tiles. Escalating the issue was the new cutting edge commercial buildings springing up around it.

Time for a contemporary look to surpass the neighbours and attract a new long term tenant. A new modern louvre screen wrapping around the building was introduced to make the building appear bigger and disguises the old pitched roof form. Old domestic materials were replaced with new modern materials: composite aluminum; green tinted glass and prefinished metal to reflect a commercial image. The interiors have also had a makeover, old prison like offices have been opened up by the use of steel frames and glass. New elements like the louvre screen and tinted glass have also improve the performance of the offices, reducing the running costs for the new tenant.