1+2 Architecture acknowledges the Palawa people as the traditional custodians of lutruwita, the lands on which our company is located and where we conduct our business. We pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past and present. We are committed to honouring Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and seas and their rich contribution to society.
Stornoway Offices
LOCATION + TRADITIONAL COUNTRY
The Palawa, North Hobart, Tasmania
CLIENT
Not applicable
STATUS
Built (2015)
AWARDS
2016 RAIA Tas Chapter - Award for Commercial Architecture
2016 RAIA Tas Chapter - Award for Interior Architecture
media
Not applicable
PHOTOGRAPHY
1+2 Architecture
1+2 Architecture was commissioned to convert a disused shopfront and warehouse into the new head office for Stornoway, a Tasmanian company that designs, builds and maintains civil infrastructure.
With an organisational ethos that considers everything from the environmental impacts of its construction work to its business structure and management systems, it was important that Stornoway's new workplace reflected these same values.
The ambition was to create a contemporary workplace that would positively impact the working life and wellbeing of employees, while promoting workplace integration, communication and innovation.
KEY COLLABORATORS
+ Builder:
+ Structural / Hydraulic Engineering:
Aldanmark Consulting Engineers
+ Services Engineering:
+ Building Surveyor:
+ Land Surveyor:
+ Quantity Surveyor:
Place
The project involved the adaptive reuse of two existing brick buildings, a former shopfront and warehouse, brought together to accommodate Stornoway's operations.
A new glazed reception links the buildings, providing a complementary contrast to their heavy brick forms. Relocating the entry from the street frontage to the side of the building created a shared reception for public and trade access.
The retention and transformation of the existing structures was central to the project's sustainable approach, allowing the character and material resources of the original buildings to contribute to their new purpose.
Process
A diverse palette of basic, raw, recycled and cost-effective materials was selected and assembled to exude warmth and comfort, while maintaining the required level of formality.
Timber was central to this approach. Framing salvaged from the demolition of mezzanine floors was repurposed to form a bespoke glazed partitioning and screening system, while low-grade C-D plywood was used for wall linings and perforated acoustic ceilings. Combined with acoustic recycled PET and plywood panelling, these materials help create a quiet and calm work environment.
Tasmanian Eucalypt hardwood was used to structure the new external glazed façades, built in composite with an aluminium glazing adaptor to bring daylight and natural ventilation into the interior. The timbers were left rough sawn on their long faces and dressed on their internal short faces, providing textural variation and refinement at a small scale.
“What a pleasure it is to be in this amazing workspace. The use of light and space creates a working environment that it’s a pleasure to come into every day. The design and layout create flexibility in workspaces and allows for great collaboration, as well as quiet areas to concentrate. It just feels like a creative place to be.”
Stornoway Staff Feedback Survey
Impact
The adaptive reuse of the existing buildings has created a contemporary workplace that brings together Stornoway's organisational values with an innovative and sustainable approach to design and construction.
Awards + Jury Citation
RAIA Tasmania 2016
Commercial Architecture Award:
"[This project is a] successful example of adaptive re-use, a clever, simple and considered solution that has met the brief for a workspace that promotes integration, communication and innovation."
"The commercial fitout for Stornoway, a Tasmanian company that designs, builds, and maintains civil infrastructure, is a successful example of adaptive reuse. It makes use of an existing shopfront and warehouse with the intervention of a linking reception. This glazed link is a complementary contrast between the two heavy brick buildings and makes use of repurposed timber from the site. The entry has been relocated from street frontage to side – a clever solution to create a shared reception for public and trade. This, along with simple and considered planning has met the client’s brief of a workspace that promotes integration, communication, and innovation."
Interior Architecture Award:
"The architects were commissioned to convert an existing shopfront and warehouse into the office of Stornoway. The brief consisted of providing a space that enhanced health and wellbeing, while promoting innovation and communication. A refined palette of recycled raw timber, plywood, and acoustic panelling brings warmth to the industrial space. Materials have been carefully selected, based on their environmental credentials, simplicity, rawness, and cost effectiveness. The insertion of roof lights creates an environment filled with natural light. The combination of natural light and ventilation, clever acoustic solutions, and raw natural materials works to create a harmonious and contemporary workplace."
