NIOA Offices Melbourne
The NIOA Melbourne Office Fit‐out project required an architectural fit‐out of their newly acquired base shell tenancy. Timber was chosen as the feature material incorporated throughout the fit‐out due to a design methodology expression of raw materiality and the intrinsic beneficial biophilic properties of timber architecture.
Location
Melbourne
Client
NIOA
Status
Complete
Context
The Nioa Melbourne Office Fit‐out project required an architectural fit‐out of their newly acquired base shell tenancy. Timber was chosen as the feature material, incorporated throughout the fit‐out, due to a design methodology expression of raw materiality and the intrinsic beneficial biophilic properties of timber architecture.
Timber
American Walnut batten screens feature throughout the design; wrapping columns, staircase and boardroom walls. American Walnut was also used for all built-in joinery and custom furniture; including custom tambours with integrated planting, kitchen and coffee bar, shelving, and dividing screen wall.
Rosewood was used for glazing framing and door panels; strategically utilised to achieve defence security level requirements, as well as, the integration of switch glass within the boardroom and meeting rooms.
The integral use of timber ventures, beyond joinery and finishes, were used to define the facilities social spaces at the front and rear of the facility; defined by engineered American Walnut flooring.
Detail
High‐level detailing was essential to the success of the built design – with strategic seamless and expressed joints were used to ensure focus remained on the warm hardwood finishes throughout.
The interior design also incorporated radical concepts such as a weathered steel feature screen; that will age and change as the company develops with it. The steel feature screen's tones will gradually change to match the reds and browns of the surrounding timber, as it slowly oxidises.
Lighting
Feature ring lighting was designed with dark‐stained perforated ply encased within to express the timber grain, whilst imbuing it with new life as the patterns glistens by reflecting light as staff walk through the space.
Six, custom feature, carbon fibre lights hang from the ceiling – a feature physically linking the fit‐out to the clients business. The feature lights are flipped in non‐active fashion and suspended with three illuminated rings floating above, as if a parachute, symbolising the client’s sovereignty capacity.
