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Architects: Gray Puksand
- Area: 6000 m²
- Year: 2014
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Photographs:Mark Duffus
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Manufacturers: Arper, Stylecraft
Text description provided by the architects. City West Water (CWW) is a sustainable water business, providing innovative services to their local community. CWW relocated their head office to Footscray, to the new activity centre development known as FCAD. This was a significant culture shift for the organisation, as they moved from their head office site in Sunshine, a self-owned, single occupancy, remote facility, to shared tenanted building, as a lessee.
Connection with their community is tangible through active engagement. It was this message of integrity, City West Water wanted to celebrate in their new workspace.
The provision of interconnected breakout spaces provide the natural hub for the working environment. Located on the entry to each floor, connected vertically via an open stairway, these spaces offer an alternate work environment, and a retreat. Given CWW business is water, the design, look and feel is based on the natural states of water, liquid, ice and vapour.
Three distinct palettes of materials and colours have been developed embracing natural materials, a calm monochromatic base with a bold splash of colour. The resulting design is one that embraces its community, and creates a new one, reflective of the company’s cultural aspirations.
City West Water is pitching itself as a sustainable organization. Environmental considerations were there to take into account. The FCAD building is a 5-star Greenstar certified building, which was desirable for City West Water.
The Greenstar Office Interiors tool was used a design framework for the fit out, and was influential in selection of materials, furniture, indoor planting, air-conditioning, lighting selections and controls, and fitting and fixture selections. There was a focus on appropriate water saving fixtures being installed, especially due to water being the business of the company.
