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Architects: SCDA Architects
- Area: 630 m²
- Year: 2017
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Manufacturers: AkzoNobel, EDL Laminate, Goodrich Global, Paints 101, Self Levelling Cement Screed
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Lead Architects: Soo K. Chan
Text description provided by the architects. List Sotheby’s is a leading luxury residential broker. We were commissioned to design their South East Asian headquarters which involved the fitout of an existing building footprint, internal area 630sqm. The client’s brief called for a prestigious office combining together space for a sales gallery, offices and specific broker areas.
DESIGN CHALLENGE
The initial challenge was to turn an existing building, originally built as a storage and dispatch unit, into a high end property sales suite. The building construction was a simple second floor single height shell with an open stair entrance at one end. The client’s brief necessitated an impressive, but subtle, enclosed entrance, oozing a feeling of luxury, but not too exuberant, leading their clients up into an impressive exhibition space, maximizing the spatial volume of the space and flexibility of use. The office space needed to cater for permanent staff and transient brokers allowing an easy flow between spaces but also allowing areas to be locked off as required.
Practical challenges followed as the client had both time and budget restrictions, necessitating a quick design and construction timeline, thus selection of the contractor was critical.
The design challenge therefore, was to bring a feeling of high quality distinction, concentrating on details, clean lines and flow of space into a nondescript building, while being mindful of the time and budget constraints. The design must also combine the sales exhibition, broker areas and permanent staff space while defining each space individually and allowing flexibility.
DESIGN SOLUTION.
The client selected us for their office interior fit out as they had seen many of our projects and were impressed by the quality of space, particularly the modern clean interiors, which have formality but retain a relaxed comfortable feel.
Planning was important to the flow of space and was achieved by clearly identifying the hierarchy of spaces from the impressive sales gallery first entered upon through to the broker and administration spaces, and beyond to the open plan and director offices. One design palate and clean simple detailing was retained throughout to provide a coherent design language, while also helping the contractor, whom we worked closely with, maintain the timeline and budget. As an element of memorability the sales gallery features a sculptured ceiling and folding display panels, which allow flexibility and set the scene upon entering.
The entailing design creates specific entities for each, all within a clean modern envelope which naturally flows from the directors offices through to the open exhibit space. The overall feel is open, formal and friendly, with an element of surprise as you enter. The design aesthetic recognizes the building’s humble beginnings and embraces this to become a prestigious sales suite.
