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Architects: KIN Architects
- Area: 790 m²
- Year: 2019
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Photographs:Christopher Frederick Jones
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Manufacturers: Bona, GRAPHISOFT, Forbo Flooring Systems, Austral Bricks, Dulux
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Lead Architects: Leah Gallagher, Marjorie Dixon, Elena Ihl
Text description provided by the architects. KIN Architects has completed the transformation of a West End Nightclub into a workplace “jungle” for a technology company, Scrunch. The fit-out introduces pocket parks to the open plan warehouse allowing Scrunch to accommodate daily office activities and after-dark events in the same multi-purpose space. KIN Directors Marjorie Dixon and Leah Gallagher, as well as their clients, were determined to acknowledge the history of the HiFi live music venue. “The venue was known for a long time so we wanted to harness that history,” Leah says. “We thought that introducing natural landscape would amplify the sense of theatre that once existed.”
Gardens are dotted throughout the open floor plan creating loosely defined areas for working and collaborating. “The interior had to impress potential investors and also offer a point of difference to competitors,” Marjorie says. While the natural landscape helps to identify spaces for different teams within the one office space, it also boosts well-being. “Scrunch are very aware that people dedicate a lot of time to their work lives and they wanted people to feel comfortable, content and be able to bring dogs to their workplace.”
Catering for multiple working scenarios, KIN delivered workspaces of varying scales and character. “We wanted to create small pockets of space within the large volume for staff to take quiet calls or breakaway,” Leah says. Other spaces like the foam pit bring a sense of fun and whimsy to the workday. “Surprisingly the foam pit is used daily,” Marjorie says. “It's easy to take your laptop in and use the screens for meetings in a more relaxed setting." After dark, the workspace transforms.
“Scrunch holds large networking events and conferences so we designed the desks to roll under the stage,” Marjorie says. “The terraces allow for tiered viewing of the stage in a way that is comfortable for large crowds. So event mode works really well for them!” Keen to work in a cost-effective and environmentally responsible way, construction materials were recycled wherever possible. “All of the plywood used was once the subfloor of the old nightclub,” Marjorie says. “We also kept the wall framing with the round lounge becoming the foam pit, the VIP area becoming the boardroom and the ticket sales booth becoming the mailroom.”
Marjorie and Leah commend the bravery of their clients who embraced a number of highly unconventional ideas. “Our clients loved the initial ideas and committed to the concept early on,” Leah says. “So we are thrilled to see it working as we all envisioned.”
