The global pandemic has created some of the greatest changes in workplaces seen in decades.
The necessity of work-from-home arrangements that has proven there are advantages to this means the mindset that we can only work from “traditional” offices has been exploded.
Instead, as we emerge from the pandemic and learn to live with changed circumstances and the ongoing possibility of lockdowns, a new breed of work environments is emerging to foster and support those who work in them.
It seems clear that for many businesses, a hybrid model that mixes office with work-from-home is not so much the way of the future but of the now.
To create an environment that encourages productivity and creativity, while at the same time instilling a sense of calm in a time of uncertainty is not necessarily an easy task.
Layout, interior design, appointments and features must work together to achieve those aims.
As the most tactile elements of design, the role of furniture, aesthetically and practically, is undeniable.
Living Edge has worked with some of the more innovative projects in workplace design, including the Goodman Group’s The Hayesbery.
Global property group Goodman had undertaken the creation of this new flagship workplace in a former hat factory in Sydney when the pandemic hit.
The Hayesbery warehouse was built in 1921 for ladies’ hat manufacturer RC Henderson in Rosebery, 6km south of the CBD.
Goodman engaged architects Woods Bagot to transform four of the remaining industrial buildings into a sustainable, integrated, flexible campus-style workplace.
In light of Covid-19, the design pivoted to incorporate specific health and wellness features that would help protect Goodman’s people and support a shift to flexible working.
This included check-in technology and temperature monitoring, hand sanitisation stations, desk configurations in line with social distancing requirements, hand-sensor operated bathroom doors and copper handles for meeting rooms (copper is microbial), and a wellness centre to promote health and wellbeing.
This space also includes a lobby, meeting rooms, communal café and workspaces.
Living Edge worked with Woods Bagot to select interior elements that would address end-user well-being in a direct manner.
The seating selection was of the utmost importance. Herman Miller’s Cosm chairs and work stools were used throughout the offices and collaborative work settings.
Designed to increase mobility, improve blood circulation, Cosm also alleviates both physiological and psychological fatigue.
The hourglass-shaped suspension attaches to the frame, creating areas of high- and low-tension that provide comfort and support where it is needed most—regardless of body size or position in the chair.
Among other pieces selected for The Hayesbery was Walter Knoll’s FK Bucket Chair, an icon of international design history, which was used in the boardroom.
Designed by Preben Fabricius and Jørgen Kastholm at the end of 1960s, the chairs’ lines and contours remain as relevant and compelling as they ever were.
The craftsmanship of Walter Knoll’s leather is without equal and helps celebrate the industrial heritage of the site. Other finishes honoured in the space include woven metal work, hand-stitched leather details and solid timber joinery.
Walter Knoll’s Jaan Living Sofa have been used in breakout areas. Positioned around integrated technology, screens, or boards, and partnered with Walter Knoll Oki Side Table, these areas have become comfortable collaborative experiences to be enjoyed.
To create the vision Goodman had for its space, collaboration across all stakeholders in the project was crucial.
For Living Edge, that entailed understanding not only the aims of the spaces but the vision and aesthetic.
For more than 20 years, Living Edge has been working with developers, architects, designers, owner-occupiers and others, offering premium furniture solutions.
Dedicated project consultants work with stakeholders to achieve their aims, while its network of showroom, in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, enable clients to experience the furniture pieces personally.
As the workplaces of today continue to evolve, Living Edge provides advice, solutions and a partnership to help create environments that those who use them will enjoy and be enriched by.
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