CreativeCubesCo- Hawthorn

This project one the Melbourne Polytec Design Awards 2019.

Split into five core areas, CreativeCubes.Co is a place with the need for highly visual, intuitive and imaginative creativity. It is a space that seamlessly folds into the environment, a conforming functional convenience with a disrupting modern approach. The acoustically treated central hub provides the visual and functional platform from which the building forms, allowing business to operate effectively and without interruption.

Timber lining and the existing brickwork perimeter form the backdrop for the space, each with functional benefit to help reverberate sound while providing textural diversity among intentionally positioned black and white walls. Five primary colours form the foundational musings of the initial design, with each palette delivering a visual contrast that allows for common areas to be zoned without walls or barriers.

This colour repetition across artwork, signage and carpets provides order and structure, with each guest immersed in highly functional workspaces that are designed with neutral tones and simple lines to ensure focus is optimal.

Natural light flows into each workspace, with a transitioning experience gained when flowing from the well-lit meeting hub through the arched hallway and then into the softly lit yoga and meditative atmospheres.

Project Innovation/Need
CreativeCubes.Co is a space that allows for the re-invention of the typical co-working environment that disrupts the market.

The unexpected details are what enhances this project, with elements not ordinarily seen in interiors embraced and highlighted. This is an office environment that embraces a basketball court light in full view and flawlessly teams an immersive fun experience with structure, order and getting things done.

CreativeCubes.Co is a space for enjoyment and ease, for work and play, and demonstrates the future of working life. All of which is echoed through the design.

Central to the environment is an eco-system that operationally meets the client’s brief while bringing a new and extraordinary offering to workers within the emerging urban hub of Hawthorn.

This was a project that saw opportunity to shine light on details such as the exposed truss roof and enhance natural light to ensure every seat was well lit. This was successfully achieved through the use of materials, transparency, height volumes and strategic placement of furniture, all of which added up to a financial end profit line to the client.

Design Challenge
The main challenge was to ensure that the natural light was spread across the entire floor area, existing windows were only available along two sides of the site, therefore making the opposite corner dark.

Another challenge was to ensure that each and every workstation feels as good as the next, space planning was key to respond to this challenge, the bathrooms, yoga space and the position of the tunnel hall was vital in breaking up the space, allowing a great visual experience for everyone.

Considerations and constraints were carefully monitored, a contributing factor is the square nature of the site, being cautious not to create a series of hallways. We carefully planned the space to house for four individual, aligned businesses, yoga, events, the cafe and the workstations/offices.

A challenge that proved difficult to overcome was the acoustic separation between the events space and the general working area, material, wall thicknesses and buffer zones were implemented to tackle the acoustic requirements.

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Sustainability
The bones of the space is recycled brickwork which was sandblasted and re-sued, the entire roof truss was exposed and re-used. Where possible, materials were recycled and all paints and adhesives are low in VOC's.
All lighting and air conditioning is set on a timer and individually switched, the overall space is designed around providing flexibility to the members, therefore the space has been designed for longevity with minimal change.