American Express

When American Express wanted to adapt the parent company’s internationally developed space standards to suit the local team it engaged Creative Spaces to design a flexible office that reflected the corporate identity and gave staff a variety of workspaces to choose from.

Developing an energising environment that would encourage staff to interact was very important, and so too was flexibility. To cater for these requirements Creative Spaces’ design included a range of flexible working environments - from open-plan offices, to unallocated 'hot desks' and informal meeting areas.

Achieving staff buy-in was critical to the success of the project. The new offices were in a different part of the city that was a significant distance from the previous inner-city premises - this meant that as well as creating a more effective work environment, the offices needed to entice staff to their new location.

Creative Spaces also provided change management services, and this played a critical role in making sure that staff were kept informed and made part of the project. The end result was a product that delighted both the client and end users.

AMP Advice First

AMP is a leading life insurer and retirement savings provider, helping thousands of Kiwis by providing financial advice and services.

When AMP were looking for an innovative and collaborative design partner to establish a new Northern Hub, GHDWoodhead creativespaces were a natural fit.

GHDWoodhead creativespaces designed an open floor workspace focused on flexible working styles that enhance cross-team collaboration and communication. Meeting rooms and shared spaces are
flexible and connected to allow for a wide range of meeting types, including audio visual conferencing.

AMP and subsidiary AdviceFirst relocated several of its teams into one floor plate and wanted an adaptable environment.

The brief for the look and feel of the fitout was a welcoming, residential aesthetic rather than a clinical and stark corporate one. They were keen to move away from the outmoded white look to a relaxed
contemporary appearance.

This was achieved by the design team with polished concrete flooring, textural black ceilings, strandboard joinery and cladding, pops of feature colour and innovative acoustic and lighting solutions.

Staff also enjoy a well-appointed café facility with banquette feature fabric and exquisite finishes which provides a familiar and relaxed environment.

Feedback from the user has been overwhelmingly positive, with the décor, creative planting and fresh kitchen proving to be a hit with both staff and visitors.

AMP Cafe

Having recently completed the fitout design for the AMP Northern Hub office, GHDWoodhead creativespaces were asked to develop a concept for the staff café at the AMP Centre in Auckland central.

The brief for the look and feel of the fitout was to create a contemporary and welcoming social hub, that staff and visitors could be wowed by. The undisputed highlight of the existing space however were the views of the harbour and city.

To celebrate and emphasize the views, the café was increased in size slightly to accentuate the harbour outlook, with a previously obscured window, revealed to great effect.

The kitchen joinery was also rearranged with a large horizontal straight worktop and practical storage options.  The central island with expresso café machine can be used on either side, as both food preparation and seating space, with the provision of new fast charge USB access ports, an added feature for staff.

The new look and feel has an innovative industrial aesthetic, it brings to mind a retail café from Kinglsland or Ponsonby, with polished concrete flooring, textural black ceilings, timber and matt black joinery, a tiled splashback and eclectic furniture options including timber leaner, banquette seating and high back soft seating.

Copper Pendants and creative planting including stacked mobile plant walls, sky planters, potted herbs and climbing plant wall are highlights.
The adjacent training rooms have been refreshed, and when left open, allow the café to spill into the area creating a large engaging area, perfect for hosting client or staff functions.

The café can now double as an impromptu meeting space or agile working zone, with back to back high back leaner booths contributing multi-use options.

Feedback from the user has been overwhelmingly positive and the new café has proved popular, with the décor, creative planting and barista coffee verifying a success with both staff and visitors.

ATEED

Creative Spaces were selected by the newly formed Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development to undertake the design and project management of their new three floor premises at Princes Wharf.

Client Project Manager Janine Grainger offered the following appraisal of Creative Spaces’ performance:

"Creative Spaces delivered a fitout that is functional, fit for purpose, and aesthetically well-designed, all of which was achieved within tight budget and time limitations. As a public sector organisation, mindful of expenditure, we reused a significant amount of soft fitout from our previous offices, and required prudent design of the hard fitout components. Creative Spaces managed to work within these constraints to produce an end result that is stylish and enjoyable to work in."

Auckland Central Library

When Auckland Council decided to relocate the Children's area of their Central library, the new location, visible from the main entry provided an opportunity to create a vibrant and exciting first impression. The result is a vibrant hub for the library and a fun space for families to enjoy. This is a flexible space where a wide range of activities can be held, including storytelling, reading, and play events.

The high ceilings created an opportunity for suspended features and creative lighting elements, while the large back wall provides an excellent backdrop for display and colour. The creative concept for the area was based around the fantasy Kiwi kids story, "Once Upon a Time, a Taniwha came to visit my tree hut."

A ‘Treehouse' forms a central focal point for the area sitting on a section of raised floor, it is an ideal location for story-telling, with the interior providing another quiet reading space.

The ‘Taniwha' is an abstract, fun, sculptural element; used to separate the area from the rest of the library, with plenty of shelving, display areas, and recesses creating reading nooks and cubby holes. The design process involved reviewing traditional methods of depicting a Taniwha (wood carving) and essentially carving out the space from 3 dimensional forms. An intuitive, flexible shelving system was developed that to allow flat and face up book display alternatives. The feature graphic artwork which adorns the treehouse and taniwha was a collaboration between a local iwi artist and the design team.

Auckland Council

Creative Spaces authored a new Workplace Strategy for the whole of Auckland Council across the region, and was subsequently engaged as primary consultant to undertake the design, documentation and site observation of the new workplace at 135 Albert Street over almost 30 levels of the former ASB Centre. The strategy was the driver for Council to move to more flexible, mobile and collaborative workstyles, across both the physical and virtual realms, and enabled by technology. The project involved the refurbishment and total upgrade of a 1990s era building into over 28,000 square metres of 5–star rated Green Building Council accredited office space. In addition, Creative Spaces designed the refit of 10 levels of the Bledisloe building to accommodate over 1,000 council staff.

The new workplace environment has no offices and is designed to allow occupants to transition from individually assigned workspaces to totally unassigned workspaces without any change to the physical environment. The ability to be fully mobile within the workplace, if required by the user profile, is an important part of the Workplace Strategy.

The Workplace Strategy project started in late 2012 and the design and delivery phases of the project continued through to late 2014, by which point the 3500 Council employees in the Auckland CBD were relocated from leased and surplus buildings into two primary locations.

Auckland Council Customer Service Centre

Completed in late 2014, Creative Spaces worked with Auckland Council on an innovative new customer focussed retail experience within the ground floor of the refurbished Bledisloe House.

After resolution of an extensive brief, the most important instruction to the project team was that the new Customer Service Centre was to be a 'customer centred' retail experience, must be attractive and perform well over a long period with relatively little capital outlaid, and have low operating costs.

The team had to think carefully including re-consideration of size and design approaches to achieve the low budgets required by council. The result is a clever, colourful fitout intended to fascinate, entertain and educate while being particularly focussed on service delivery to ratepayers and council customers.

The Customer Service Centre is approximately 10% smaller than the previous centre housed in the Civic building, but also has a dual purpose as the primary Bledisloe Building arrival point.

The space has been designed as a ‘found space experience' - a retail approach, where the focus is on the needs of the customer, rather than the traditional ‘service centre' approach. Architecturally the space is simple but activated with applied graphics, colour and technology. Key transactional and record sharing zones provide many options for customers to select an interaction which suits them best.

Auckland Transport Operations Centre

Creative Spaces was engaged by Auckland Transport to assist with the move from Bledisloe House to their new Pier 1 site on Queens Wharf in Auckland. The new Auckland Transport Operations Centre (ATOC), combines key Transport links of Rail, Ferry, Buses and Parking in one space, and includes input from Auckland Police and other emergency services. In conjunction with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), the ATOC site also manages Auckland Motorways to ensure the network operates with maximum efficiency at peak travel times, during social events, road closures and unplanned incidents. State of the art technology, including advanced communication and traffic flow systems is used to provide up to date information and clear road incidents as fast as possible. The MEOC room or incident management room brings together various parties to manage transport for special events held in the City.

The brief for the interior fitout design was to provide a sleek, modern high-tech fitout which reflected the technology aspect of its function, with minimal clutter. The result is a clean, contemporary interior and highly functional workspace.

Birthcare

A winner of the Australia & New Zealand Dupont Design Award for Healthcare Facilities, this maternity clinic fitout in Auckland set a new standard for the level of maternity care offered in New Zealand. Birthcare houses delivery rooms, single and double bedrooms, staff facilities and service areas to cater for all the natal needs of 40 mothers.

Creative Spaces provided a comprehensive turn-key service for the project, including space-planning, interior design, corporate identity implementation and project management of the hard and soft fitouts.

Botany Library

At this library, no one tells visitors to be quiet. The Botany Library is full of comfortable people space. Users can talk with one another, use innovative technology, have a snack and, or course, read.

The library is modelled on a retail store, where librarians mingle among library visitors to help locate information. Resource rooms are well equipped with sound domes, television screens, lounge chairs and neon lights. Most of the rooms are designed to encourage interaction, with the exception of 'the peaceful place', a green-walled room with plenty of windows, which promotes quiet reading. Along with computers and video-conferencing equipment, the library is wired with new technology that allows guests to self-check their books and helps librarians file books away quickly.

A cafe attached to the library allows visitors to have a snack at the library, without being disciplined for eating while they read.

Campbell Tyson

Creative Spaces partnered closely with Campbell Tyson to deliver their benchmark new office environment. The fitout comprises an open plan working environment for 70 staff together with a comprehensive range of formal and informal meeting and training spaces. The boardroom area is reconfigurable to accommodate meetings, training or seminars of up to 100 attendees.

Campbell Tyson’s timely rebrand enabled the close integration of new brand identity with the interior design.

A major sustainable design feature is the incorporation of state of the art sensor-controlled lighting. The entire facility is managed on a Dynalite control system.

Creative Spaces provided a full range of services comprising comparative tenancy analysis, tenant representation in their dealings with the Landlord, base building consultancy, fitout design and project management including soft fitout procurement and relocation management.

CB Richard Ellis

The world's biggest commercial property services company CB Richard Ellis, were looking for a new office space for their Auckland team that would encourage greater collaboration and give them long term flexibility and potential growth opportunities.  Creative Spaces worked with the CBRE team to come up with a highly efficient layout that met all of their requirements on just one floor of the newly refurbished 21 Queen Street.  Every square metre of the 910m² floor plate has been carefully thought through to not only accommodate 89 staff but with a range of support facilities including a number of meeting spaces, a large boardroom and cafeteria with the ability to open spaces up to hold on site auctions and events.

It was important to CBRE that their fitout reflected not only their company brand and values but also provided a showcase fitout for the building and for potential clients.  Planning for the new space focused on making the most of some of the great base building features on offer including 3 metre high ceilings and floor to ceiling external glazing with fantastic views to the harbour and CBD.  The large cafeteria space has one of the best views on the floor and provides not only a great place for staff to recharge but doubles as an informal meeting space where they can also bring clients. 

Cerebos Greggs

Cerebos Greggs moved from an industrial site in East Tamaki into the historic AEPB building in Newmarket. The move is an important cultural shift, enabling the team to be under one roof, and to be 100% open plan. It is also seen as a big advantage having a closer presence to key clients as Cerebos Greggs is increasingly moving into the coffee and hospitality arena.

The new location is on a split level floor within a long building. This change in level is emphasised by creating a different aesthetic in both areas, with the Café space acting as a transition point.  ‘Upstairs’ is more functional for the contact centre and finance team. It has extra meeting rooms and acoustic treatment, whereas ‘downstairs’ has larger open collaboration spaces and the café.  A long ramp with bright red carpet was constructed to connect the open plan area with the Food and Coffee Studio. This visually breaks up the space and gives the user a more elevated view of the outlook over Nuffield Street.

The Food and Coffee Studio is the feature piece of the fitout and is located adjacent to the reception allowing visitors a rare glimpse to ‘behind-the-scenes’ coffee and food preparation. The Studio exterior is painted a copper colour, emulating a large roasting vat. Within the space there is plywood tiered seating, punctuated with colourful seat pads, capable of housing the entire company for large functions and demonstrations.

The new building came with heritage constraints that added a rich level of interest to the new fitout. It was a requirement to use an old Kauri operable wall which became a large sliding door to separate a ‘war-room’ space; and Kauri wall panelling became an honours board for the sales team. Creative Spaces took the challenge one step further and repurposed further materials. Existing office door hardware was installed onto new meeting room doors, and the old doors were used as cladding for the Café tree-house. Partition glazing became a whiteboard surface. The raw honesty of the building was exposed by areas of ceiling grid being taken away revealing the existing terracotta coloured roof trusses and large concrete beams. The extract ducts from the Food and Coffee Studio were featured and highlighted in bright yellow. Cerebos Greggs was able to salvage timber from their original Dunedin factory and this now clads the Newmarket reception desk.

Brand presence was extremely important for Cerebos Greggs. Each meeting room was assigned a brand which is reflected in the furniture, lighting and graphics. Custom shelving located outside the boardroom displays food and coffee, and the coffee machines have their own dedicated showroom area adjacent to reception.

Chester

Chester, a medium sized engineering consultancy that has been operating for over 30 years, engaged Creative Spaces to bring their growing team together in an inviting, fun and future-proof environment.  The design of the space is aligned with their new branding and a reflection of their company values.

The completed fitout offers a technology enabled, friendly and collaborative working environment coupled with a modern and impressive front of house space for clients.

A custom designed feature wall celebrates the company’s history and values with emphasis on “Positive People delivering Positive Outcomes”.

Creative Spaces

When Creative Spaces embarked on the project to find and fitout our new offices, there was no question that the resulting space had to be a shining example of best practice in workplace design. Before committing to any premises we followed the same rigorous comparative tenancy analysis process that we recommend to our clients. Undertaking this process ensured that the lease we committed to was the right space, in the right location, and could be easily manipulated to suit our objectives - both now and in the future. Once we had the right space, we needed to make our mark on it. The design had to be cool so that it could act as a showpiece for our services. It needed to reflect the culture, practices and approach of the business, promote efficiency and productivity, and inspire our staff to greater heights in sound design, innovation and client service. With our team closely involved in the decision making process, we created an office environment that met our requirements and that our staff are extremely proud of, and love working in.

Crowe Horwath

Creative Spaces was engaged to provide design services for Crowe Horwath's move to arguably the best office space in the city, namely the top floor (Level 29) of the PwC Centre. The floor enjoys spectacular and unrivalled harbour views extending from Rangitoto to the Harbour Bridge.

The design has a warm and professional appearance, with a fresh and vibrant feel, expressive of the Crowe Horwath culture. The colour palette complements the exceptional views, with Reception and Client areas harmonising with harbour tones, workspace areas relating to the Cityscape and the Café to the distant land and sea views.

Previously, Crowe Horwath were accommodated over two fairly uncoordinated floors. The move to a single efficient floor plate has provided a more productive work environment and facilitated communication within the organisation. The new design incorporates considerably improved and flexible client presentation facilities reconfigurable into multiple settings through the use of two operable walls.

Fertility Associates

Fertility Associates offers a comprehensive range of private and publicly funded fertility treatments for those having trouble conceiving, and this project involved design of Fertility Associates' new Auckland premises.

The scope of the project included office and reception areas as well as treatment rooms, and there was a significant emphasis on creating an environment that fit with the Fertility Associates brand and mission to provide a soothing and supportive experience for clients. 

Fonterra

Creative Spaces have undertaken the design and delivery of a number of interior office fitouts for Fonterra in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch.

We have recently completed a 10,000 square metre staged refurbishment of twelve floors of the Fonterra Centre in Auckland. The project aims to improve the effectiveness of head office staff by improving meeting facilities, security, breakout and utility spaces, while also improving space efficiency to accommodate increasing workspace numbers.

Our relationship with Fonterra predates its inception and started with the major staged refurbishment of Pastoral House for the New Zealand Dairy Board in Wellington in 1992. Over the last two decades, we have successfully completed numerous projects around the country for Fonterra, its predecessors and subsidiaries.

Genesis Energy

Creative Spaces have recently completed a refurbishment of five floors of office space for Genesis Energy in Hamilton. The project brought a tired workplace up to date, improving its effectiveness, increasing amenities, and instilling a sense of corporate identity for staff who were previously part of an outsourced organisation

The design solution rationalised the existing layout and combined the best elements of the existing fitout with targeted alterations intended to get the best "bang for buck". The result is flexible, efficient office space which fully caters to the demands of their consolidated Hamilton workforce.

Goodman Property Trust

Goodman Property Trust (GMT) is an NZX-listed Unit Trust which invests in high quality industrial and office property. It is an established business built around a modern portfolio, a wide customer base and a proven development capability.

Goodman’s own+develop+manage model is an integrated customer service offering at the heart of their business.

Known for being a professional, trusted and successful leader in the property industry, when they were looking for a designer of their own corporate head office, the same qualities were sought.

GHDWoodhead creativespaces were engaged as Design Consultant after a competitive bidding process with peers in the industry.

The brief for the new office within Auckland’s Viaduct Quarter in the Goodman-owned VXV precinct, was to create an open, highly flexible office that encourages collaboration and a freedom to work related to the task at hand.

The space caters for 50 fulltime staff yet only 38 workstations are provided.  The balance is made up of quiet spaces, phone booths, soft seating and meeting spaces.  With no assigned desking, and a clean desk policy, staff are encouraged to be truly responsive.

There is a clear focus on high-end technology and improved staff interaction.

With a desire to push the boundaries of the previously traditional office, the shift to agile workspace is reinforced by workplace champions.

A welcoming reception, and inviting communal space are key features.

Sustainability was a key driver for the fitout design, and the project is targeting a 5 Green Star Interior Built rating.

The polished concrete floor and soda blasted columns in conjunction with exposed ceilings and services, form an industrial aesthetic that is complemented with creative planting, surfaces of colour, and warm timber. Aged copper downpipes provide cabling to the workstations, providing an interesting material counterpoint.

The result is an inspiring and revitalising space, a unique forward-thinking fitout, which truly showcases the Goodman organisation and brand.

Hallensteins

The Head Office for menswear chain Hallensteins were relocating from Queen Street to Newmarket. This presented an opportunity to reassess space requirements with a view to providing better facilities for staff and storage facilities for masses of merchandise.

The new tenancy while not much larger than the previous was designed by Creative Spaces to provide larger more open plan workspaces, more meeting facilities, more storage and greater flexibility for the future.

New exterior windows were installed down the long 600m² floor plate with workspaces located to take advantage of this natural light and views to the fashion hub that is Newmarket. Flexible meeting/ranging room facilities were made possible with new highly efficient wardrobe space in the form of large Lundia mobile shelving units.

The colour palette and finishes needed to be neutral enough to form a backdrop to the rapidly evolving palette of the fashion world but were also selected with the nature of the business in mind. The carpet tiles are designed to look like men's suiting, the chair fabric patterns are based on barcodes, the doors and joinery are reminiscent of a 'men's workshop' using rust, black waxed aluminium, plywood and recycled timber; as is the concrete flooring.

IBM

Creative Spaces has a long standing relationship with IBM, having undertaken a number of their office fitouts as well as their customer centre. Most recently, Creative Spaces’ task has been to interpret and apply IBM’s worldwide space standards to the local New Zealand offices. By moving to an open-plan configuration and implementing space planning concepts such as “teamspace”, “touchdown” and “time-out” areas, IBM now is a much more flexible working environment. The design also encourages informal contact between staff that maximises opportunities for interactive and collaborative efforts across the organisation.

Kathmandu

Creative Spaces assisted Kathmandu with the design of their new office headquarters in Christchurch’s inner-city innovation precinct. The new offices are located adjacent to the Kathmandu Concept store.

It was important that the fitout aligned with Kathmandu’s values and purpose. Kathmandu has a strong commitment to social and environmental responsibility and its vision for employees to work in a healthy, efficient and productive building.

Kathmandu’s stated purpose "To Inspire Adventure in Everyone", was the overarching theme carried through all three floors. The company’s values (integrity, resourcefulness, love of travel and adventure, passion and determination, environmental action) play out in the structure and materials.

Entering the ground floor, the journey begins; there is a sense of ‘I’ve landed’. It is a transition between public and private with a blend of urban and outdoor adventure. Timber recycled from earthquake salvage lines the reception walls, concrete around the core of the building is exposed, and the café joinery has a dark and moody metropolitan feel. Visitors can see and touch wall panels which are wrapped with Kathmandu fabrics, and there is a strong graphic presence, globally transporting the visitor.

Level 1, which houses the design team, is warm and relaxed, and has a strong sense of Outdoor Adventure. Highlights of green carpet offset the recycled timber walls, and the kitchenette is playfully named ‘The Campsite’. Level 2 on the other hand, reflects the Urban Adventure. Scaffolding frames a shared collaboration space, the kitchenette joinery is clad with steel and core concrete panels are exposed. The monochrome palette is balanced by large graphics which depict city landscapes, neon lights and all.

Equally as important as representing the brand, the fitout needed to be fit for purpose. There are large spaces to assemble tents both inside and out, and a presentation room that can be opened up to the café, allowing for large functions. The open plan area is lined with magnetic whiteboards which are constantly changing as designs emerge, and the at-desk storage is custom designed to house clothing and equipment samples.

Labtests

The Labtests project required Creative Spaces to deliver highly specified, services-intensive laboratory facilities in a very short timeframe. The scope included selection, design and fit-out of the site for the main laboratory, as well as fit-out design for the various proposed collection sites around Auckland. The laboratories house a number of specialist services and were designed to a very specific brief. They include contamination controlled air-conditioning, special gases, air extraction and de-ionised water.

Leighs Construction

Leighs Construction is one of New Zealand's leading construction companies, based in Christchurch. They deliver construction projects across a number of sectors including commercial, primary industry, agriculture, retail, health, education, and government throughout New Zealand and overseas.

When Leighs were looking set up their head office and relocate to a new building in the centre of Christchurch, Creative Spaces worked collaboratively both with Leighs and the Building Architect Sheppard & Rout.

The Canterbury earthquakes in 2010/2011 irrevocably damaged the High Street precinct, with Victorian and Edwardian streetscapes and lively laneways changed forever, and most of the heritage buildings demolished. 219 High Street, formerly the Strange's and Glendenning Hill Buildings, at the corner of High, Lichfield and Manchester Streets was in April the first to open in the core CBD.

A proud employer, the interior fitout for Leighs is about recognising that every worker needs time that is uninterrupted to concentrate and attend to specific tasks such as thinking and ‘head down' work.

Collaborative working with one or more people is encouraged with soft seating and a large breakout space on the ground floor. Structural reliability and integrity is important to staff, and having the structure visible creates trust with the Leighs staff and visitors. The interior palette of warm timber, black and corporate yellow complements the industrial setting of the architecture with exposed concrete walls and exposed steel structure.

LINZ

After a rigorous national selection process, Creative Spaces won the commission to design and deliver two Processing Centres for Land Information New Zealand, in Hamilton and Christchurch. The existing Christchurch premises was in need of refurbishment and the configuration of the floor plate did not suit the workstyle LINZ was wishing to implement.

Creative Spaces assisted LINZ in selecting their new Christchurch premises by applying our 4D Workplace approach and space management tools to assess a number of existing and proposed new buildings for suitability. A tenancy at 112 Tuam Street was chosen and LINZ now occupy 2100 square metres over two floors (ground and level one) accommodating 114 staff in an open plan layout. The layouts were designed after extensive consultation with staff and the leadership team. The objective was to create an open flexible workspace that promoted communication between the business groups, and could respond to business changes in the future.

The Hamilton premises were completed earlier in a phased refurbishment of the existing office space. Staff workspaces and storage areas were rationalised and space planned to optimise the use of the existing tenancy, and then the works were closely managed by Creative Spaces to ensure minimal disruption to ongoing LINZ operations.

Lion

Lion's partnership with Creative Spaces aimed to bring Lion's people together in a stimulating and creative environment that encouraged collaborative working styles. Spread over two locations, Lion decided to consolidate into 5100sqm in the heart of Auckland. The new site is immediately adjacent to State Highway 1, New Zealand's iconic road stretching from Cape Reinga in the North, to Bluff in the South. With this in mind, theming over the two floors was developed into the North and South Island, bringing together quintessential Kiwi places and past times that epitomise the company's products.

Lion have a dynamic group of people working with their diverse range of brands. It became essential that the workplace should reflect the diversity of both whilst still maintaining a highly functional space.

Every person within Lion, from the Managing Director down, changed into an open plan environment. This was supported by an increased number of quiet rooms, collaboration options and bookable meeting rooms.  High levels of detail and variation in finishes and texture added to the richness and personalisation of the design.

Manukau City Council

The re-design of Manukau City Council’s offices evolved from a desire to upgrade the existing 1970s building to achieve greater space efficiency, more pleasant surroundings and an emphasis on sustainability. It involved careful consideration of the layout and structure of the existing building shell in order to provide a more logical grouping of departments.

To achieve this, and to create a more secure way of allowing public access, Creative Spaces completely reconfigured the way in which different types of space are housed, bringing them up to contemporary best standard benchmarks.

A critical aspect of the base building upgrade was the effort to achieve a more sustainable and healthy workplace by upgrading air-conditioning and reconfiguring office space layout in order to give staff more access to natural light. The refurbished building compared very favourably with equivalent Green Star rated new buildings.

Manukau Library

This project developed as a result of the desire to co-locate two separate libraries, the Research Library and administration at Ronwood Avenue and the Community Library in the Westfield Shopping Centre, in one location in the Manukau City Centre.

Creative Spaces was commissioned to help evaluate existing buildings to establish their suitability for providing library accommodation. The selected building at 3 Osterley Way provided sufficient space on two floors and was ideally located on the Northern side of the Civic Square - the library 'activating' the square's northern edge and contributing further to what is perceived to be a 'civic precinct'.

Whilst co-locating the two libraries provided significant benefits for customers and staff, they still provide quite distinct services and, because of the limited floor areas, it was decided to locate the Community Library on the ground floor and the Research Library on the first floor and to reinforce the connections between the two as much as was possible in an existing building. Planning focused on providing a customer-centric, intuitive layout, providing spaces for quiet reflection, study and community participation and display.

The interior design used as its inspiration the existing physical context (external paving, existing shop front glazing) and our knowledge of the community the library serves to create an interior of highly decorated surfaces acknowledging the decorative traditions of Pacific Island and Maori culture and the history of human activity in Manukau.

Mayne Wetherell

When law firm Mayne Wetherell moved their offices from their current CBD location, to embrace the informality within the vibrant innovative Wynyard Quarter, partnering with Creative Spaces was a natural fit.

Mayne Wetherell, are a specialist law firm, who are recognised market leaders in corporate and finance law.

Their brief was to create a space that showed comfort and quality without being too formal, a refined residential aesthetic rather than a traditional corporate approach. Having already adopted open plan workspaces to create a non-hierarchical, open and supportive environment, the new focus was to create a flexible workspace for clients and staff to enjoy. Being a legal practice that operates in the financial sector, acoustic privacy for client meeting rooms and confidentiality in the workplace was crucial. 

The flexible work environment encourages learning and sharing of ideas, where juniors can be directly mentored by senior staff. Fixed height shared work benches with slide on screen dividers, or individual sit to stand workdesks are provided for staff. The modular design allows workdesks to be easily repositioned along the central storage spine, enabling flexibility to change teams on a project by project basis.

The project palette integrates polished concrete floors, bespoke routed timber panels, black joinery and hardware with neutral blue-grey tones in soft furnishings and custom designed rugs. The overall look is timeless and sophisticated, where the environment captures and enhances the Mayne Wetherell culture.

McConnell Group

Creative Spaces was engaged to design a new space that would be very different to McConnell Group's existing and very traditional offices. McConnell's brief was for a creative, inspirational, collaborative space that made the most of its exciting new harbour-side location and views. The new environment was not a typical office building, and this created the possibility to make a real statement using some of the not so traditional features of the space.

The existing floor was split into two tenancies, making it necessary to relocate the existing stairs to the mezzanine area. Careful consideration ensured the stairs were seamlessly integrated with the other finishes and did not detract from the client's desire to have a view through to the rest of the office.

Following the original fitout project, Creative Spaces delivered an extension in the form of a new suite of offices, accompanied by meeting spaces and a large boardroom. The boardroom is central to the design as the Group regularly holds a range of meetings - from large, formal gatherings to informal collaborations. This area was made a feature through the use of unique timber boardroom doors that are essentially a piece of art. The corridor linking the boardroom area with the open-plan offices continues this theme using prominent timber joinery to striking visual effect.

McDonalds

Creative Spaces was engaged to develop the design and document the refurbishment of the existing McDonalds Greenlane restaurant. This is McDonaldʼs flagship retail outlet in New Zealand and its refurbishment is intended to embody the latest international design trends that will be incorporated into their stores throughout the country as part of a nation-wide exercise. The project was undertaken on a fast-track, 16-week program, and was completed in late December 2007. The restaurant continued to operate 24 hours a day throughout the refurbishment, apart from a four week period when the kitchen was rebuilt. The completed refurbishment includes new commercial kitchen, dining areas, toilets and childrenʼs play area on the ground floor. The first floor was converted to a national staff training facility and boardroom, while the exterior received substantial redesign to bring the exterior up to date.

Microsoft

Key client drivers on this project were a tight programme and fixed budget – both delivered as expected.

The reception was refurbished on a tight budget with the aim of providing a contemporary environment that staff and visitors alike could be proud of.
The client dictated that existing work floor layouts predominantly had to remain but that a new look and feel was necessary to revitalise the workplace and deliver a ‘wow’ factor.

Working with this brief, GHDWoodhead creativespaces consulted widely with Microsoft stakeholders internationally (US, Singapore and Hong Kong) to develop a design that improved workflow, decor and staff amenities and took advantage of extensive harbour views.

The project involved a move to a totally agile workplace, with enhanced meeting rooms, new phone booths, lockers and enhanced technology.
The colour theming of the fitout was based around the “views”, Wynyard Quarter, the Harbour, the city at night and Victoria Park. This theming also aided with wayfinding and a sense of place.

The refurbishment of the café/breakout created a chic industrial aesthetic, while retaining a residential feel that resonated with staff.

MWH

MWH is an industry-leading, multi-national engineering, environment and technology firm. For the fitout of the company's New Zealand head office in Auckland, MWH had some very strong ideas. "We want something a bit 'out there' and edgy, but practical, flexible and functional. We want our offices to reflect our passion about what we do and who we are. We need a place to be proud of, and to feel comfortable in."

Creative Spaces had its mission. The 4D Workplace system was utilised to analyse functional relationships and working practices and provide a basis for the master-plan that would allow maximum flexibility and practical function.

The new offices were decidedly different from the old – both visually and in their layout. A significant feature was the move to an open-plan environment, supported by 'break-out' spaces for private or individual work. Ensuring that staff bought into the new approach required extensive change management, and the development of facilities that would encourage employee buy-in. One such facility is a unique cafeteria that provides an appealing common space where staff are able to socialise.

New Plymouth District Council

This project was initiated following a review of Council's customer services delivery. This resulted in a new concept - 'customer first' - and the realisation that to implement this concept a complete refurbishment of the Council’s accommodation was necessary.

Creative Spaces undertook a subsequent study, based on its 4D Workplace Strategy, and prepared a masterplan and implementation strategy for carrying out the reconfiguration of the Council's offices.

Completed in phases, the project was highly successful with all of the original master-plan concepts still relevant and applicable today.

New Zealand Blood

NZ Blood’s Epsom facility, the largest donor centre in the country, conducts both whole blood and apheresis processes. It was critical the donation procedure was thoroughly analysed so the plan and custom joinery provided the most efficient workflow.

NZ Blood wanted to move away from the clinical environment where possible, making the donor’s experience a more welcoming one and thus increasing donor retention. Strong colours, textured fabrics and feature lighting were included in the reception, waiting and recovery areas; at the same time the highest medical standard was maintained in the consultation rooms and donor suite.

Creative Spaces successfully managed the project which was carried out in stages, allowing the donor centre to operate seamlessly during construction.

NIWA

The National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research are world renowned for high quality scientific research and attracts scientists from all over the globe. This is due in part to the diversity of ecosystems, geography and weather systems in New Zealand.

NIWA felt that they needed to raise their profile and create an Auckland regional head office that would act as a catalyst for positive growth and change. Progressive senior management collaborated with the project team to design an innovative work environment intended to future proof NIWA.

The new tenancy of 3000m² is located in the Auckland Viaduct area and accommodates laboratories, individual work and meeting/ collaboration areas in an adaptive reuse of a heritage building which emphasizes ecologically sustainable design

An internal stair connects the ground floor reception area to the upper floor work spaces. The stair is at the centre of the new office space, ensures easy circulation and encourages the integration of staff across the NIWA organisation. The main staff cafeteria, located on the ground floor, also encourages staff movement between floors.

The entire office is enlivened by photographs from NIWA's extensive image stock.

NZ Live

NZ Live won the contract to provide the 24/7 TV service for the TAB's two horse racing channels. Creative Spaces was contracted to design and project manage the highly specialised TV studio fitout at 60 Stanley Street.

The state-of-the-art facility incorporate four TV studios plus backup facilities and offices. Other TV programmes such as "7 Days" are now also produced and broadcast form the venue. The project was delivered under stringent timelines to achieve the "go live" date set by the Racing Board. The fitout was complex involving highly specialised acoustic design and coordination with the sophisticated I.T./data installation.

The scope included integration with the base building and close liaison with the Landlord.

NZ Superannuation Fund

Creative Spaces were involved from the inception of this organisation to design their original offices, a second larger premises as they expanded, and again on their third move to an even larger 1,500m² tenancy in the refurbished, 5 Greenstar rated, 21 Queen Street.

The office caters to a demanding workforce of professional knowledge workers, providing a mix of individual workpoints, meeting, collaboration and breakout spaces. The overall look and feel conveys a contemporary image which delivers "bang for buck" while being economically prudent.

The predominantly open plan office occupies one floor, while a reception, external meeting rooms and project space are placed within a half floor tenancy below.

OfficeMax

OfficeMax is one of the top three office product companies in the world and a market leader in New Zealand with over 36,000 customers.  As well as office products, OfficeMax supply over 60% of New Zealand schools with their 'back to school' stationery.

Creative Spaces were engaged to refurbish and extend existing commercial office premises in Hornby, which had minor damage due to the Christchurch Earthquake. We provided both design and project management of the second floor fitout which involved the extension of the National Call Centre, and refurbishment of existing sales and breakout areas.

The Sales Area was fitted out using OfficeMax furniture, and coaching rooms designed as "fish bowl" type meeting spaces, with sliding glass doors either side, dividing the two company functions. The refurbished breakout area, provides a vibrant and contemporary space for the 100+ staff to relax and socialise. New carpet, custom graphics and decals aid in creating a fresh and revitalised office space.

Oxygen Business Solutions

Oxygen is a dynamic and progressive SAP solutions company that is growing and actively taking market share in New Zealand. It moved into its new tenancy from offices that were generic, and the vision was that the new environment would enhance the Oxygen’s culture and inspire pride in its staff.

The layout of the workplace was specifically designed to allow for increased communication across the different teams and to provide areas for inclusion of the vision and branding of the company. Visual imagery was a key part of the effort to invigorate surroundings for the staff, and large screens showing Oxygen’s services in use created an effective and attractive reminder of the difference that it makes to its clients’ businesses. As a new company, and just moving out of the start up phase, Oxygen could not afford spacious premises in its desired location.

Rather than lease elsewhere it opted for less space in the right part of town, meaning that staff moved to a smaller open-plan workstation footprint than in the previous premises. This new way of working required careful change management and the design incorporated a number of aspects, such as meeting rooms, to mitigate the need for space and privacy.

A highly successful feature of the design was the large social space  that serves as a staff cafeteria, sales department pre-work zone and a client entertaining area. Staff have embraced this facility enthusiastically and it has come to play a vital part in work, collaboration and socialising.

Paymark

Paymark partnered with Creative Spaces to design new premises with an inward focus and a very flexible workplace environment. The final design solution comprises 100% unassigned open plan workpoints over a single and carefully themed and zoned office level.

The new office environment empowers Paymark people with the flexibility to choose where, when and how they work with a varied menu of workspaces catering to different activities and workstyles.

Paymark is owned by four of New Zealand’s major banks and is the leading payments provider, processing over 75% of all electronic transactions. As such, the business operates on a 24/7 basis. Creative Spaces worked closely with Paymark to ensure they had a highly efficient layout that met all of their requirements on just one floor.

Pernod Ricard

Pernod Ricard’s new fitout aimed to bring their people together into a fresh and transparent environment that encouraged collaborative working styles. Previously spread over several floors, Pernod Ricard decided to consolidate onto one 1800m2 floor, in a newly constructed inner city building. Pernod Ricard wanted the fitout to speak strongly of the products they represented. The overall palette was chosen to represent a ‘Crisp Clean NZ wine’, and the main draw card of the space is the bar.

The view for visitors entering the space is across the atrium to a small glass vessel - a themed meeting room, then beyond to the Open Plan. There are no security lines, which gives a sense of inclusion and transparency for the guest. The entry space flows through to the Reception, Bar and Staff Hub. Stunning harbour and city views complement the reception and bar joinery, which is representative of the Brancott Estate ridgeline. The bar shelving is simple and flexible to allow the display to be re-configured for the changing campaigns.

The meeting suite is stepped back from the exterior of the building allowing a pathway with interesting vistas through the atriums whilst still ensuring the rooms receive good natural light.

Careful consideration was given to the acoustics knowing that the fitout was predominantly open plan and shared two common atriums with tenants on adjacent floors. Quilted fabric wraps the partition behind reception and hanging baffles visually lead people through the space whilst providing a secondary sound absorber.

Plant and Food Research

Plant & Food Research engaged Creative Spaces to design the interior for the Cunningham Building. The historic Art Deco building located in the centre of the Mt Albert site opened in 1939 and is the oldest building on campus. The Cunningham was deprived of spaces that encouraged interaction which lead the design team to convert the outdated office and storage spaces into a new social hub, allowing staff collaboration and fusion in an optimal environment. Being a New Zealand government owned Crown Research Institute, the budget required careful consideration. The budget restrictions were a positive challenge, allowing us to keep ideas concise and focused on our client’s needs.

The renovations gave an opportunity to strip back the interior to its original structure, exposing ‘the bones of the building’. The ground floor is now home to an externally managed café, staff kitchen and collaborative meeting areas. Level one holds more formal meeting spaces and is connected to the main office building with a covered pedestrian bridge. The eclectic mix of modular furniture creates flexibility for social, formal meeting and dining areas. Salvaged science cabinetry & equipment from old laboratories has been repurposed in new custom joinery units that divide the space creating different zones. Strategically placed pendant lighting and geometric motifs in carpet tile design also define the mix of collaborative areas.

The buzzing culture of the café hub has converted the Cunningham from being a dull office space into a lively work environment – it truly has become ‘the heart’ of the campus.

Rolls Royce Motor Cars

Showcasing for the finest in automotive craftsmanship, the new Rolls-Royce showroom in the heart of the Newmarket prestige vehicle retail precinct required a high standard of finish and attention to detail that is representative of the brand.

Creative Spaces worked closely with Rolls-Royce to produce a showroom that realized the best opportunities offered by the location while also fulfilling the requirements of our New Zealand client. The Rolls-Royce worldwide brand identity standards formed the basis for the look and feel of the showroom. These were then crafted into a design that responded to the unique spatial layout provided by the building shell.   

Imported natural limestone finishes to walls and floor provide a subdued and elegant backdrop, while a tensioned ceiling of translucent film, lit from above by three hundred light fittings, bathe the vehicles on display in a seamless wash of light. A customer lounge provides a place to relax on the finest hand woven carpet and leather furniture surrounded by Walnut veneer wall displays.

Creative Spaces provided full design and build services, managing all suppliers and contractors to provide our client with a single point of contact and the assurance that the showroom would be completed to the exacting standards required by Rolls-Royce, all in time for a fixed grand opening date.

SKM

For leading engineering consultancy SKM (now rebranded as Jacobs), transforming their internal culture to one of open sharing of knowledge was a key driver for their new Auckland office project.

They realised they needed a more dynamic and collaborative workplace, and approached Creative Spaces for assistance. Any good design starts with a great brief and Creative Spaces' 4D Workplace approach guided SKM in understanding their requirements.

Previously split over two premises in Newmarket, the new location brought the entire business under one roof. While the old offices did not align with aspirations of the organisation and staff, their survey responses showed they wanted a workplace that was efficient, friendly, contemporary and reflected professionalism and functionality.

SKM's strong commitment to sustainability was reflected in the completed fitout. The move to Carlaw Park offered the opportunity to move to a 4 Star Green Star base building, with a high, aspirational target for 5 Star fitout.

The Creative Spaces team provided a comprehensive service, from initial briefing, full design and documentation, landlord liaison, project and construction management, through to design build delivery and soft fitout procurement. The fitout was integrated with the completion of the base building, achieving time, cost and resource savings.

Statistics New Zealand Auckland

The shift across Symonds Street in Auckland moves Statistics New Zealand a short distance in physical terms, but light years in terms of the quality of their workplace environment. The new 2,200m² offices provide flexible open plan workspaces appropriate to the groups that use them supported by a range of amenities, collaboration and breakout spaces.

Statistics New Zealand is very pleased with their new Auckland office fitout which not only creates a much more functional and supportive work environment, but also sets a new benchmark for the cost of interior fitouts in the government sector. The original budget was increased by the client during the project to include a wider scope of works, however the final result still represents exceptional value for money and is a credit to the project team.

Statistics New Zealand Christchurch

When the Christchurch Earthquake damaged Dollan House in Madras Street, Creative Spaces were engaged to design and project manage a new 3600m² fitout over 3 levels, in conjunction with structural upgrade works undertaken by the landlord.

The brief was to revitalise the workspace and provide a new open plan work environment. It was important to the client, to create the feeling of a "new" building and fitout, which was both structurally stable and aesthetically uplifting.

The original budget was increased by the client during the project, to include a wider scope of works such as a commercial café on the ground floor for staff and the public, new furniture and breakout areas, and exterior landscaping.

Team McMillan BMW

The Team McMillan BMW project comprised a significant extension and refurbishment of the existing building, incorporating a new showroom with mezzanine office accommodation. Creative Spaces’ scope involved full architectural, interior design and project management services.

A staged approach allowed continued operation of the facility during construction. Refurbishment included new facades, roof finishes, reconfigured interior spaces and new interior fitout and finishes. Louvres were installed to control heat build-up whilst still accommodating the penetration of natural light deep into the double-volume space. A new retail concept store was also delivered as part of the project. Substantial upgrade of building services was incorporated with the design for sales, administration and service offices including new lighting, power, voice/data and mechanical services.

Tower

Creative Spaces partnered with Tower to design a new fitout with a strong focus on future flexibility. Previously spread over multiple small floors on Fanshawe Street, Tower decided to consolidate onto five large floors totally 4,650m2 on Queen Street, with the idea of moving customer facing services further up the building, taking full advantage of the views.

Subtle theming over the five floors developed from the Tower brand. It became apparent that ‘The Lighthouse' only functioned successfully with the help of support buildings. This tied in nicely with the teams and facilities of each floor

          The Lighthouse (First Impression - Reception)

          The Boathouse (Contact with the Outside- Customer Services)

          The Keeper's House (The Home - Main Café Hub)

          The Signal Building (Risk Management Teams)

          The Fuel House (The Driver - Server Room and IT)

It was important that should the brand change at all, the fitout would still be relevant. A colour palette was established which assisted with way-finding, and gave each floor its own identity. Interest and depth was created with the use of faceted carpet transitions, a variety of light fittings, finishes and textures.

Every person within Tower, from the CEO down, changed into an open plan environment. This was supported by an increased number of quiet rooms, collaboration spaces and bookable meeting rooms. The traditional ‘Corner Office' was changed to be open collaboration spaces which the whole organisation could share and enjoy. While all of the workpoints are currently all allocated to individual employees, the interior is designed so that Tower can transition to flexible shared desk allocation in the future without any change to the fitout.

Trimble

A Fortune 1000 company with offices worldwide, Trimble Navigation designs integrated GPS systems for use in a range of industries including surveying, mapping, highway construction, transportation, agriculture, and construction.

Creative Spaces has recently undertaken the interior design fitout of Trimble's new 6,000m² Christchurch offices. The design incorporates extensive audio visual facilities to cater for collaboration with colleagues overseas. Work areas are predominantly open plan comprising workstations designed specifically to suit the needs of hardware and software engineers.

The new building, was designed in collaboration between local architects, University of Canterbury researchers and Trimble. The scale of the design and use of new, quake-safe technology make it one of the first of its kind in Australasia.

Vector

Vector was an organisation in a state of flux. It was a newly formed company aiming to build its brand and corporate culture, redevelop its commercial services and relocate its staff to one location in order to consolidate all of its activities. Creative Spaces’ solution was an open-plan office which had a look and feel that embodied the organisation’s values. Staff buy-in was extremely important and questionnaires, workshops and presentations ensured that Vector employees felt that they were a part of the process. The result of this initial project was a workspace that Vector staff were extremely proud of. Careful attention to the long-term needs of the organisation meant that the master-plan that was developed at the time has been flexible enough to enable Vector to change and adapt easily as the business grew and diversified. Creative Spaces’ ongoing support has meant that the original fitout still works, even after Vector has more than doubled in size over the last ten years.

Vero

The major refurbishment of Vero's 5,550m² head office in Auckland's Vero Centre aimed to improve workplace efficiency and effectiveness while retaining the core characteristics of an office space that users love.

The briefing and design process involved extensive consultation with staff and key stakeholders, characterised by open two-way communication which has refined the overall scope of refurbishment along with the detailed requirements of each business unit.

The ten year old fitout was refreshed and updated to give it a new lease of life for the next ten years. The project team was focused on value, evaluating the cost/benefit for various refurbishment options, to ensure that Vero made best use of its resources. The final scheme  reuses the majority of existing furniture and existing partitions, but with totally reconfigured stacking and workspace layouts, adding additional amenities to improve the ability of staff to perform their roles.

In addition to increasing the effectiveness of staff, the space utilisation and efficiency of each floor has been markedly improved. The phased construction process was undertaken floor by floor, with staff moving out temporarily to facilitate the extensive refurbishment works to occur more quickly.