Commercial

Crossing off all the boxes

Striking new office building in Sydney from fitzpatrick+partners

by James 30 October 2010
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    The primary planning objective was to create a dynamic, efficient and flexible workspace. The design solution creates a building typography which describes its commercial use, but respects its harbour edge entertainment locale. It integrates the clean form and lines of the 'commercial glass box' with a finer level of detail, texture and finish creating an honest and well mannered building, with a clear expression of function and purpose.

    The deliberate expression of One Shelley Street’s external diagonal structure juxtaposes itself against the orthogonal expression of the surrounding city buildings, such that when a glimpse of it appears through an opening vista, or an elevation of it appears against the city silhouette, the building is immediately identifiable.

    The primary planning objective was to create a dynamic, efficient and flexible workspace. The internal experience was enhanced through the creation of central or atrium based gathering spaces and bridges, establishing connectivity between all levels. This visual linking of high and low rise spaces under the atrium roof creates a sense of involvement in the organisation for all staff wherever they are located within the building.

    The narrow depth of the floor plates creates a high level of natural light penetration across the workspace, and allows all spaces to be located in close proximity to the building’s central community spaces.The structural concept was developed in response to the site constraints – an existing 5-storey basement with no regular grid - which had been constructed for a previously proposed residential development. It also aimed to limit the number of on-floor columns so to maximise the planning flexibility for the commercial tenancies.

    Integrated and seamless sustainability was a primary project objective.ESD features include passive chilled beam technology and harbour heat rejection to reduce energy levels required for cooling. The Green Building Council of Australia has awarded the building a 6-star Green Star 'World Leader' rating, which is the highest environmental building rating achievable in Australia.

    Australia

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