Designworks Award Winning Office

I like hearing when good things happen to friends and colleagues in the design industry. In this case, a former design student of mine, now a member of the Spatial team at Designworks, winning at the Interior Design Awards 2014 earlier this month.
Designworks won the Best Workplace Design for their own office in Auckland and their design team member, Erini Compton has graciously shared the images with me to show us why.
Designed around the idea of 'working naturally', the open plan space encourages staff and clients to interact, collaborate and brainstorm effortlessly in this stylish and welcoming environment. Several areas are defined by furnishings, finishes, lighting and other design details to encourage the different kinds of 'working'. This feels right, especially for a design firm, to have an office like this for creative people as to assist them to perform at their creative best within these spaces. It all looks good to me.

Photographs by Katrina Rees and are under copyright by Designworks.

The Windsor Annex Store

The 2014 Australian Interior Design Awards have been shortlisted and I have been browsing through all the great entries.
Here is one from the Retail Design section that I like most - this is The Windsor Annex, a menswear concept store that was designed by Melbourne design firm, Hecker Guthrie. A stylish man cave of sorts, the store is beautifully executed with pegboard panels for display, leather detailing for the fixtures, tent-like canvas changing rooms and sturdy furniture. I also like the domestic details, the fireplace and indoors plants, which bring about a homely feel to the store. The Windsor Annex is a breath of fresh air and while it isn't aimed for female customers like myself, I would love to visit.

 

 

Photographs by Armelle Habib via Australian Interior Design Awards.