Oxford Investa Property Partners Reveals the Winning Design Concepts Behind Sydney’s CBD’s ‘Healthiest’ Workplace at Barrack Place
09 May 2019
The
newly completed
Barrack Place commercial
office tower, developed by
Investa for Oxford Investa Property Partners (OIPP), at 151 Clarence
Street in
Sydney, is one of the few that can lay claim to successfully
resolving the challenge of fusing the city’s
heritage past with a future
where our
workplace makes us healthier and happier.
Designed by top tier architectural studio
Architectus, Barrack Place’s
design strongly references the location’s history as a warehousing
precinct in the late 1800’s, where carriages would load goods in and out
of shops and hotels through cobbled laneways and barber shops would
service the local workers.
Its brick façade and laneway retail arcade sit beneath a contemporary
office tower, which has already received a 6 Star
Green Star – As Built
rating and was the first building in Australia to receive the WELL Core
& Shell Gold Pre-certification by the International
WELL Building
InstituteTMin 2017.
Spanning 23 levels and offering 22,000 square metres of space, it is
fully leased, with the project’s engineering designer
Arup committing to
a significant portion of space, as well as Mills Oakley, Pfizer and
Washington H Soul Pattinson.
Mark Tait, Group Executive & Head of Commercial Development at Investa
said: “Barrack Place sets a new benchmark for office development in
Sydney through its considered design that links back to the past and
its integration of smart, integrated
technology that positions it as one
of the most advanced buildings in Sydney.”
Deliberate residential design touches of bleached timber cladding,
exposed brick facades and charcoal metal framing have been used in the
building’s entrance to create a warm, tactile
environment to encourage occupants to pause and spend time in the
space during their working day.
Throughout the office component, balconies and lightwells have been
included to draw natural light deep into the floorplate and to enable
greater flexibility in how the space is used and subdivided.
Incorporating large, connected floorplates throughout the building was a
key aspect of the design solution to enable tenants to achieve organic
collaboration within the workplace in their fit-out designs.
Barrack Place’s focus on helping tenants create healthier and happier workplaces is underpinned by advanced technology, which has been integrated into the fabric of the building. It is one of the first buildings to utilise smart sensor technology in all of its lighting, which can reduce electricity costs by up to 78%. Contractors and visitors will soon be able to enter the building and control the lifts via Bluetooth entry access on their smartphones, which is the first time this technology has been trialled in an Australian commercial office building.
Landscaped, New York-style outdoor terraces have also been incorporated into the sixth and seventh floors taking advantage of natural design alignment with adjacent buildings and offered as a way to democratise access to these spaces for different tenants, adding a residential feel that is rare in commercial buildings.
Architectus’ Managing Principal, Colin Odbert, said: “The design
excellence competition held by Investa for Barrack Place provided a
unique opportunity for us to respond creatively to the needs of the
modern workplace as well as provide significant benefit to the public by
opening up a gateway to the emerging western corridor of Sydney.
To inform the design of the building, we drew inspiration from the
carriageways and courtyards of the heritage merchant’s warehouses and
used a range of materials and architectural detailing to create a rich
and textured environment that speaks to the history of the area.”
The exterior finish uses locally sourced and dry-pressed face brick
detailing to create a warm, rustic finish that salutes this historic
warehouse district of Sydney’s western corridor. Cobbled, ground-level
laneways provide a newfound pedestrian thoroughfare connecting it to
Martin Place in the East through to Darling Harbour and Barangaroo in
the west.
To find about Barrack Place, please visit
www.barrackplace.com.au
--ENDS--
Source: Investa - www.investa.com.au
Contact: Ted Mitchell 0400 104 738 or Steph McMullin 0447 582 557
External Links: www.barrackplace.com.au
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