ellivo (Places to Work & Connect)

Being designers we were excited by the prospect of testing our approach to the end user by starting with our staff and clients and personifying their needs and mapping out their possible journey with us.  We soon realised that our clients and staff were all very different and this led us to create spaces that could adapt.

We created private spaces where meetings can be confidential, small meeting spaces and public spaces where people can connect. We wrapped all of these in a series of movable curtains that change the privacy and use of the spaces. We can cocoon spaces and make them private, we can adjust lighting and become more of an entertaining space. The uses are varied and practical to take us through the next five or ten years that we may be here.

This is a very young and vibrant business, bursting with enthusiasm that we were very excited by the first time we listened to their vision for their move to much larger premises.  Taking over a largely existing floor we had a modest budget with which to create their dream – the arrival to a law firm that was to be very AJ & Co.

From the lift doors opening on level 18 of Waterfront Place the foyer opens up through their arrival area to river and city views. There is no reception welcome, just a welcoming space, iPad sign in and then onto the lounge. Complete with bar and spaces to meet and relax, the space is to be shared and enjoyed.

Their desire to demonstrate integrity and openness is embedded within their new home. From the moment you step inside the front door the client area is open and has views to Newstead beyond and the newly refurbished historical Gasometer. The combination of smoky glass, polished concrete, concrete, plywood and leather provides comfort and texture in the detailing and a most warm welcome.

With steep tree-lined streets, colourfully renovated Queenslander houses, and boutique bars and restaurants, Rosalie is a compact, attractive pocket of Brisbane that is a well-kept secret of the locals. We were approached by the client to deliver an eye-catching office building for the under-stocked Rosalie Village Centre. Our response was to compliment the eccentric character of the Rosalie, providing workers and visitors with a unique commercial and cultural experience.

Our brief was to create a space that will balance function, utilise natural light, deliver the best out of their modest budget and provide a welcoming environment for staff and patients alike. The clinic sits on the second floor of a large office building and is easily accessible with onsite parking. As you enter through the ground level, there is the option to choose either the lift or use the entrance to the grand staircase that leads to two different receptions on to the floor plate which is over 1000m2. The fitout is light filled and open-aired, balancing a refined yet young personality. Featuring pops of colour to retain branding, feature timber panelling and wall dividers for warmth and directing clientele, and feature lighting in the stairwell and reception all create a more homely feel for staff and patients.