Image Credit : Briana Davis & Tom Debenham
Project Overview
Burnham Beeches is a landmark visionary restoration and development project in Sherbrooke; approximately 45 minutes from Melbourne. Conceived by business partners Adam Garrisson and culinary master Shannon Bennett, the site spans some 22 hectares and is the home of a famous mansion with surrounding out-houses that had been left unkept for decades until 2014. The masterplan vision for the site is to return the mansion to its Art Moderne architectural brilliance and be crowned Australia's first luxury 6-star retreat. Surrounding land will be transformed to include an eco-sustainable food lifestyle offering including a trufferie and vegetable greenhouses that will source a bakery, a cafe, a steak house, micro brewery and other accommodation including luxury villas and camp-pods (once the site is fully developed). Best Group were engaged by Shannon & Adam to work collaboratively with the design team to bring to life a signage and wayfinding solution that was empathetic to the historical architectural and landscape significance of the site; and a solution that could be scaled as the staged project comes to reality over the next 5 or so years.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Jacob Burke
Scott Burroughs
George Thompson
Nick Pickering
David Chapman
Project Brief
With the Burnham Beeches master brand design by John Warwick, and architecture and interiors undertaken by Woods Bagot; the Best Group team sought to address the somewhat complex wayfinding and identification (physical experience of the site and its offerings) for Stage One of the development; bakery, cafe and croquet court, emu enclosure and trufferie.
The brief demanded a solution that was non-intrusive to the beauty of the landscape and architecture, but also was strong enough to provide a seamless solution for users of the site to easily orientate and navigate through the wonder of the site.
The brief fundamentally called out for a design solution that complemented, and paid respect to, the Art Moderne era of the mansion architecture, and also the natural landscape the signage would inhabit on a permanent basis.
Furthermore, it required a solution of 'sign types' that could easily be extended (strategically) as the project stages were developed and launched to the public.
Project Innovation/Need
Our inter disciplinary design studio, directed by Jacob Burke, sought to understand this project brief in two distinct elements from the outset:
1. The requirements of user-flow and journey's throughout the site
2. The context of architecture and landscape of the vast site
Starting with a thorough survey and whole design studio walk of the site; we quickly understood the challenge that was ahead. It was evident that traditional wayfinding and information design thinking and execution was simply not going to work for this incredible historical site.
The design needed ideation to ensure that the physical 'feeling' within the experience of literally just being within the space wasn't compromised.
Once the site survey and physical immersion was complete, our team worked through user flow mapping to understand how Stage One would be launched, and how we would need users to move through the site.
Blended with extensive research on the Art Moderne era of design; we entwined these disciplines of physical movement with form and function to create a concept that was underpinned by slimline, curved form - that was transparent wherever possible, so not to intrude on experiencing sight vistas
Design Challenge
Like with any large scale property development (especially when heritage restoration is a key player), the main design challenge for this project was delivering the brief within the budget allocated.
Ambitions and visions were high; and commercial reality soon proved that the only way this was to be delivered was an inter-disciplinary, smart design focus that translated concept to build.
The key example of this was the conceptualised use of curved concrete (a key feature of the Art Moderne design era) for the entrance gate signage. The sheer size of this, together with the need for it to be illuminated at night made it cost prohibitive to implement within budget - so our team researched and sought a faux concrete spray paint finish to be applied to a carcas frame and aluminium structure. It worked; and you really can't tell the difference!
As the entire Best Group team; from studio, to project management, worked together - the project was delivered ahead of time, and on-budget. Hard work has ensured that the built product was as desired throughout concept aesthetic stages.
Sustainability
The key element of sustainability for this project has been a reduced footprint of signage from what you would expect at a public-use site of this scale, and nature.
From initial strategy to final allocation planning for total sign quantities; Best Group achieved a 20% reduction whilst not compromising aspects/points in user journey flow.
Furthermore, the Best Group design studio's solution included in principle a majority of transparent form, so that it was shape and materiality that framed vistas (like windows) through the site.
By adopting this solution (that also met the brief), we have significantly reduced materiality in construction whilst not compromising (rather adding value to) user experiences.
Wayfinding
This award celebrates creative and innovative design in the ways people orient themselves in physical space, and navigate from place to place. Consideration given to signage and other graphic communication, clues in the building's spatial grammar, logical space planning, audible communication, tactile elements and provision for special-needs users.
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