Image Credit : Peter Clarke Photography
Project Overview
The Fitout for Birkenstock Australia Headquarters is designed to create a healthy work environment, based on sustainable architecture. It is part of the overall creation of the new Headquarter premises for Birkenstock Australia in inner urban Melbourne - see our entry under ‘Mixed Use Architecture - Constructed’.
The project won a Melbourne Design Award for unbuilt work last year, while it was all still in the making. So we thought we should put it to the test, now that it is finished and our clients have moved in. And you know what ?
I think it's come up as the most beautiful headquarter premises and fitout project not only in Melbourne, but probably all over Australia. What do you think?
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Marc Bernstein-Hussmann
DIrector Melbourne Design Studios
Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Arch MRIAI
Chartered Member Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
Felicity Bernstein, Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Arch
Chief Creative Officer Melbourne Design Studios
Head of Project Management & Interior Design
Danyelle Miller, Luke Perry, MDS
Ryan Macwhirter, emac constructions (Builder)
Project Brief
The Fitout for Birkenstock Australia HQ is about translating the brand's core values into a sustainable spatial experience. The new HQ premises were to intuitively illustrate the brand's commitment to quality, to craftmanship, to sustainability, to honesty and integrity.
Birkenstocks are healthy shoes, and the architecture and interiors reflect that. The building and fitout promote healthy living and a healthy workplace. A natural environment : Nature is paramount, and forms an integral part of the design concept.
Project Need
The office Fitout is designed around carefully selected and researched plants that act as 'air-purifiers': Materials have generally been selected as low VOC, and remaining unwanted emissions get filtered and cleansed by these plants, improving the indoor air quality substantially.
A great example is the design of the team clusters. Removing traditional blockout screens between desks to encourage project communication, desks share a slightly higher, double-sided, private locker unit with integrated planting. These 'air-purifiers' allow privacy and interaction at the same time. The open plan office encourages team work instead of hierarchical structures; a separate 'quiet room' provides privacy when required.
Reconfigured aeroplane trolleys hold individual filing, stationary etc, for each team member. These trolleys can be docked on to the dedicated space at each person's planting/locker unit - and when working elsewhere, staff can take them along. A central island unit holds the trolleys when not in use, and it invites team members to congregate, for a discussion or for a quick chat over a freshly-made coffee at the Barista end of the unit. The long island unit also doubles as a standing desk, encouraging the team to change work positions regularly.
Design Challenge
Like most Fitout and Headquarter projects, one of the core design challenges was how to best integrate the different departments into a single company culture through the design. A new central core from the retail space up connects and creates opportunities for 'by-chance-meetings’. Some staff amenities, for example, are half-up half-down between the levels, so that retail staff and wholesale staff get to 'meet in the middle' during their work day. The shopfront as a main entrance is used by all, and so is the staff kitchen in the office area upstairs.
Creating a healthy and (literally) 'green' environment within an existing building is obviously much more challenging than on a new-built. We set out to make this heritage building carbon neutral, and with the premises having just been occupied, we are currently starting to collect and compare real life data on actual energy usage and energy creation with our clients. With both passive and active ESD systems incl the integrated indoor planting, daylight strategies, material selection, added thermal mass and a thermally improved building envelope, the Birkenstock building has become a truly sustainable headquarter : A place where people enjoy work, leisure, shopping and more.
Sustainability.
A holistic approach to sustainability, including environmental, social and economic sustainability ideas, have driven the headquarter design (Refer our entry in the 'Mixed Use Architecture' category for more info).
Some ESD-examples include:
In the office, periscope-like highlights bring natural southern daylight to the desks, ideal for office work, and reducing the need for artificial lighting. These highlight windows are operable so that they act as thermal chimneys in summer, flushing out hot air over night. Rain and wind sensors close the windows when required. The north-facing back of the 'periscopes' holds Photovoltaics and Solar HWS. Large wooden ceiling fans assist in creating a comfortable environment even before the A/C system has to be started, thereby reducing A/C hours substantially.
The north facing heritage facade has been improved with external solar shading and additional insulation, i.e solar heat gains can be used in winter but excluded in summer. Materials have been selected based on their green credentials, like benchtops from recycled paper and bamboo fibre, sustainable timbers, linseed oil, E0 boards, plywood, rubber, and many more.
Interior Design - Corporate
This award celebrates innovative and creative building interiors, with consideration given to space creation and planning, furnishings, finishes, aesthetic presentation and functionality. Consideration also given to space allocation, traffic flow, building services, lighting, fixtures, flooring, colours, furnishings and surface finishes.
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