A Look Inside Tonkin Consulting’s Elegant Office in Adelaide

Michal
Digital agencies
4 years ago

Provider of engineering, environmental and related services Tonkin Consulting recently hired architecture and interior design firm Hames Sharley to design their new office in Adelaide, Australia.

“Form, flair and functionality are immediately apparent as soon as visitors enter the space. The designers have achieved an environment that puts people first, builds community and ingrains collaboration. “Home is where the heart is”. By referencing the domestic in furniture and materiality the designers have created a space that is both warm and welcoming whilst still having an understated playfulness.

The use of subtle curves, colour palettes and warm, natural finishes subtly references Tonkin’s new brand identity just as the infinity symbol in the new Trust Mark represents the shared journey to the destination with colleagues and clients in a spirit of collaboration. The brief was to create a design to promote staff feeling a level of comfort, pride and trust within their workplace while enabling a casual and formal collaboration between staff and building a stronger work culture.

The core idea was to create an environment conducive to ‘Building exceptional outcomes together’. The stereotype of Engineers was cast aside and instead a sense of Home prevails. Home is where the heart is, where our boundaries come down and we belong. The infinity symbol in the Tonkin Trust Mark represents the shared journey to connecting communities. Tonkin’s people are at the heart of that process.

Using domestic references unconventionally, we created a warm, welcoming space with an understated playfulness. We created flexible settings allowing employees to decide where and how they’ll work. The space has Open Plan Office, Quiet Rooms, Banquettes, plan tables and create stations, and Focus pods. The boardroom, with its curved glass partition, leather dado rail, modern pendant, timber lined ceiling and soft decorative voiles wrapping the interior space, creates a sense of the unexpected. In the breakout kitchen there is a hanging garden/lighting system suspended above the island bench.

The collaboration zone, an adaptable space with tiered seating and ottomans, was created for both work and play. The exterior side of this zone was wrapped with Tonkin corporate values on matte and gloss panels. The nature inspired carpet evokes a sense of calm while the soft furnishings are richly textured and comfortable. Lighting and furniture has rounded corners and smooth edges for a soft aesthetic,” says Hames Sharley.