After seven years of displacement following the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes, moving to a central, permanent new home was a huge moment for Boffa Miskell.
Boffa Miskell are award-winning consultants in planning, landscape architecture, urban design and biosecurity, therefore, sustainability and the environment were driving factors in the design. Working to a defined budget meant reusing existing elements in the new fit-out.
We worked closely with a small team from Boffa Miskell to design a workplace that provided the right allocation of spaces to suit various teams of staff who worked in a variety of styles.
Creating a studio space for planners and designers with collaboration and digital presentation was a key priority. To cater to this, the studio space was designed to showcase work on large format screens playing constant imagery from projects. The displays were visible from the entry onto the floor and at reception, providing a glimpse for visitors.
A dedicated ‘Crit Space’ is located on the far side of the open-plan office, away from the public domain. With writable walls and a shared high leaner, it provides room for teams to come together, critique and innovate.
Natural timber and soft greens were used within meeting rooms, the café space and reception to create a calm environment and to link with the exterior surroundings. The slatted timber planter separating the reception and open plan spaces was developed with the cultural team at Boffa Miskell to reflect the maunga (Mountains) and earth.
Boffa Miskell’s new Christchurch space utilised existing elements to achieve an environmentally and budget-friendly place for collaboration and productivity. Through strategic and functional briefing, we determined current and future needs to ensure Boffa Miskell was getting the workplace they needed.
