Selfridges & Co | portfolio

Small Commercial Office Selfridges & Co

Design Year: 2015

Client: Selfridges & Co

Design Type: Commercial - Office Design

General Info: Student Work - 2nd Year

School: Billy Blue College of Design

Computer program: 3Ds Max

Awards: 3rd International Green Interior Awards

Student Division Finalist

2015 Shortlist

Download the 2015 3rd International Green Interior Awards Shortlist

Concept

Overall Space:

The main focus on the design was to incorporate the famous 'Selfridges Yellow'. The brand often uses the yellow colour in big and bold ways, and my aim was to do the same in the office space. Yellow is a bright, energising colour, ideal for the workplace. I created a wood paneling feature wall inspired by the company's British history. The office is filled with custom furniture pieces, that provide a modern and individual touch, with a hint of the late Edwardian style era during which Selfridges & Co. was first established.

Boardroom:

The boardroom has a large wall of glass along one side allowing extra light in and opening the space. The long desk maximises allows all staff to be present in the boardroom at once.

Kitchenette and Dining:

The kitchen / dining area features a large round skylight that floods the space with natural light. The large round table mirrors the skylight above and is surrounded by classic style dining chairs. The round table, skylight balances out the square geometry throughout the office.

Workstations:

The thick wood panel feature wall is deep enough to allow staff to use them like shelves, giving it a practical function as well as an aesthetic one. The open plan gives the small office a large feel. The long desks give the staff ample workspace..

Balcony:

The balcony was designed with multiple use in mind (pictured above). The area can be used to work, socialise with fellow staff or to sit and relax. The feature of this area is the two green walls that provide fresh air and greenery to this small city office. The bi-fold windows open to allow the area to be used as an indoor / outdoor area.

Blonde Blackbutt
Resene: Banana Split Y85-164-089
ReadyCork: RCANTLEATH
Resene: Alabaster
Netcorp: Donkey
Resene: All Black
Buttercup - SCH184

Why my design is sustainable

I believe in a sustainable & ecological future. All suppliers chosen for my design are local to Sydney such as ECC lighting & furniture for the manufacture of my custom lighting & furniture designs. I have also carefully selected other manufactures who have sustainability in mind & are strongly commitment to renewable resources, and constantly strive to change and adapt their practices with the environment in mind. Including Premium Floors, Northern Rivers Recycled Timber, Gosdfrey Hirst Carpets, Brightgreen & Resene.

All of the materials I have selected (pictured left) can be either grown or manufactured in Australia to reduce the overall carbon footprint by reducing the chain of custody & distance of transportation.
In my design I have mostly selected wood from FSC Australia approved plantations & other sustainable materials including:

Cork Oak:

Cork, even though it is mostly only grown in Spain and Portugal is very sustainable as all of the cork removed from the cork oak tree can be used in some way leaving no wastage. Cork is an amazing natural resource, it has soundproof & thermal instillation properties, repels dust & germs & is easy to clean which means less need for harsh cleaning chemicals. It is also durable, strong & easy to maintain increasing the life-cycle of the product.

Recycled & Reclaimed Wood:
Recycling timber is an environmentally friendly form of timber production and is very common in Australia. Timber can be chipped down into wood chips which can be used to power homes or power plants at the end of life cycle. In this case I have chosen to use both recycled wood for my flooring & reclaimed wood for custom furniture in my design. This helps reduce the stress on plantations, reduces landfill & gives the pieces character. I have used recycled wood floorboards & reclaimed wood for custom furniture in the design.

Blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis):
Grown in plantations in the Coffs Harbour - Urunga districts in northern NSW, where it comprises about 40% of the total plantation resource for this state. Recycled Blackbutt is available from Nullarbor Forest Industries. This makes it the perfect chose of wood spices to be used for both flooring, furniture & joinery.

Recycled Steel:
Steel is one of the world's most recycled products. Steel is 98% - 100% recyclable - which means its life cycle is potentially continuous. Steel scrap is a necessary component in the production of new steel & can have a life cycle of up to 60 years. For this reason I have chosen to use recycled steel for my custom pendant lighting above the desks in the boardroom & workstations area.

Glass:
Glass is a sustainable material which provides great environmental benefits such as contributing to mitigating climate change and saving precious natural resources. Glass is a fully recyclable material that can be recycled in close loop over and over again. For this reason I have chosen to use it in my custom lighting designs to be used in the reception & courtyard area.

Rendered Plan Proposed floorplan	Reception 1 Front view: Mannequin display, waiting area and reception.	reception 2 Side View
Boardroom Side view through glass.	Full Office View from in-front of balcony looking to the entrance.	Workstations Feature selfridge yellow wood panel wall.
Balcony 1 View from balcony looking into the office.	Balcony 2 Side view of balcony.	Balcony 3 View of the city skyline through the bi-fold windows.