Electrolux is regarded as Australasia’s leading household appliances company and take great pride in their philosophy of putting the customer needs and wants first. Their brief for new corporate premises was driven by the requirement for a workplace change and implementation programme, one which would align with this philosophy and reinforce the organisation’s core values.
The brief further called for the delivery of a cost effective fitout which would see the cost attributed to those areas that would contribute to workplace change, employer satisfaction and increased productivity. The aim was to focus higher expenditure items on the change-influencing areas such as the central staircase, informal breakout areas, boardroom and AV solutions.
The key focus of the design was to infuse the premises with the flavour of Electrolux’s Scandinavian heritage. Cues were taken from other Electrolux sites, with simplistic materials and detailing, and aligned with the organisation's core values and themes. A minimal palette with primarily large expanses of bold colour and graphics was used to articulate space.
Previously the Electrolux design team and innovation team had been separated from the main working groups and subsequently the brief further called for the creation of a sense of community for the staff. This was reflected in the planning with the stair and the breakout spaces occupying the centre and heart of the building on all floors. The concept of the stair was integral in creating a link between the user groups and also to link the public space and showcase area on level one. The result sees the back office successfully linked with the client face of the business.