JOURNAL/ Aug-Sept/2014

Bates Smart was invited to participate in a City of Sydney Design Excellence Alternatives competition for a commercial property at 151 Clarence Street. The site is adjacent to another Bates Smart project, the heritage Red Cross building at 155 Clarence Street.

Bates Smart's approach aimed to optimise the NLA of the new commercial building while maximising the urban, environmental and economic benefits of the development.

Bates Smart Director, Philip Vivian, talks about the team's design concept:

"Our vision employed warm, masonry materials to create a sensitive response to the scale and materiality of the immediate heritage context without resorting to mimicry.

"Within the podium we have inserted an atrium to create an interconnected campus work environment with excellent natural light distribution onto the commercial floorplates. On the upper levels, a glazed tower with panoramic views of Darling Harbour maximises daylight penetration into the atrium while creating a conference, skylobby and entertainment level with expansive outdoor terrace."

The terrace level adopts a dynamic W transfer structure which reconciles the economical structural grids utilised within the podium and tower floors.

At ground level, a new through site link connects Clarence Street to Kent Street via a generous two storey galleria which intersects with the 9 storey high naturally lit podium atrium.

Relocating from the IBM Tower at Southbank to the inner CBD address of 171 Collins Street provided McGrath Nicol the opportunity to be more accessible to their clients and further demonstrate their brand and culture, both externally and internally.

Bates Smart leveraged our understanding of the building architecture to create a workplace for McGrath Nicol that ties into the base building aesthetic. The journey from the client entrance at the ground floor foyer, up to the McGrath Nicol workplace is seamless with the fitout adopting similar materials of travertine and stone.

The workplace is a manifestation of the McGrath Nicol brand and a premium client experience. It provides an exclusive client meeting and entertaining suite, opening onto the terrace.

By co-locating all staff together on a single floor they are maximising opportunities for improved connectivity and collaboration and flexibility. The work area is open, streamlined and flexible, with a range of collaboration and support facilities.

Situated immediately south of the Perth Central Business District, Elizabeth Quay seeks to create a dynamic public waterfront precinct which transforms the relationship between the city and the river.

A mid-rise podium with residential tower set back above is proposed. The tower form is cranked to maximise prime water views across the water.

Bates Smart Director Philip Vivian explains the design team's approach:

"Our vision is to create a vibrant civic precinct and to celebrate the connection between the Perth CBD and the majestic Swan River. The ground floor tenancies spilling out on to the public promenade are envisioned to be high quality destination bars and restaurants attracting local residents, commuters and tourists.

"The residential tower is a gateway building and a focal point for the precinct. The elegant sweeping form of the tower with it’s curved ends evokes a nautical aesthetic and responds to the prime waterfront location, while the warm, textured podium with shifting patterns of louvres responds to a finer pedestrian scale and the everchanging pattern of human movement and shifting reflections in the water." 

A fantastic result for these high-end hospitality spaces that are characterised by meticulous details and bespoke fittings.

Read more about this project in Journal February 2014

Read more about Electrolight's Lighting Design for 171 Collins Street on DZN World.

The Directors of Bates Smart would like to congratulate the following staff: 
Associates
Jonathan Brener
Edwin Chew
Cate Cowlishaw
Tonie Maclennan
Amanda Rogers
Jung Soo Kim
Amy Watkins 
Associate Directors
Cian Davis
Bradley Dorn
Mathieu Le Sueur
Erica Lienert
Mark Pellen
David Tordoff
Karen Wong

​Each of these individuals adds their own combination of talent and passion to the team and we are very proud to recognise their contribution. Read more about each of our promotees

The jury citation reads:

"This compelling suite of buildings exploits the inherent qualities and innovative potential of brick to great effect. Designed with an enviable attention to detail, this project sets a new benchmark for the student housing typology."

Jury: John Tuomey, Sheila O'Donnell, Neil Durbach, Cameron Bruhn, Emma Williamson, Elizabeth McIntyre. 

Congratulations to the team at Bates Smart for Crown Mahogany and to Bates Smart in association with The Irwin Alsop Group for Dandenong Mental Health Facility.

"Terracotta clad spandrel panels that reference the brick façade of the adjacent building alternate with floor to floor vision glazing whereby the terracotta always faces the northern sun. "Since the façade geometry is more complex than usual we specified a façade prototype. After one failed attempt by the façade contractor to mock-up the documented arrangement we finally were able to see a promising prototype in China last week.

"The workmanship of the façade components made outside of Guangzhou was very good and the prototype was equally useful for the contractor's understanding of the design as it has been for us to resolve interfaces and details. "The terracotta colours are not fully resolved and there is still refinement to be done but the façade concept is clearly legible." The new buildng will house teaching spaces and academic workspace as well as the school office and cafe. The façade will be installed before the end of the year and the completion of the building is anticipated for February 2015.

 From the Ground Up: 20 Stories of a Life in Architecture brings together 20 of Australia's leading architectural practitoners. Their reflections offer an insight into the values and ideas behind some of the country's most innovative and important buildings.