This is an article from the Architecture Australia archives and may use outdated formatting
top General office from entry. above Meeting room.
New offices for a firm of management consultants have been provided by architects Grose Bradley on the upper level of a two-storey, heritage-listed drill hall in The Rocks, Sydney. The character of the space is defined by existing floorboards and a gabled roof with fine steel trussing and a skylight aligned east-west. The fitout conforms to the client’s tight budget and conservation demands by the Sydney Cove Authority: including a 2700mm height limit on new construction inside the high-roofed space and a requirement to preserve the existing structure. Seeking to “allow the space to speak” and provide transparency between key work-zones, the architects inserted a floating composition—of bolted steel and painted plasterboard panels, silicon-sealed glazing and sliding plywood screens—which is intended to be deconstructed and reassembled if the company moves to other premises. Workstations were constructed from fibreboard, partly clad with zincalume.
The commission required the architects to design new office accommodation entirely within the historic drill hall at Lower Fort Street, The Rocks, Sydney.
The work is of lightweight construction and designed to be completely removable. Detailing is subtle and clear with clever treatment and flexible control of space.
The constraints set by the building paradoxically freed the architect to concentrate on issues of community and privacy within the large drill hall and basketball area. The resulting fitout felt as though it would be one in which it would be extremely pleasant to work. Although the hierarcial nature of the business was evident, the openness of the space suggested a team approach and a co-operative working environment.
Australian Consulting Partners Offices, SydneyArchitect Grose Bradley—project architect Nicola Bradley; project team James Grose, Kim Humphreys. Structural Engineer James Taylor & Associates. Mechanical Engineer Nappin & Partners. Hydraulic Engineer DC Hydraulics. Builder RT & DJ Fairbrother. Photographer Tom Balfour.
