branding. They also serve the functional aspect
of making breakout spaces in front of the bathroom
entrances on varying levels. That, combined with
the integration of ceiling details, colour coded floor
levels, the 6-storey high main reception, which also
integrates Discovery’s colours – really becomes
the Discovery overlay within the building and also
serves to provide distinctive wayfinding.
Circulation
Circulation was a fundamental driver throughout
the design intent. When you have so many staff
to accommodate on a 12,000m 2 plus floor plate,
it is easy to feel lost and overwhelmed. It was
important to humanise the scope of the building
through the interior architecture and design.
Wayfinding and visibility were key to ensuring
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people knew where they were within the building.
This was acheived was by seeing the building as
a series of spaces you move through, rather than
one large space.
The pause areas populate the edges and open
out onto the atriums - not only showing activity, but
also providing spaces to meet. Along the bottom
edges of the concourse, boxes ensure you are not
just walking along a passage, but have some break-
out areas as you move inwards, which could also
serve as multi-function meeting spaces. Within
the floorplate itself, ‘Walk-and-Talk Walls’ that run
along from the atrium edges break up corridors
so that moving from Point A to Point B there are
various active spaces to circulate in.
The design was not only integrated hori-
zontally, but also vertically by connecting the
floors together. Eleven coffee shops and meeting
rooms alternate between the cores, so people
have to walk between the different levels to
use the services, which also creates chance
interactions between staff that may never meet
each other.
Staff wellness is a key aspect of working at
Discovery and this was fundamental to the spaces
developed. Discovery’s focus on the wellness of
their employees is quite fantastic. There is not only
a gym, but multiple events pertaining to lifestyle
aspects. As the brief developed, the designers
needed to provide amenities that you would not
normally find within a corporate building: there are
11 coffee shops and 4 major coffee brands as well
as two restaurants. There are a wide variety of
shops, making the day to day life of an employee
easier by providing services on site. The number
of amenities and benefits integrated within the
building matrix transforms it into a space that
resembles a city.
1 Discovery Place