Architect and Builder Jul 2021 | Page 31

client-facing meeting rooms , a staff restaurant and a Vida Café that can service both Deloitte employees and the public realm through a service hatch inserted into the covered entrance façade . The ground floor experience is completed by Deloitte ’ s ‘ Xcelerator ’, an immersive environment where clients can experience the potential of digital transformations in an innovative environment that enables the creative development of customised digital solutions .
To facilitate and encourage active movement for both employees and visitors , The Ridge has a lightfilled internal atrium conceptualised as a street that runs through its centre . The workspace planning focuses on activating this street edge through the deliberate positioning of agile workspaces around the atrium to create a bustling working corridor .
It includes a balance of collaborative workspace such as touch-down points , casual lounge spaces , focus rooms and pods . Social relaxation areas are positioned in the vertical circulation core . Lifts and a sculptural steel staircase allow employees to easily connect with each other between floors . New ways of working such as desk-sharing practices are also being successfully implemented here , aligned with Deloitte ’ s global workspace practices .
Apart from the application of similar branding elements in the signage , finishes and colour scheme as at Deloitte ’ s offices at Waterfall City , The Ridge has a distinctively different atmosphere . Extensive use of natural materials such as exposed concrete , timber and glass echoes the external façade . The indoor planting completes a holistic wellness experience for users .
However , perhaps the biggest differentiator at The Ridge is the presence of exposed slabs and services , a technical requirement of the innovative chilled slab cooling solution – one of the many
unique sustainability features of the building . Special acoustic panels float underneath the slabs to provide appropriate levels of sound absorption for a comfortable office environment and suspended linear low-energy LED lighting between the panels follows a similar design rhythm .
“ From the beginning The Ridge was always going to be unique , and the interior really needed to respond to that brief . At the same time , it aligns the threads of Deloitte ’ s branding philosophy and the workplace strategy implemented at Waterfall City ,” says D ’ Adorante .
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