Architect and Builder July/August 2015 | Page 92

INTERIORWATCH THE LATEST NEWS AND PRODUCTS FROM THE COMMERCIAL INTERIOR INDUSTRY PURE DESIGN TRANSFORMS WORK CULTURE NEWSWORTHY K.LIGHT IMPORT: ADVANTAGES OF THEIR NEW LED SPOTLIGHTS LED lighting loses far less energy to heat compared to other lighting technologies. This equates to about 80% of the electrical energy being converted to light, while 20% is converted into other forms of energy such as heat. With less heat emitted by LED lighting, air conditiong costs can be greatly reduced when compared to traditional incandescent light bulbs, which only operate at 20% energy efficiency, meaning that 80% of the electricity is lost as heat. LED lights have the benefit of a longer life span, therefore cutting maintenance costs. They have no Pure Design recently undertook the refurbishment of American Multinational, Johnson & Johnson’s Cape Town Offices. The brief was to find a cost effective solution to upgrade their +/- 3,000m 2 office space which was untouched for about twenty years, with focus on work culture transformation and stimulation of staff interaction. Pure Design designed and project managed all disciplines for the entire project. This ranged from finding, setting up and relocating staff to temporary accommodation, to the comprehensive demolition, clearing, complete construction, shop fitting and new office furniture, data, AV, telephony, signage, decor etc. This project ran from early 2014 until June 2015. Convincing the client to go open plan was the most challanging part of the project. This initially resulted in countless design variations, but they eventually settled on a concept and started to develop the design. The process was very challenging, but creating a space that transformed Johnson & Johnson’s work culture was achieved. The original space had an office for almost every person, hampering staff interaction and lacking inspiration. The building is longer than it is wide so the designers used this to their advantage, by placing a sizable coffee shop style pause area in the centre, linked to the kitchen and bathrooms. This forces staff to walk from their workstations to the central hub, which created far more interaction and ultimately stimulates productivity. With technology more mobile these days staff are also encouraged to work away from their desk a few times in the day if their technology allows them. This was achieved by placing high back sofas throughout the workspace for small teams to meet and workshop non-confidential topics and projects. It was also found that many team meetings are happening in the coffee shop instead of enclosed meeting rooms. Pure Design are pleased that they were a significant part of Johnson & Johnson’s transformation as a company. www.puredesigninteriors.co.za Images: Sally Wellbeloved filaments, which decreases the risk of filament breakage and replacement of the complete bulb. LEDs will start at full brightness immediately, unlike florescent and metal halide lights. Most LED lights operate at low voltage so they are cool to touch and much safer to handle during installation and maintenance. www.klight.co.za 90 Interior Watch