New Zealand Commercial Design Trends Series NZ Commercial Design Trends Vol. 35/02C | Page 27

Below:The fit-out of Treasury’s
new offices in the reinvented
podium floors of No 1 The
Terrace had to contend with
some existing elements. An
immovable post in reception
is downplayed by a dramatic
wayfinding koru ceiling feature.
When your address is No 1 The Terrace, just
around the corner from The Beehive, you’re not
likely to let that go in a hurry – particularly when
you’re lead advisor to the Government on economic
and financial policy. Cue the Treasury’s cost-saving
and work process-invigorating consolidation of its
staff from the tower of No 1 The Terrace to the build-
ing’s sprawling four-level podium.
The customised, fully reconsidered interiors
for the podium were undertaken by Workspace
Architects, with Claire Deacon as project architect.
“When we first addressed this project, the
podium floors were a jumble of corridors and
rooms, which we stripped out completely. This
revealed the full advantage of the under-utilised,
light-bringing central atrium which divides the
2200m 2 plates in two,” says Deacon.
“Making the most of the open space and the
natural light, we organised staff areas around the
atrium, and optimised any long lines of sight made
possible by the open volume.”
Workspace Architects created a modern design
solution with a look that embraces all the people
that Treasury serves. The architects also developed
a specialised flexible workplace solution that took
on board the principles of activity-based working to
create a bespoke solution for Treasury.
“Treasury undertook space-measuring exercises
and utilisation studies to ensure that the appropri-
ate amount of space was allocated to work space
and collaborative spaces,” says Deacon. “And,
importantly, we spent the time with key Treasury
staff developing touchstone principles into a visual
design brief.
This brief underpinned all design decisions, and
Workspace Architects worked closely with cultural
advisors to ensure that the design embraces
Tikanga Māori, the right way of doing things. As
part of this, the wharenui or meeting house – Ngā
Mokopuna a Tāne – which has been part of the
Treasury since the early 1990s, is the centrepiece
of the design, from which other areas flow.
Essentially, all stakeholders’ ideas were woven
together into an environment that’s recognised
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