A warehouse style building in Sydney designed by BVN, housing a showroom dedicated to creating healthy environments and holistic workplaces has received the a GOLD WELL certification under the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) Retail Pilot Program.
Designed by BVN, the 500sqm Wilkhahn showroom is located on Wentworth Avenue in Surry Hills. BVN transformed an old warehouse building into a modern showroom showcasing Wilkhahn’s expertise in creating healthy environments and holistic workplaces. The adaptive reuse of the warehouse building has encouraged other businesses to move into the area, helping revitalise the precinct.
“Turning an early twentieth century space that has been primarily used for industrial activities into a twenty first century space to not only display furniture and plants, but also host talks, films and events about design required a focus on space and light. Natural light is particularly important in this space, which is long and narrow and has opening on one side,” says Sally Campbell, senior practice director at BVN.
The WELL Building Standard gives credits for seven core concepts of health – air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind – and explores how design can be optimised to advance human health and wellbeing.
Some of the WELL features in the Wilkhahn showroom include abundant natural light and views to the outside; large trees and dense planting in the atrium greenhouse space and potted plants throughout the showroom that improve air quality and create a connection to nature; promenade spaces designed to encourage interaction between staff and visitors, facilitating a healthier environment; spatial volumes varying in scale from a large flexible forum space suitable to host design events and product display scenarios, through to a small internal courtyard atrium; zones of dynamic, loud, quiet and retreat giving employees greater choice in where they work; sit to stand desks for employees; and raised wooden floors that add warmth to a space, which is predominantly raw concrete and brick.
