Situated in a historic building, S&T’s award-winning design studio took an outdated office fitout and turned it into a showcase of sustainable architecture and team-oriented design.

Its design promotes health and wellbeing while encouraging team interaction. The space has been thrown open, with screens and partitions removed. It is light and spacious, with a lively colour scheme and warm textures.

Instead of downplaying the 110-year-old building, S&T made enthusiastic use of the old timber floors, brick walls and open trusses, celebrating heritage alongside contemporary design. The studio was awarded “Workplace of the Year” at the 2012 Interior Awards.

The fitout received the highest possible 6 Green Star Interiors rating by the New Zealand Green Building Council for its full spectrum of sustainability measures. These included sustainably harvested and reused timber, daylight addressable lighting, natural ventilation, heat-pump and radiant heating, as well as a green wall and strict use of low VOC paints and adhesives.

A particular focus on construction waste minimisation saw 90% of waste materials recycled or reused. One year after completion, there was a saving of 20% in energy usage relative to the old fitout. A 4.5 star NABERS rating completed our achievement in the energy use of the space.

Clients now enter directly into the creative environment of our studio, a tacit invitation to participate in our design process.