BresicWhitney Inner West
A masterclass in tonal ambience and elegant functionality, BresicWhitney Inner West by Those Architects is the latest design-focused office for the Sydney property group.
Uniting three separate spaces into a cohesive contemporary workplace, the new office reflects the creativity, diversity and sophistication of its locale.
“For us, great design and thoughtful architecture are meaningful representations of how passionate and serious we are about continuing to lead in all that we do.”
BresicWhitney had previously occupied one portion of the building, which at the time was made up of three separate tenancies. With more space urgently required by the burgeoning team, Those Architects was tasked with amalgamating the three to create an office with an elevated arrival experience and its own sense of identity, informed by both BresicWhitney’s design-led ethos and the vibrant creativity of Sydney’s Inner West. “Ultimately, the brief was to deliver a space that reflected the Inner West business and that could accommodate a large team, facilitating all the functions required of an industry-leading agency,” says Ben Mitchell, co-founder and director of Those Architects.
For BresicWhitney, the new office was an opportunity to reflect the company’s emphasis on the value of good design. “For us, great design and thoughtful architecture are meaningful representations of how passionate and serious we are about continuing to lead in all that we do,” says BresicWhitney CEO Thomas McGlynn, explaining that the offices are not only spaces from which great work is delivered but also where the best ideas are conceptualised. “The quality and curiosity of the space directly shapes the thinking within it.”
Having also designed the BresicWhitney Lower North Shore office, Those Architects sought to create a link between the two locations while ensuring the new space felt distinctive in its own right. Where the Lower North Shore location features bright royal-blue ceilings and stainlesssteel joinery, here the materiality is equally refined yet with a quieter, earthier quality.
“The palette is warm and rich, with walnut panelling and plush New Zealand wool carpets offsetting the sparing use of stainless steel and concrete,” says Mitchell. “Colour is introduced through custom furniture, opting for texture rather than colour to inform the spaces architecturally.”
Stepping inside, a pared-back neutral palette and subtle emphasis on texture has an immediate calming and inspiring effect. There is a sense that the space can effortlessly hold all the activities, both the creative and the mundane, that go with the territory of a busy company. Delineating zones and providing quiet spaces for meetings and focused work without unduly siloing teams is key in any modern workplace – and BresicWhitney Inner West needed to accommodate the business’s clientfacing activities as well as the internal workings of the team. To manage this program, Those Architects employed a central ‘island’, housing the main reception and staff breakout room, as the primary wayfinding device for the entire floor plate.
“The materiality and form of the central island informs your passage through the space,” says Mitchell. “The program is divided between public and private, with the island device being conceived as a pinwheel that enables the large floor plate to be zoned without feeling too compartmentalised.” This easy flow between zones and spaces undoubtedly contributes to the utility of the office but, more than this, it facilitates a workplace culture of collaboration and innovation.
Just as the neutral palette offers a sense of calm and focus, the thoughtful plan creates an atmosphere in which productivity and creativity feel like the natural outcomes of a space that enhances connection without forcing it. Meanwhile, carefully positioned openings provide green vistas from the workstations and bring natural light into meeting rooms, and artificial lighting is gentle and unobtrusive, a far cry from the fluorescent-lit offices of old. It’s a workplace that feels comfortable to be in – intuitively, effortlessly and without fuss supporting the wellbeing of those who work there.
