Commercial Studio

Imagescape Design Studios Commercial Studio has the expertise for the successful completion of your next:

 

  • office fitout
  • new office building
  • commercial refurbishment or adaptive reuse
  • cafe / restaurant fitout
  • showroom fitout
  • green upgrade

 

We undertake feasibility studies, concept design, design development, development application, construction documentation, construction certificate application, tendering and contract administration.

Commercial Studio Expertise

Imagescape Design Studios Commercial Studio understands to drivers the successful commercial development. The accept the challenge to provide great architecture while meeting the cost and time imperatives to achieve project viability.

Community Studio Creative Director Christine Kelly has over twenty years experience in the creation of quality commercial developments. Christine was project architect for the fitout of head offices for the Australian Health Management Group. This project was followed up by office fitouts for Australian Business, Business Machine Specialists and Heard McEwan Legal.

CLIENTS

Harbourfront Restaurant

Restaurant Refurbishment and Addition

Wollongong Harbour, NSW

Services: Architecture and Interiors
The Harbour Front Restaurant has been operating in its present site for thirteen years. Located within the same building as the local fisherman’s cooperative, it naturally specialises in fresh seafood. The restaurant capitalises on it’s proximity to the harbour and extensive views north along the coastline to the Royal National Park.

Work was carried out in three stages over the quieter winter months commencing in 2001.

Stage 1 – The most picturesque position in the restaurant was given over to an enclosed room used infrequently and with little access to the harbour views. The concern was having the kitchen on a different level to this particular floor but it was not unreasonable. Also there was no bar facilities to this floor. The restaurant also needed to keep functioning to ensure that trade (and clientele) was not lost during the construction process. The solution was to open up the solid walls to the harbour with large windows and fold back glass doors, install a new bar and create a ‘new look’ café style dining experience. This new look was achieved by using some fresh colours and materials within the fitout. The theme for the selection of materials, colours and finishes was to borrow the ‘sailing’ icon from the many yachts, boats and fishing fleet surrounding the restaurant.

“Sitting at a window table feels like you are on a luxury liner”.

Stage 2 – the downstairs café was a huge hit. It was something different and something a bit playful. It tended to attract the business people either for business lunches or drinks after work who were sick and tired of sharing their wind down time with loud house music and rowdy bar staff.
There was an area immediately outside the new café dine in area which was under-utilised. This area become the outdoor deck. Carrying the same sail theme through a timber deck with matching perimeter seating and stainless steel rail was applied to this area. Bright external colours were also applying and a huge umbrella.

Stage 3 – this was the largest stage and the most effective. The kitchen was refurbished (in a time period of 7 working days to ensure that minimal trade was not lost). The main dining area was extended slightly for dine-in patrons while a large deck was created over the stage 2 deck, providing a 50-seat al fresco dining area. When all of this was near completion it was evident that the existing bar and reception area needed a facelift as well. Bathrooms were also refitted and finally the entire restaurant was painted internally and externally.

“The extensions have been a great boost to business and patronage, the work may have caused a few hassles but from the response of everyone who has come it’s all good!”

Business Machine Specialist

Wollongong, NSW

Building Refurbishments

Any purchase of property contains an element of financial risk. One way to minimise this risk is to ensure that the parcel of real estate is an optimal solution. To assist in the purchase process imagescape was able to provide site feasibility assessment on a range of prospective sites prior to the final purchase. Imagescape based these assessments on site / building usability, location and location profile and probable cost of potential construction.

Shaun Minogue of BMS commented ‘It helps that we have worked with Chris and Stephen before. They know what BMS is about and how we work. It was like they were a part of BMS when they did the assessments.’

Once the site was selected, it was then a matter of assessing which items could be reused and which elements would provide a better cost return if it was pulled down and rebuilt. In planning the interior layouts Imagescape ensured that lessons learnt from past projects were put into practice.

Heartland Holden

Penrith, NSW

New Car Dealership

Heard McEwan Legal

91 Crown St

Wollongong, NSW

Architecture and Interiors

Imagescape was commissioned to transform this historic landmark building to a new use while retaining the image that had previously proved so successful for Heard McEwan Legal.

The building exterior was reinstated to its former glory but with subtle changes to provide a balcony to the upper level offices and include a café fronting the adjacent park. Insertion of the café into the building provided the opportunity to regain public access to the building. It also provides a focus for the adjacent small park, which is bounded by the Wollongong Town Hall and Wollongong Tourism Office.

Internally the themes previously developed for Heard McEwan Legal by imagescape were adapted for the new very different location. The building fabric was retained and highlighted by the new insertions. Partitions were clearly differentiated from the old structure to provide a clear demarcation. Classic furniture was chosen to sit comfortably within the heritage interiors. The foyer and circulation areas are defined by a suspended panel constructed of timber and glass. This panels disguises the air conditioning ducting reused from the post office days and also supports the lighting.
Meeting areas are concentrated on the ground floor of the building. These provide a range of flexible spaces. The larger rooms focus on the original fireplaces.

Heard McEwan Legal has continued to flourish aided by an office designed to their needs in a historic building that reflects their ideals.

Tori Apartments

Rosebery, NSW

Located in the Green Square precinct of Sydney, this site represented an excellent opportunity to capitalise on an ordinary warehouse located in a street undergoing rapid transformation to a desirable residential address.

The challenge for imagescape was how to transform this simple brick building into modern apartment living while retaining the structure and utilising the concessions provided under South Sydney Councils planning rules.

Process

Initial assessment of the building revealed solid concrete framed structure and perimeter brick walls. The internal elements were non-load bearing and easily removed. The existing floor space ratio was in excess of that now allowed, and providing the mass of the building was retained, this excess could be preserved.

The basement car park was viewed as an asset to be preserved and provided required parking for the proposed residential use.

Solution

The result is a stunning design with inviting use of colour and light to create exciting apartment living. Each of the 12 spacious apartments has two bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms. The warehouse volume has been utilised to provide split-levels and two storey spaces to some units

As the building extends boundary-to-boundary, imagescape introduced a private central courtyard. This provides a private and secure entrance to the apartments while allowing natural light to penetrate the centre of the site. Classic landscaping, outdoor furniture and a reflection pool enhance the space.