BrandCulture has recently completed an installation design at Commbank Place at Darling Harbour that has roots influenced by the Swiss artist Falice Varini. The key messaging for Commonwealth Bank was to welcome the cus

tomer into their new branch and to display one of the most recognisable and trusted brandmarks in the Country to their clientele, a reminder of why they choose to bank with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. BrandCulture was asked to work on a zigzag feature wall within the space that could display information to people both leaving and entering… Longtime fans of Varini’s work, BrandCulture set about to integrate the Commonwealth Bank messaging and branding into the environment.

The following is a excerpt from Varini’s site…“My field of action is architectural space and everything that constitutes such space. These spaces are and remain the original media for my painting. I work “on site” each time in a different space and my work develops itself in relation to the spaces I encounter. I generally roam through the space noting its architecture, materials, history and function.”

BrandCulture looked closely at how the customers would move through the space, making use of the traffic workflow and spaces… Personal banking areas equipped with iPads, telephones and printers are located along the main feature wall. If more assistance is needed the teller location at the back of the office does away with security screens and a more personable experience with relaxed tables and offices. Turning to exit the space, an automatic foreign exchange converter and coin counter sit opposite the feature wall. These locations create a natural viewpoint for the feature wall, part of an “inevitable route” within the space, a perfect opportunity to view the installation.

Varini goes on to say “From these spatial data and in reference to the last piece I produced, I designate a specific vantage point for viewing from which my intervention takes shape. The vantage point is carefully chosen: it is generally situated at my eye level and located preferably along an inevitable route, for instance an aperture between one room and another, a landing… I do not, however, make a rule out of this, for all spaces do not systematically possess an evident line.It is often an arbitrary choice. The vantage point will function as a reading point, that is to say, as a potential starting point to approaching painting and space.The painted form achieves its coherence when the viewer stands at the vantage point.”

Entering or exiting the space gives the viewer multiple viewpoints of the branding, the messaging and the images that focus on the inter-dependant relationship between the bank and their clients. The imagery of these moments represent the customer and also the development of our communities right across Australia by capturing local imagery to the branch. Whilst the Entry and Teller points highlight these assets, the real experience is had moving through the space and seeing the movement and construction of the logo, the development of the typography and the visual moments featured along the wall.

Lastly, Varini deals with the changing view points… “When he* moves out of it, the work meets with space generating infinite vantage points on the form. It is not therefore through this original vantage point that I see the work achieved; it takes place in the set of vantage points the viewer can have on it. If I establish a particular relation to architectural features that influence the installation shape, my work still preserves its independence whatever architectural spaces I encounter. I start from an actual situation to construct my painting. Reality is never altered, erased or modified, it interests and seduces me in all its complexity. I work “here and now”. Felice Varini

To view the Commonwealth Bank Darling Walk Branch, please click here

This work has also been published at the Desktop Magazine’s and AGDA Website

Gordon Eckel and Stephen Minning went along to the Kit Cuttle talk  (RETHINKING LIGHTING) at the Australian Institute of Architects.

How do humans really perceive light and spaces? Kit Cuttle proposes a fundamental rethink of how lighting should be assessed and designed so human response, visual clarity and assimilation with architecture are considered to ensure the lighting is elegant, visually effective, energy efficient and actually enhances the experience.

Kit proposes a new measurement of ambient light PAI (Perceived Adequacy of illuminesance) where light would no longer measured at desk height (horizontal work plane) but at a persons eye level with reflected light from the surrounding surfaces and objects in a room. Thus the environment would play an essential part in creating the lighting required for different situations such as reading, walking, eating and meetings, not all need high levels of light.

Apparently in 1911 a lighting report published in a handbook by the London Illumination Society noted required lighting levels at a fraction of what are current standards today.

A couple of years ago BrandCulture were engaged by xyznetworks (Foxtel) to work on the new offices in North Ryde. The staff had moved from a ‘warehouse’ style of office with considerably less lighting and were generally aggravated and complained about th lighting in the new office, to the extent of taking out the lights themselves to reduce the overall glare in the office. Most of the surfaces were white; desks, walls, powerblades, pillars  etc… needless to say there was an issue that needed to be addressed in order to make the occupants feel comfortable in their work place.

BrandCulture devised a solution (working with lighting engineers) where walls and columns were painted matt black, in the instances of the building columns blackboard paint was used so the staff could use these surfaces. The end walls in each work space had key focal environmental graphics installed using an updatable frame system in conjunction with wall wash lighting. The powerblades were also wrapped with up-dateable environmental graphics and small down lights were added again to focus on these areas to create a more dramatic effect in the space.

There was little budget to change the ceiling grid lighting system so we devised an innovative solution of printing to opal acrylic panels (using the brand graphic in B&W so as not to affect colour) in order to reduce lighting levels without changing the light fittings completely. The end result was a more content workforce and a branded environment the company felt was a true reflection (no pun intended!) of what they did.

These projects above were referenced by Kit Cuttle in his presentation; Kerry Hills Architects created a cleverly layered series of interlocked spaces over several levels when they designed the The State Theatre of Western Australia, lighting design by Electrolight. The lighting is an integrated element of the architecture which helps to create a distinctive daytime and night time appearance that delineates both the function and the form of the various spaces. The overall design concept for the lighting to the State Theatre of WA seeks to metaphorically support the activity of making of theatre, a craft that informs explicitly and subtly the way we think about the world. The lighting always seeks to impart a sense of drama and possibility in its application and appearance. Light leads the visitor on a journey through the space that resolves around the dedicated illumination of specific elements and functional requirements. We have not designed for blanket uniformity but rather a quality of light which provides strength of focus and contrast. Light accentuates material selections, reveals textures and supports the fabrics palette. Luminaires that are not concealed have been deliberately positioned to create unexpected arrangements on the ceiling surfaces that encourage a renewed sense of character for the space.

Cubic Group Installation – Interior Fit-outs, Refurbishments, Construction Management. Following on from our Vector Graphics and Anamorphisis post back in February, Cubic Group’s new environmental branding is now finalised and installed.

We took some of their key projects and applied them to the glass walls of their offices and meeting rooms. Each room has a different project which includes; ATO, Jessie Street Centre, Parramatta / Pinnacle Office Park, North Ryde / Sydney Water Head Office, Parramatta / Macquarie Bank, King Street Wharf / UNSW Cancer Research Facility etc.

Here’s is our Business Dev. Manager, Gordon looking rather happy with the job.

The images were cut out around the key features and linework extended from it to create a further sense of dimension while creating a ‘screen’ on the glass to add slight  seclusion between the two sides.

Here is a follow on post from our earlier Vector Graphics and Anamorphosis post. The Cubic Group installation is currently underway.

To prepare for the installation of the Cubic Group project The BrandCulture Team constructed a model showing the linework and how it would appear on each window (see above).

Various materials, such as the perspex shown above, were used to create prototypes of the windows, showing how the lines look within the office space.

As we were in the prototyping stage, Tony, our Design Director, was testing materials, applications of capacity and colour to be applied to the Vanceva and clear glass panels. As some are up to three metres wide and the client wanted invisible joins, cast vinyl cut was recommended and artworked to hide the joins.

Here are the guys from The Coleman Group installing the test graphics, once the artwork and design was signed off and approved.

Each room showcases a different project, which includes; ATO, Jessie Street Centre, Parramatta / Pinnacle Office Park, North Ryde / Sydney Water Head Office, Parramatta / Macquarie Bank, King Street Wharf / UNSW Cancer Research Facility etc… The images are cut out around the key features and linework extended from it to create a further sense of dimension while creating a ‘screen’ on the glass to add slight seclusion between the two sides.

Watch this space for the finished project…

Wayfinding is ultimately a science: the science of helping people find their way. But just as importantly, there is an art to creating appealing, logical wayfinding systems that add context to your journey. The function of wayfinding is to inform people about their surroundings in the (unfamiliar) built environment. It is important to show information at strategic points to guide people in the right directions. See more on Wayfinding…

BrandCulture have been involved since the preliminary stages of the upgrade to StarCity – Tabcorp and recently completed and installed a sustainable wayfinding system (see the directory map above, which was the core of the wayfinding design). The aim was to reinvigorate the Back of House area where thousands of staff service large areas of retail, commercial and entertainment spaces every day. The wayfinding system needed to be flexible and sustainable to accomodate future changes, and this was considered in the selection of materials and manufacturing processes. The key objective in designing this system was legibility in such a high traffic environment where people and machines share the same complex, monotonous and confusing space in the belly of the complex. There are no windows or reference points to recall and navigate by and new staff are recruited every day by the many divisions.

The Sydney Water – Paramatta Headquarters core concept reflects the ‘journey to Parramatta’. The journey begins on the ground floor in the building lobby and arrives at the destination on Level 16 breakout. Each lift lobby features a graphic representation of the river sections, listing the meeting rooms for easy navigation, as shown in the image below. While the environmental graphics are a strong feature adding context to the building and the Sydney Water brand, the wayfinding information is clear and concise directing you to the meeting rooms.

The car park below the building continued the graphic styling of the environmental graphics used in the wayfinding thoughout the building, as you can see in the image below.

Landmarks, orientation and navigation are the characteristics which influence the way we interpreted the built environment with many of our Wayfinding projects; World Square car park, University of Technology – Find & Discover, Mirvac Perth, to name a few. The research process was a huge, important step to understand the built environment and where information was needed to maximize legibility of wayfinding systems, as shown in the image of the Sydney Water car park.

Dopress Publishing recently published a book entitled Find Me! It includes 4 of our projects and shows great examples of environmental graphic design and wayfinding, worldwide. Check it out!

Like many forward-thinking businesses, we at BrandCulture are committed to sustainable design, and a greener future involving environmental graphics. We take pride in offering sustainable designs and have green polices in place in our work environment.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Mxjbip6y04

As we continue to work and collaborate with top architectural companies and developers, incorporating greener ideas, we are also researching materials, fabrics, and printing equipment which are environmentally sustainable. We support Green Star, the Green Building Council of Australia’s (GBCA) environmental rating system for buildings and with extensive experience designing in compliance with Green Star guidelines, we are confident in creating sustainable design solutions/environmental graphics that add credibility and meaning to the values and practices of each individual company.

Last year BrandCulture worked with the Baragaroo Delivery Authority team, who will be delivering a Climate Positive precinct that values the wellbeing of people and the planet. Great work guys… find out more here…

Join us in making this world a better place – Earth Hour is around the corner – 8.30 PM on Saturday 26 March 2011, lights will switch off around the globe for Earth Hour. Switch all your lights and power sockets off, get outside and watch us make a difference together

Glass graphics and Environmental Branding are becoming increasingly popular within corporate and retail cultures. Utilising the latest in printable materials BrandCulture create designer screen graphics and glass graphics, perfect for office environments.

Our designs are bespoke to each project. As shown above in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry project, glass graphics featuring monochromatic super-graphics form the centre-piece that interconnects floors throughout the building, and the wayfinding system.

With the University of Technology Sydney – Digital labs – in the Design, Architecture and Building faculty, the use of space is visually open. Glass graphics are applied to full height glass walls continuously over forty metres in length to maintain visual connectivity throughout the learning spaces and central collaborative area, eventually leading you through to the print shop and tutors private rooms.

Origin Energy’s Melbourne office, was translated across five levels throughout the entire office complex. The ‘energy circles’ glass graphics, subtly printed on semi-translucent film act as a seclusion zone from either side of the glass but keep the areas open.

BrandCulture were recently included in this months InDesign Magazine, issue 44 which featured a 4 page spread on the 8000 Sq Meter Sydney Water Potts Hill project designed by Bates Smart Architects and built by Brookfield Multiplex. The branded graphics we created, interpreted some of the historic aspects to the site, where Sydney Water has history stretching back over 100 years. Further elaboration of the branded graphics adorn the meetings rooms show; the old pump house, schematics of the water flow, important documents of the time and local area maps.

If you are interested in this project you may want to take a look at the original project BrandCulture undertook for Sydney Water, it is their headquarters in Parramatta, a complete bulilding of 25,000 Sq Meters (see image below). It incorporates large scale branded graphics on glass meeting rooms and wayfinding signage with a through-the-builging concept. We also resolved the problem of displaying  internal communication posters and worked with the heritage department to create a museum style display across an entire floor around the formation and history of Sydney Water.

The image below is of  the xyznetworks reception, a part of the Foxtel network. Our  brief was to bring all the channels together under one roof, while retaining their individual identity and culture. These branded graphics were the first time the identity had been explored in the built environment. However as you go though the offices it was essential to capture the essence of each channel within the environment, given the high originality and diverse content being constantly created. Read more….

BrandCulture are working on a new environmental branding project for Cubic Group where we have taken some of their key projects and applied them to the glass walls of their offices and meeting rooms. Each room has a different project which includes; ATO, Jessie Street Centre, Parramatta / Pinnacle Office Park, North Ryde / Sydney Water Head Office, Parramatta / Macquarie Bank, King Street Wharf / UNSW Cancer Research Facility etc.

The images are cut out around the key features and line work extended from it to create a further sense of dimension while creating a ‘screen’ on the glass to add slight  seclusion between the 2 sides.

We are in the prototyping stage with materials and testing applications of capacity and colour against the vanceva and clear glass panels, some are up to three meters wide with no joins and this is why most will be cast vinyl cut.

Swiss designers ZMIK worked on the above project for iart International where they enlarged the narrow corridors of the Basel office building using the medium of anamorphosis (a distorted projection or perspective requiring the viewer to use special devices or occupy a specific vantage point to reconstitute the image). They covered the corridor with line drawings of room interiors, which only line up to make sense from five fixed points in the space. The surreal design consists of black and white wireframe drawings of both real and imaginary rooms behind the corridor’s walls. The design is one that you may expect to see in an art gallery rather than an office building. This leads us into the whole other world of Anamorphosis which I find intriguing and hugely mesmerising. I’ll post more visuals on this topic next week, join us then.

Photographer: Eik Frenzel

Wall murals can be used to great effect in offices, retail complexes and leisure/hotel environments. They change the mood of a space dramatically through the use of images, colour and wording. Depending on what you would like the viewer to think, wall murals are probably the most effective way of creating a positive emotional response from people.

Producing wall murals is far less expensive in comparison to changing the materials or structure of a space and are much less intrusive to install. Another great benefit of wall murals is that they can be updated easily making the space they are in fresh and interesting.

BrandCulture create stunning wall murals for a wide selection of corporate and retail clients across Sydney and Asia Pacific, our work on the  Qantas Branded environments includes graphics in Bangkok and london.

Staff areas at The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry display wall murals above the printer stations on each floor depicting everyday experience of Australians working in the industries represented by the Department. Read more…

At Interiors Australia Group sydney office the wall mural feature in the reception area (image above) was designed to appear floating above the floor on a stainless steel supports, the colours of the sunset image matching those used in the graduating silk carpet. Read more…

In Mirvacs headquarters Sydney, colours and wall graphics individually selected for each floor act as an orientation reference. From the building’s core, it can be difficult to orientate, therefore ‘wall murals’ were positioned displaying the rising and setting sun. The sunrise located on the eastern side of the building and the sunset on its west… Read more…

George Weston Foods have recently moved into a completely new branded office environment. BrandCulture were recruited in April 2010 by the Marketing and Innovations Director, John Wardley to work closely with Caroline Egan-Strang who was the Director of People and Culture at the time. BrandCulture were recommended above several competitors for our ability to understand multiple complex branding situations that sit within an overarching corporate brand. On approval by Geoff Starr (Chief Executive Officer) BrandCulture began to interview a cross-section of employees to gain an understanding of the George Weston Foods culture. Visiting several sites ranging from the old head office in Chatswood, to a mill in Enfield and the southern hemisphere’s biggest bakery, the Tip Top bakery located in Chullora.

The branded environment encompassed a complete review of the Corporate Identity and it’s brand positioning – see this article on the identity for more information. A clear story was created around the history of George Weston Foods and a visual interpretation was created in the reception area, pics to follow.

In recognition of the brands that make up a substantial portfolio, a ‘Brand Heritage’ area was established (pic above centre) in the reception area and the adjacent alcove when walking around the space. Both pieces were a collaborative exercise in research and discovery though the libraries and archives, a mammoth but rewarding exercise that involved a diverse group of people from all facets of the company.

The study pods and meeting rooms feature images of moments where consumers experience the George Weston Foods products. The subtle duo-tone treatment of the brand images are colour harmonised to suit the finishes and materials throughout the environment. Watch this space for updates…

Watch this space for updates…

BrandCulture’s environmental branding project devised for The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry covers more than 38,000 square metres across two buildings in Canberra. The site required a complete brand experience that would represent the department appropriately to all staff, suppliers, visitors and clients.

Working with Reid Campbell, BrandCulture created a branded environment to reflect the Department’s varied role across Australia, with the geographically diverse landscape of Australia forming the basis of the wayfinding system and theming of the Marcus Clarke and London Circuit buildings.

Glass and stainless steel structures featuring monochromatic super-graphics form the centre-piece of each theme in the main Marcus Clarke building. Interconnected floors throughout the building alternate the themes. The top three levels house a 10-metre super-graphic feature adjacent to the staircase void.

Front-of-house areas display floor-to-ceiling iconic Australian images that span entire walls, emphasising the themes and values of the Department to all stakeholders. Consistent theme images were applied to the glass beside each meeting room and office entry, allowing visibility and transparency from the outside in. This also cleverly provides an effective level of privacy for meeting room occupants while adding visual impact and embellishment of the theme.

Staffs working areas display time-lapse graphics showing the everyday experience of individuals in industries represented by the Department: agriculture, fisheries and forestry. The rising and setting sun in the background creates a strong visual link between each floor and reflects the rhythm of the working day tied endlessly to the natural environment.

Large wayfinding panels feature in each lift lobby. Expressed through different colour schemes throughout the building, they communicate the themes that underlie the Department’s focus. Three sections can be updated individually – floor theme, map and business units. They are easily altered as the groups expand, contract and change, to cater to the Department’s commitment to the public benefit. Bespoke iconography was created for easy readability and to aid navigation, orientated in line with the geography of the building. From services such as IT, basic facilities and meeting room locations, these panels are key for guiding those who are unfamiliar with the floor layouts in both buildings.

Click here to see the projects in our portfolio section.