DMI nightout – Sydney

Last night BrandCulture were participating in the inaugural DMI Nightout Sydney, one of 12 events organised in cities around the world this month. Gathered for a relaxed evening at COFA were senior representatives from a broad spectrum of design including … Continue reading →

Last night BrandCulture were participating in the inaugural DMI Nightout Sydney, one of 12 events organised in cities around the world this month.

Gathered for a relaxed evening at COFA were senior representatives from a broad spectrum of design including architects, product designers, graphic designers, academics and more. The evening delivered insights, discussion and healthy debate around the topic of ‘Inspiring, design entrepreneurship (and intrapreneurship): initiative, innovation and risk’.

One of the many questions posed was: What do you think makes the design industry unique in this country?

Many views were put forward around this question but by far the most popular revolved around the notion that Australia is a young melting pot of influences that being geographically distant from many of the design capitals of the world, makes it an ideal test bed for ideas. We’re pragmatic, resourceful and being a comparatively small market means we can respond quickly to trends and challenges… With the world today being so connected, we have a wonderful opportunity and responsibility to embrace and use design innovation to elevate the industry here to a whole new and truly global level.

Do you agree? Disagree? Have your own theory?

If this kind of event sounds like your thing, maybe we’ll see you at the next one.

For those not familiar, the DMI or Design Management Institute is a global body that connects the world’s design leaders to the inspiration, knowledge and community that they need to succeed. Nightout events aim to do this on a local level. For more info including dates for future events, see www.dmi.org

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Seeing Lumisty is believing

Our MD, Stephen Minning went to see how Coleman were progressing with the production on our next big project (we can’t reveal who it’s for just yet!). BrandCulture have devised an innovative solution using Lumisty, a 3 layered film which … Continue reading →

Our MD, Stephen Minning went to see how Coleman were progressing with the production on our next big project (we can’t reveal who it’s for just yet!). BrandCulture have devised an innovative solution using Lumisty, a 3 layered film which has never been used this way before, specially imported from Japan.

Originally developed for privacy when using ATM machines, lumisty is the world’s first ‘Point of View’ Glazing Film or perhaps the only glazing film that changes from clear to frosted depending on the viewing angle.

Upon first encountering the product, people are often struck by what they think is an optical illusion. Walking past a window with lumisty applied, a perfectly clear, transparent glass surface becomes, in a step or two, partially frosted. Two or three steps later, the same window is completely frosted. Walk backward or forward, and it’s clear again. As the viewer’s angle shifts, so does the transparency or translucency of the film.

On a lighter note, Coleman (who like a challenge!) have an “office hit list” out on their clients at the moment and after Stephen and team BrandCulture came up with the idea of the global map made up of thousands of dots, each dot to be cut and installed on location exactly 45mm apart over an 11m glass stairwell, using the lumisty material, they decided to make Stephen #2 on their hit list. I wonder who #1 is??!!

Check back soon for an update as to what and who this project is for!

To the guys at Coleman – another great job, thank you!

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Kit Cuttle: illuminesance

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 … Continue reading →

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.

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InDesign conversation

BrandCulture’s Creative Director, Stephen Minning talks to InDesign about Corporate identity and branded environments and as said by Ola Bednarczuk (Editor) – “Digging in and finding that magic” is one of the ways Stephen Minning describes the work of his company. Read … Continue reading →

BrandCulture’s Creative Director, Stephen Minning talks to InDesign about Corporate identity and branded environments and as said by Ola Bednarczuk (Editor) – “Digging in and finding that magic” is one of the ways Stephen Minning describes the work of his company. Read the full article here.

Here is update as to what has been happening with BrandCulture over the past few months.

Braun Publishers (Switzerland) are publishing ‘Signage Design’ this November and are including 4 of BrandCulture’s to University of Technology, World square car park, Sydney Water and George Weston foods projects to be included.

UTS new collaborative space in the main tower is about to get a fresh new look after Hames Sharley have created 2 new lab spaces and a collaborative central atrium space below the glowing neon balls in tower 4.

CBAs new offices (Financial review article) at darling harbor incorporates a flagship branch at street level, BrandCulture have designed the feature installation in collaboration with Davenport Campbell and the CBA team to be installed for the opening in early September. BrandCulture have also been awarded the St James branch to create a separate feature installation later in the year.

Australian Human Right Commission moves into a new headquarters designed by Woodhead on Pitt Street in Sydney’s CBD and we are branding the environment with the universal declaration of human rights across 3 floors. Office of the Australian Information Commissioner have a new office as a sub tenant if the AHRC and have decided on a design that reflects their interwoven culture and integrated approach to communications and information.

MLC Campus in North Sydney, in the 50s it was a defining piece of architecture, in 2002 the interiors were a benchmark of office environments, now Woods Bagot and BrandCulture are collaborating once again on the new latest and greatest development to the building.

More to come, so keep checking……

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Cubic Group’s HQ

A word from Alex B, one of our designers. A follow on from our June Cubic post. Here it is! The Cubic Group head office in Newington had the BrandCulture treatment! We’re all pretty excited as to how this project … Continue reading →

A word from Alex B, one of our designers. A follow on from our June Cubic post.

Here it is! The Cubic Group head office in Newington had the BrandCulture treatment! We’re all pretty excited as to how this project has come up and wanted to share it with you, our followers… The concept behind this environment was to render images of Cubic’s impressive portfolio of work to compile a virtual tour of their projects and in turn make the office environment an extension of abstract spaces and line-work.

Entering the building the bold orange taken from the Cubic identity is seen throughout the environment and extends to the up-dateable portfolio wall in the foyer. Highlighting some of Cubic’s most notable projects the wall also served as an inspiration board for the environment… It was from this amazing collection of photos that we selected the images for the glass graphics. The stairwell on your left features more line-work and a reference to the heritage of Cubic’s Italian ancestry, culminating in a family portrait on the second floor.

Within the environment the sense of theoretical space is enhanced by the use of the transparent orange vinyl across different sections

The meeting room features a rejigged construction floorplan, a metaphor for the engine room of Cubic’s business. It is here that plans move from idea to concept to a realisation and we thought it fitting to document the walls as such.
BrandCulture is looking forward to fully photographing the space for our Portfolio section, stay tuned!”

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