Article by ADR contributor Emily Taliangis. Images by Mark Duffus.

Behind City West Water’s exciting workspace is architecture practice Gray Puksand.

The clever design reflects the connectedness of the City West Water community, and provides a natural hub of activity for the working environment. Team meetings, all-staff gatherings and socialisation can occur effortlessly as an open stairway creates central hubs at each interconnected level. Generous workstations are located artfully, ensuring a sense of openness and belonging. Gray Puksand has created a perfect balance between vibrant meeting zones and focus spaces that allow for quiet concentration.

Inspired by the nature of water and its three states – liquid, ice vapour – Gray Puksand has woven a clear story throughout the workspace design, celebrating City West Water’s commitment to water sustainability. Three distinct palettes embrace water’s natural transition between solid, liquid and gas forms.

The ‘liquid’ floor embraces the lushness of rainforests; vibrant greens, yellow and warm timber lines connect through the floor, like waterways. The ‘ice’ floor, in contrast, is crisp and cool. Light blue over a bright white canvas with a silver metallic gleam adds a sense of theatre to the glacier-like environment. Triangle motifs reference icebergs and crystals. Finally, the ‘vapour’ floor alludes to brilliant sunsets – reds and oranges as the sun’s light refracts through clouds. Deep, dark moody wenge timbers and translucent acrylics successfully create a floating, vaporous atmosphere.

Worth noting are key furniture items from Zenith and Stylecraft, as well as Instyle’s fabric coverings – all central to the workspace design and layout, as well as Gray Puksand’s concept.

Zenith’s Copine chair, WB stool and Lilypad table – among others – suit Gray Puksand’s vision of a workspace that incorporates both communal hubs and places for individual work. Similarly, Stylecraft’s Catifa and Rix chairs, Spike Stool and Deneb Outdoor furniture provide interior and exterior elements that are functional and visually appealing. Instyle’s Fuse vinyl and Atlas fabric, used on the Level 7 banquettes, are cohesive with Gray Puksand’s water inspiration.

Gray Puksand has created a workspace that not only allows for individual and team productivity – it looks good too.

graypuksand.com.au