26 FETEPRESS.COM.AU / ISSUE NO.26
at work with /JOCK MERRIGAN of URBAN HABITATS
DESIGN NOTES /
JOCK MERRIGAN /
DIRECTOR /
URBAN HABITATSOriginal plaster was completely
removed to highlight the raw
and textured original red bricks,
while ceilings were refreshed
with a coat of matt black paint
and new lighting was introduced.
The use of both commercial
aluminium and steel framed
floor-to-ceiling glazed windows
and doors have been utilised to
create divided working spaces
and informal meeting rooms. A
formal meeting room opens to
the balcony, overlooking the
Adelaide foothills and borrows
from the immediate street vibe of
King William Road below. Internal
finishes include, American Oak
veneers, stained Black Japan, Oak
parquetry flooring, eco ply and
concrete look-alike cladding in the
reception area. In the interests of
flexibility and minimising fixtures
we have recycled much of the
free-standing furniture and
storage items from our previous
office space. This has also been
extremely cost-effective and
contributes to the understated
aesthetic of the office space.
A generous communal kitchen
and break-out space is shared
by the three businesses and has
been specifically designed to
allow relaxed professional and
social interactions between all
colleagues, tenancies and clients.
The original street entrance to
the building presented the
primary design challenge,
however it was also hiding one
of the stunning original features
of the building that we have
rediscovered. A significant curved
steel arch structure leading to
the first floor (including fanlights)
was not in keeping with the final
design vision and our solution
was to maintain the curved shape,
while completely concealing the
arched steel beams with iron ash
timber cladding. In stripping back
the original entrance staircase
we discovered the staircase was
constructed from a sage-green
tinted concrete, which simply
required a cut and polish and
now greets you at street level
and takes you up to the first level
foyer. The result is a truly unique,
warm and inviting entry to the
new office.WHAT ARE THE ESSENTIALS FOR
A WELLDESIGNED WORK LIFE?
Natural light, simple but refined detailing
using natural materials, my balance ball
(as my chair) and a sense of humour!PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR APPROACH
TO WORK AND BUSINESS...
Quite simply trust and respect are
essential for the relationship-building
culture of Urban Habitats. My philosophy
in life is to treat everyone how I would
like to be treated and because much
of what Urban Habitats does is based
on collaboration, clear and transparent
communication is critical for the solid
foundation of our relationships within
our own team and with our clients,
contractors, suppliers and everyone in
between. I strongly believe that the most
rewarding and enjoyable experiences can
be achieved with this approach! Inevitably
there may be challenging times during a
project so good people skills are essential.
Maintaining relationships in this way also
ensures that I have a hands-on approach
to all aspects of the business.HOW DO YOU DEFINE GREAT DESIGN
AND HOW DOES IT ENHANCE YOUR
WORKSPACE?
For me personally, great design is about
simple detailing, correct proportions and
a site-sensitive and considered response
to environment (including access to
natural light and airflow).
However professionally for Urban Habitats,
there are no hard and fast design rules and
our greatest designs have been those that
have been so richly brought to life by our
clients. This is something that is rather
unseen and felt and validation that we
have accurately interpreted what is
important to our clients, their different
and varied needs and how they want to live.
It is especially rewarding to revisit these
projects down the track.PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEW OFFICE...
In 2017 Urban Habitats relocated offices
to Goodwood. The relocation was a
significant milestone for the business
as the growth of our team in recent years
resulted in us outgrowing our previous
office space. Having the opportunity to
design and refurbish the new office space
in order to specifically meet the needs
of our team was an extremely rewarding
one and now we have a beautiful working
environment that truly represents Urban
Habitats and reflects a number of our
key design values. It has a considered,
authentic and calming feel to it.
In designing our new working space we
stripped back the turn-of-the-century
Victorian building (the first floor) to its
bare bones and discovered its hidden
gems. We cleaned up a fabulous red brick
internal wall that provides amazing texture
and movement for the space. We installed
a curved timber batten feature wall in the
entrance (which also helps to cover some
unsightly steel work), steel frame internal
floor-to-ceiling glass dividing doors and
the old white suspended ceilings have
been painted matt black. Whilst the main
engine room is open-plan to encourage
creative and new ways of thinking, there
is a kitchen break-out space where both
the Urban Habitats team and clients can
gather informally, as well as a more formal
meeting room.
The new office space is an inspiring
environment for a busy business. On
any given day our Urban Habitats team
is creatively designing, preparing and
collating construction estimates, preparing
and managing contract documentation,
managing accounts, holding construction
meetings and responding to new
enquiries. Whilst our project managers
and supervisors are mostly onsite, our
designers, contract estimators and
administration staff are office based.