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Bring creatives together and you can expect
the imaginations to flow freely. That’s precisely the
cause and effect of this office interior designed
for a Singapore firm of integrated marketing and
technology specialists, or idea engineers to use the
popular terminology.
The interior, designed by Space Matrix, belongs
to SapientNitro, an multinational company that
required a workplace that would inspire creativity
and encourage communication and collaboration.
The fit-out also needed to enhance the company’s
corporate branding and identity.
SapientNitro creative director Jeffrey Blais says
the company knew immediately that the office
space was the most suitable base for the busi-
ness. A living wall of greenery, large balcony and
additional small balcony on the opposite side of the
building provided an attractive outlook. Workers
could look right through the office and see the
greenery on one side, and a row of traditional
Below:Intersecting suspended
ceiling elements wrap the walls
of the reception area in the
SapientNitro office fit-out. The
contemporary, linear form of the
orange canopy is contrasted by
the warm, curving organic shape
of the wood veneer.
Right:A large, furnished balcony
and vertical garden create an
inviting breakout area for staff.
IMagine this
Thinking outside the square is an everyday occurrence for both the client
and the design team behind this dynamic office fit-out
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2. Legend to plan:1 lift lobby,
2 reception, 3 design centre,
4 additional meeting rooms,
5 workstations, 6 staff kitchen,
7 balcony with outdoor kitchen
Top right:The original
suspended ceilings were
removed and services exposed
and painted white. A bright
orange carpet defines the design
centre, or collaboration hub, in
the centre of the office.
Lower right:Workstations are
positioned on an angle so staff
can benefit from plenty of natural
light and views to the outdoors.
xx MOre offices at trendsideas.com
Singapore shophouses on the other. Space Matrix
designer Michael O’Brien says the floor offered a
blank canvas – a long, narrow rectangle with white
walls and suspended ceilings.
“SapientNitro wanted something a little different,
and was quite ambitious in terms of the number of
people and facilities to be accommodated within
the space,” he says. “The company’s innovative
approach to business and the way the team works
needed to be reflected in the design, so the first
challenge was to get rid of the monotony of the
rectangle, while still keeping a sense of order.”
The lively, contemporary design response is
evident from the black-walled reception area,
which features two intersecting inverted L-shaped
suspended ceiling elements. One is a bright orange
canopy that embraces the reception desk and the
other is a more organic wood veneer element that
wraps down the wall to form a bench seat. A large
graphic of a pair of glasses on a glass wall plays
with the idea of transparency, vision and creativity.
It’s a theme that continues on the interior.
“We required areas for production work and
collaboration – the team is always brainstorming
ideas,” says Blais. “And we didn’t want straight
rows of desks like a classroom. We want to inspire
creativity – we encourage people to get up, walk
around, sit out on the balcony, interact with each
other and write on the walls.”
O’Brien’s response was to skew the main axis,
realigning the space so that everyone could see
through to the outdoors and also to the back wall,
which incorporates a wide glass panel that provides
an extended whiteboard available to all staff.
“The design breaks away from the regimentation
of the rectangle,” says the designer. “As well
as positioning the workstations on an angle, we
introduced a collaboration hub to the middle of
the space, which is also at an angle. This area is
defined by a bright orange carpet – it’s a lively
colour that gives out energy.”
The design centre, as it is known, provides
a variety of meeting spaces, large and small.
Operable glass walls between the rooms provide
flexibility – the entire space can be opened up to
provide a town-hall style volume, or closed down
for more intimate meetings and brainstorming
sessions. Rooms are also equipped with the latest

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audiovisual technology, with one space designated
as a videoconferencing room.
“The glass walls can double as whiteboards,”
says O’Brien. “There are blinds on both sides, and
either one can be pulled down to allow a better
view of the whiteboard.”
Circulation areas behind the meeting rooms also
have a function beyond the obvious. Clusters of
stools and brightly coloured bean bags provide
breakout areas, and there is a business centre
where people can pop out of a meeting to retrieve
or copy papers as required.
The original suspended ceilings were removed,
and new acoustic ceilings provided for the design
centre. But in the rest of the office the services
were left exposed and painted white – with the
exception of the sprinkler pipes, which are red.
“Removing the existing ceilings has provided
more height, and painting the services white has
helped to make the office seem a lot more
spacious,” says O’Brien. “The red accents add a
splash of colour for a little visual relief.”
Fluorescent lighting also helps to define the
various functions of the space. Above the work
areas, the lights are in orderly lines, while the
lights above the breakout zones in the circulation
areas reflect a chaotic disarray – and a design that
doesn’t take itself too seriously.
“We also wanted the interior to provide a sense
of place,” says O’Brien. “Decorative panels along
the top and bottom of the glass whiteboard on
the back wall reference the traditional Singapore
shophouses.”
In keeping with SapientNitro’s focus on staff
wellbeing, the fit-out includes a tranquil Zen garden
area on the smaller rear balcony.
“The larger front balcony with the vertical garden
is a very active, social area. The company often
entertains clients out there and staff gather after
work – there is a kitchen and bar area. In contrast,
the opposite balcony is designed to be all about
serenity and quiet reflection.
“Staff and guests can also gather in the kitchen,
where a second suspended canopy in wood veneer
wraps down the wall, providing a warm, inviting
place to linger. This is also a visual connection back
to reception, so there is a sense of continuity flow-
ing through the office.”
Above Operable glass walls can
be closed or opened to change
the configuration of the meeting
rooms in the design centre. The
latest audiovisual technology is
integrated throughout the fit-out.
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Location:SapientNitro office, Singapore
Interior designer:Space Matrix Design Consultants
Mechanical and electrical engineer, quantity surveyor
and fire consultant:Space Matrix
Partitioning system:Dorma double-glazed acoustic panels
Window and door joinery and hardware, tiling, flooring,
wallcoverings, veneers and paints:Delco Art Interior
Lighting and HVAC systems:A-Power Engineering
Workstations and office chairs:Steelcase
Reception furniture:Comfort Design
Story by Colleen Hawkes
Photography by Rory Daniel, Framing Pixels
See additional images and video online at
trendsideas.com/nz2811p000
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Top A bamboo wall hides plant
equipment beside a tranquil Zen
garden on the small balcony.
Above left The entire rear wall
of the office features a glass wall
that doubles as a whiteboard.
Above A curving wood canopy
and pendant lights bring a sense
of intimacy to the kitchen.