Designed for an IT company that supplies hardware for numerous businesses, this new warehouse and office building sets a new benchmark on the Caribbean Estate. Here, there was a vacant site that could accommodate a 4,000-square metre warehouse, with a combined office area of 1,500 square metres. The company had outgrown its previous location (off site and in a nearby suburb) and was looking for an opportunity to expand its business to accommodate up to 130 staff.

PRA used a similar palette of materials to those of the office buildings he designed at Caribbean Park - tinted blue glass and steel curtain walls for the offices, with a central void and entry point featuring darker blue glass walls. These two levels of offices are framed with chunky aluminium beams and cleverly inserted into the warehouse space to ensure that staff working in both parts of the building feels connected. So rather than an office and a separate, almost detached warehouse, here glass-fronted offices can also be found under the roof of the warehouse: improving both communication and the process of production. Previously, the company used the outdoor areas for a number of functions, which was problematic given the often, inclement weather. Here, every internal space is climate controlled, as well as acoustically treated to ensure the fusion of office and warehouse.

The office area was also conceived in a more unexpected manner, with open plan workstations and meeting areas framing the void that allows for extended sight lines through the building. When one looks at some of the standard offerings with office and warehouse buildings in the suburbs, featuring tilt-slab walls and small punched windows, this latest kid on the block shows what can be achieved with thought and imagination. And unlike most generic offices and warehouses, the one designed for Blue Connections has been meticulously conceived to accommodate each part of the company’s operation: from the point of delivery, to storage and security.

Services: Feasibility, Town Planning, Architectural Service, Interior Design, Construction Services

Photography: Alex Reinders

Project Collaborators: Caribbean Park, DNM Consulting, OCULUS