Where we Work

For­ging On – A Steel­works Home for a Graphic Foundry (and its sneaker collection).

Words: Michael Bar­rett. Pho­to­graphy: Phil­lip Simpson.

Ok, call me totally super­fi­cial. The reason I really like Switch's new work­space at the Steel Works is because it has really cool stools. Yes, those ones –the Pantone-referencing custom-made wheelie stools that glide so eas­ily across the über-smooth, newly pol­ished expanse of Switch's 200m2 Mt Eden home.

Custom-made stools in Pantone col­ours are make for eye-catching design-related fur­niture. Photo: Phil­lip Simpson.

Just to fill in a few gaps, Switch is a graphic design firm which, of late, has been doing work for Bark­ers, Spicers Paper, Nike and oth­ers. Chris Jones, the firm's dir­ector says he's been "look­ing on and off for years", try­ing to find a place with the requis­ite amount of atmo­sphere and interest to war­rant a move from Parnell's Axis build­ing, where he and his five-strong team were pre­vi­ously based.

The land on which the Steel Works sits was, in 1924, the site of the Wool­nough Win­dow Com­pany. In 2007 it was pur­chased and slated for redevel­op­ment – with its huge tim­ber trusses, rugged brick­work, exposed steel beams and prox­im­ity to the CBD you can eas­ily see why. Those fea­tures cer­tainly appealed to Jones. The prox­im­ity to city-based cli­ents was import­ant, as
was hav­ing an office that cre­ates the right impres­sion for return vis­its. The Steel Works site offered park­ing, pri­vacy and peace and quiet – it's tucked around the back
of the devel­op­ment, and inside, the views out long clerestory win­dows are all about nat­ive bush. As Jones points out, the real­ity is that you spend more time at work than you do at home, espe­cially when you factor in the neces­sity of sleep. A cool space works won­ders on staff mor­ale and retention.

Semi-industrial ele­ments such as struc­tural sup­ports and exposed brick­work exist hap­pily along­side mod­ern accoutre­ments (and dir­ector Chris Jones' sneaker col­lec­tion). Pho­tos: Phil­lip Simpson

Sneak­ers are on dis­play along­side a nar­row view of Mt Eden vol­canic rock. Photo: Philip Simpson.Sneakers are on dis­play along­side a nar­row view of Mt Eden vol­canic rock. Photo: Phil­lip Simpson.

Switch at the Steel Works. Photo: Phil­lip Simpson.

Switch dir­ector Chris Jones. Photo: Phil­lip Simpson.

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