This Industrial / Office Development situated on a 10,000m2 parcel of land in the Industrial Precinct of Logistics Park in Kenwick, is the new home of JOEST Australia a worldwide leader in mining vibration technology for almost a century. The development comprises of a new landmark building for JOEST of approximately 5000m2 of gross floor area comprising a large workshop, warehouse and first floor office facilities. The clients architectural brief was to produce an highly refined industrial building that would outwardly communicate the international JOEST brand.

The design approach focussed on providing functional spaces to accommodate the many complex aspects of the JOEST operations, from the extraordinary height (12m) required manoeuvre large mining machines during manufacture, to the requirements for large vehicular access and manoeuvring outside and within the building. Significant design analysis was carried out to develop a floor plan that facilitated both the work flow and operations with a focus on improving the well being of staff by way of addressing the work place requirements, minimising distances of travel for workshop workers and providing superior amenities for all staff. The site is extensively paved for both vehicular and operational needs and a civil engineered drainage system ensures that rainwater is managed and disposed via landscaped sumps.

The large open plan office is strategically positioned on the first floor level with limited enclosed offices to eliminate the “notion of hierarchy” amongst the work culture. The focus on staff amenity continues in the office space with a multitude of meeting and other congregational spaces being provided throughout the first floor level. A balcony terrace extends to the entire perimeter of the glass floor to ceiling height windows and terminates in a large outdoor terrace with seating and bbq amenities for staff to enjoy. Large sliding doors within the glazed sections can be opened to enable cross flow ventilation across the office work space and the terrace balcony overlooking the workshop provides a visual connection to and from both areas.

The challenge for the architectural composition, was to develop a way in which the bulk and scale of an extraordinarily large building (120m long, 60m wide, 15m ht) could be visually distorted and ultimately reduced. The office was positioned facing the street, orchestrated as a single cantilevered element, glazed and clad in white CFC sheet with minimal aesthetic thus shielding the large workshop structure behind. The design solution to the workshop, was to apply a gridded pattern of square shaped colour blocking using Fielders Kliplock metal sheet cladding in dark, light and mid red / grey tones to the façade. The colour tones are a derivative of the JOEST “primary red” brand colour and the variance in the colour cleverly distorts the “block like” bulky nature and mass of the structure and reduces its scale and bulk.

The new Industrial facility has provided JOEST Australia with many benefits, improved amenity for their workforce, increased productivity with scope for increased production and an architecturally designed building that is both refreshing, exciting and vibrant and which speaks to their Brand as a major player and international leader in the market of the manufacturer of mining machinery.