Designer chic cheers agency

By DITA DE BONI

Within a couple of months, the offices of Lowe Lintas in Auckland's inner-city Hopetoun St have gone from rabbit warren-esque naffness to nightclub-inspired designer chic.

Exit the lift and experience the vibrancy of set designer Tracey Collins' installation piece - a multitude of large, brightly coloured shapes that run the length of the wall behind the agency's six metre-long reception desk.

Savour the colour while you can, because the rest of the agency's redesigned space is awash with smoky greys, rich wines and several shades of black, punctuated by recycled metallic fittings and muted lights.

The piece de resistance is in the middle of the circular arrangement of offices. A dark "play" space, illuminated with low-lying golden lantern lights, is separated in two by transparent orange curtains.

On one side, refurbished second-hand furniture and a bright green couch scream "Grey Lynn living room" while on the other, a shiny wooden boardroom table with space-age bar stools could be easily at home in a nightclub.

Open plan offices surround the "play area." Those seated in the area are saying to their colleagues, "Talk to me - I'm open to ideas," says designer Guy Richards.

The free-flow of ideas has also been aided by turning several small, box-shaped offices into seven open plan spaces.

"The Lintas brief was `change our look' to something much more innovative," says Mr Richards. The new-style offices were unveiled on May 10.

Although originally unwilling, Lowe Lintas acquiesced to its designer's preference for dusky tones. Mr Richards says the plain dark colours create a soothing break for eyes in places where workers are surrounded by visuals all day.

The company also decided to break up the dark with an installation piece behind reception that would be changed every few months.

"The installation is the first hint that the client has walked into a creative, funky office. The rest of the office stimulates the creative process, and has been designed with an awareness of the relationships between people.

"In this industry, there are big egos, personalities are big and important, and the structure and size of agencies changes rapidly, with accounts lost and won on a continual basis. The refit reflects all those dynamics."

Mr Richards was also responsible for the redesigns of Generator in Parnell and Ogilvy & Mather in Khyber Pass. Both agencies had particular looks that they wanted to convey to clients.

"Generator wanted to convey energy and a very raw look, like a warehouse or boiler-room idea. The finishes were very basic and there was no ornamentation. The director wanted a completely open plan office and the feel of no delineation between staff."

The factory feel of Generator contrasted sharply with the refit for Ogilvy & Mather, which had to transform a fairly "dowdy and tired" space into something that reflected both the agency's solid reputation and ability to spark creatively.

"I focused on improving the circulation routes in the building, because the agency was spread over three floors."

But while creating the right "look and feel" is important for agency branding, does an aesthetically pleasing environment necessarily enhance creative output?

Lowe Lintas chief executive Stephen Pearson points out that the change of environment has had a "surprisingly big effect" on staff.

"Everyone feels differently about coming to work now - it's exciting to be here. And I think how you feel about being at work definitely has an effect on your creativity.

"Not only that, but our clients love being here.

"Just a while ago we had a function here and our own offices felt like the best bar in town."

Mr Richards says there are a few elements that agencies are looking for in design these days.

Dark colours, a few retro design markers and a move away from opulence are elements that many agencies feel help to represent both marketable contemporary ideas and business acumen.

"Clients don't want to see their fees going into furniture, and agencies are aware of that," he says.

"But they do want to feel comfortable, and feel as though they have come to a place that will provide them with the type of great ideas they are looking for."