Infinity 7

MICA (P) 093/12/2012

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Trafi guraElegant Precision

As one of the world’s most successful commodities traders, Trafi gura’s new premises at Ocean

Financial Centre needed to present itself to clients and relationship partners in a manner suitable

to its market position.

From the three space-planning studies which were presented, our client indicated a clear preference for the

one which off ered the ‘client-facing’ areas as being highly elevated in status. They required half a fl oor to

fulfi ll their role with the right balance between functional purpose, elegance, dignity and style. The trading

fl oors (about 260 positions) were designed to be practical, fl exible and bright.

The offi ce area totals 50,000 sq. ft. over two fl oors, and there are 10 exquisite client-facing rooms, including

a reception lounge, seven meeting rooms, one boardroom and two private dining rooms. Those occupying

the boardroom (for 28 people) have the privilege to utilise pop-up touch screens (one per two people)

which are built into the boardroom table. A double-glazed operable wall can be secreted away, to combine

the boardroom with a generous function space in fi ne style and with a fabulous view (cover page).

Each of the 10 rooms have special acoustic, audio-visual and lighting features, specifi cally tailored to suit

the frequency of audio-visual contacts with Trafi gura offi ces around the world. This is a sustainability issue

with the fi rm because it saves so much energy and time in preference to travel.

The current headcount of Trafi gura is planned to increase by 50% over the next 18 months. But with

growth forecast to continue beyond that for many years, the entire premise is ‘matt-cabled’ (pre-wired)

to accommodate and facilitate future expansion and business adjustment with minimum disruption to on-

going operations.

Prestige offi ces require high precision and careful detailing throughout every aspect of their evolution.

It was a testament to teamwork and the need for experience that such refi ned and technically complex

work could be completed in such an aggressive program. The whole project took less than four months

from the fi rst meeting till client occupancy and stretched through Christmas, New Year and concluded on

the eve of Chinese New Year.

CreditsInterior Design Consultancy: designphase dbaDesign Director: Derek MacKenzie Senior Designer & Design Management: Alexander HewSenior Designer: Stephanie Ang

Xstrata is unquestionably a global giant amongst its peers in

the mining and metals industry sector — a major trader of

seven commodities used in everything from constructing

buildings and delivering electricity to developing jet engines and

mobile phones. They operate in more than 20 countries and employ

more than 70,000 people globally.

The importance of their Singapore platform was assessed as

paramount to their global operations and although the footprint

is economical and free from fussy detail, it was agreed that its

presentation required strength and individualism to be expressed.

This achieved two goals:

1. A statement related to the robust and yet vigourous character

of the Company;

2. A proud and assured establishment which employees (or

future employees), customers, partners and associates would

feel comfortable and confi dent associating with.

Due to time limitations and singularity of responsibility, it was

determined that the project be undertaken through a design-build

process.

This worked admirably for many reasons, but one of the most

notable was the fl exibility it gave to the client in the negotiations

and absorption of the previous tenant’s re-instatement works which

were assimilated into Xstrata’s project, to save time – so important

to the corporate goals of ramping up the headcount within a very

short timeframe.

Xstrata

CreditsInterior Design & Build: designphase dbaSenior Designer / Project Manager: Stephanie AngDesign Director: Derek MacKenzie

Singapore’s expanding economy and regional infl uence is attracting new business and spurring existing

companies to grow. Development activity and continued Southeast Asian stability are providing

fertile ground and confi dence for legal services to support corporate and political aspirations in their

infrastructure, manufacturing and services evolution.

While Freehills have been providing world-class legal services from Singapore to the Asean countries (and

beyond) for many years, recent growth has encouraged their expansion. Along with a much improved

headcount, the fi rm is investing heavily in technology and the sort of physical circumstances which will

assist them to provide a wider range of business related services from within their own offi ce premises.

A good example of this is their new “Business Centre”… a collection of fl exible rooms and spaces which

can host a variety of offi ce functions, from collaborative project sessions and client-seminar groupings to

corporate entertainment.

Service standards and quality of client care are also being elevated. This will be visibly evident upon arrival

at the offi ce where hospitality to in-coming guests will be facilitated through a suite of service off erings,

tuned to guest-type and the circumstances of their visitation.

Clients are very obviously held in the highest esteem with fi nishes and furnishing of noticeably elevated

status. In the “operational” offi ce space, the design is “all about business” — neat, effi cient and practical.

Freehills also believes in egalitarianism when it comes to offi ce occupancy provisions. While all lawyers do

maintain offi ces, every offi ce is the same size and has the same fi tout and furnishing standard.

Interestingly, despite a stubborn prevalence in legal circles for the retention of excessive quantities of

paper, Freehills have become ruthlessly disciplined about ridding the fi rm of waste, and this carries over

into every aspect of offi ce operations and was even a focal point of the space-planning brief.

Freehills(now Herbert Smith Freehills)

CreditsInterior Design & Build: designphase dbaDesign Director: Derek MacKenzieSenior Designer / Project Management: Alexander Hew

Infi nity Seven

www.designphasedba.com

[email protected]

Tel: (65) 6339 3677

THERE’S HOPE YET!

The changed values of our current generation of young adults (as opposed to those of

us ‘Baby Boomers’), was in evidence while I was waiting in a taxi queue, outside Far East

Plaza, one Sunday afternoon last year.

I could not help overhearing the conversation of the four 20-somethings (all male) who

were in front of me in the line. It was apparent from their turn(s) of phrase, that two

were locals and two were foreigners. I could not tell if all had schooled in Singapore or

elsewhere, but they were discussing their respective employers.

To put the conversation in the context of my point, I reckon that if I had been listening

to a similar discussion 30 years ago, I might have been likely to hear something like…..:

“I’m sure that if I can put aside just a few hundred dollars for a couple of years that little

red Alpha can be mine! You know it gets from 0 – 60 in under 10 seconds!!”

OR

“… you know I had to work back till 8.30pm last night! That really sucked cause everyone

was at Jimmy’s watching the game and I know the boss went to the pub with his mates!”

It is not that these sorts of conversations do not happen any more, but a new dialogue

has entered the day to day discussions of Gen Y and Z kids.

It gave me pause when I heard….

“… you know my boss is such an arse – he doesn’t give a damn about sustainability and

won’t even agree to segregate the rubbish in our offi ce for re-cycling!”

My view of the future, beyond my lifetime, turned positive in an instant.

Derek MacKenzie

Printed on 80% Recycled Satimat Green 150gsm. Published by designphase dba private limited. Designed by Shirley Lai. Printed by Win&Win Printer. Ed

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