Boiling Point - Issue 23

ISSUE

#23

EXPLORE STATE-OF-THE-ART SPACES WITH ZIP WATER

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Z I P W AT E R . C O M

9/29/17 12:40 PM

Innovation For Hydration Welcome to Boilingpoint #23,

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his year we celebrate our 70th year, and it has been a very memorable one for all of us at Zip Water. Our focus on useful innovation and differentiated design has led to many new instant drinking water appliance advances, not least of which is Zip Assist – our WiFiconnected HydroTap. Zip Assist customers now enjoy superior levels of connected monitoring, service and product performance in real time, as well as detailed reporting on the installed HydroTap delivery of filtered boiling, chilled or sparkling water – all at the convenience of a few simple clicks.

With modern kitchen trends focusing on uncluttered workspaces, Zip Water introduced the beautifully designed Zip HydroTap® All-In-One ARC which now delivers all kitchen and drinking water needs from a single tap. The new design is the result of overwhelming demand from our customers wanting a product that delivers all – instant filtered, boiling, chilled and sparkling drinking water combined with a regular mixer tap with unfiltered hot and cold water options. HydroTap All-In-One Arc was awarded 2017’s Good Design Award just weeks after launch.

We have also brought to market our HydroTap Design Range and Platinum Colour Range. This beautiful new range has inspired many of you in the A+D community to specify HydroTap into new and inspiring projects.

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With advanced energy efficiency and best-in-class air-cooling technology, the Zip HydroTap performs to the very highest standards of environmental responsibility and sustainability. Unlike many water-cooled drinking water systems, the HydroTap air-cooled ventilation system doesn’t discharge precious water to waste. For this and many other reasons, HydroTap was awarded the internationally recognised Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) – the first and only for an Australasian electrical/electronic product.

Boilingpoint Magazine #23 celebrates the power for design and technology to transform the spaces in which we work, live and play: bringing greater understanding to the impact design can have on bettering the prosperity, equality and health of our daily lives.

In the pages that follow, we invite you into spaces that have inspired us through advances in technology, creative thinking and positive collaboration between Zip Water and the architectural and design community of our regions.

We invite you to join us on this journey and we thank you for your loyalty and support over many decades of drinking water appliance innovation.

John Doumani President International, Zip Water Tom Fisher Marketing Director, Zip Water

10/4/17 4:23 PM

Instant Convenience And Technology To Transform Wellbeing

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he instant convenience and wellbeing benefits of boiling, chilled or sparkling Zip filtered drinking water inspires our HydroTap customers.

But it’s our transformational technology that truly resonates with tens of thousands of people across the globe.

After all, our advanced technology makes drinking more water irresistible by delivering a pure taste every time and any way you like it – instantly!

While statistical evidence proves an increase in drinking water consumption amongst HydroTap owners, our qualitative research finds that 80 per cent of people report that they are better hydrated since using the HydroTap.

We all know that better hydration leads to greater overall wellbeing. This is why our HydroTap’s advanced technology is consistently recognised across the world as the most advanced drinking water appliance.

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These HydroTap enthusiasts all experience the value of useful innovation to transform their wellbeing.

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Raising The Bar For Aged Care Providing our wiser citizens with wiser design.

Words: Felicity Borthwick Photograph: Sean Fennessy

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very day we are reminded that our population is both larger and older than ever before. And with fewer of us starting families while older generations continue to enjoy healthier and longer lives, the disproportion of our rapidly aging population is showing no signs of abating.

Let’s look at the data: according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, by 2064 there will be 9.6 million people aged 65 and over (23 per cent of the population) and 1.9 million aged 85 and over (5 per cent of the population). In light of this staggering forecast, it’s never been more important to address the unique needs of this rapidly expanding stakeholder demographic.

One organisation that is clearly on a crusade to redefine aged care is Emmy Monash. After consulting with their community, board members, staff and industry experts in the vision and planning stage, CEO Tanya Abramzon engaged architecture firm Bates Smart with a detailed brief to realise their new residential aged-care facility in Melbourne.

For the new part of the project, the team at Bates Smart began by reorienting the building to allow natural light penetration deep into the ‘figure of eight plan’. This layout ensures that residents are in regular contact with natural light, nature or flora at any point in time on any of the four residential levels. “It also gives an understanding of light and day, the seasons and passing of time,” Bates Smart’s interior design director Jeffery Copolov, recently explained. “We also didn’t want a place that stereotyped seniors by making interiors that look old world – these are people who enjoy contemporary art and theatre.” To this end, interior spaces are deliberately youthful and the contemporary custom furniture goes above and beyond the pragmatic needs of firmness, armrests, short seats and upright backs.

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The new accommodation also boasts cosy communal lounges set around fireplaces, serene secondary seating areas, a library, cinema and music therapy. In addition to the café, salon and gym, these amenities all combine to foster “community, conversation and social stimulation,” says Copolov.

Meanwhile, for visitors, there are the additional benefits of being able to enjoy a ‘real’ coffee, celebrate family occasions in a bookable private dining room, participate in regular synagogue services or simply enjoy the ample seating provided for in-room catchups. Even smaller details have been thoughtfully designed to create a more home-like experience, such as ‘grab rails’ fashioned to look as architectural as possible, or the generous timber veneer front doors for the residences.

At all avenues, the politics of access and ease of use have been considered to an incredible degree: from the enormity of the floorplan perfectly articulated to promote ease of movement, all the way through to fixtures such as Zip Water’s simplified, streamlined and ultraaccessible HydroTaps. All environments reflect the latest international research on memory support and high dependency care. Specific colour coding, lighting, patterns and textures, enhance wellness through daily routines to promote a new frontier for democratic design – today, tomorrow, and well into the future.

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What’s In A Name?

Paramount by The Office Space comes out on top.

Words: David Congram Photography: Trevor Mein

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have the distinct pleasure to report that ‘the office’ is no longer a grey, cubicle-filled, drop-tile-ceilinged yawn.

Undeniably, it has taken us far too many generations to overcome this utility-only hangover in office design but, thankfully, today’s working world enjoys the physically and commercially salubrious effects of sensual and intelligent design.

And within this space, Australia’s architecture and design community is demonstrating leading prowess. After all, according to the international jury of the World Architecture Festival (2016), Australia is home to the world’s best office: Paramount by The Office Space.

Representing, for the judges, “a paradigm shift for co-working which has achieved a high-quality outcome rarely seen before, [...Paramount] is a refreshing contrast in office design, where highly crafted spatial, detailing and materiality strategies have been composed with an old world dignity.”

Designed by Dominic Alvaro and Todd Hammond of Woods Bagot in 2015, Paramount undeniably lives up to its name. Rightly-lauded for an innovative adaptive re-use design, the upper floors of Paramount House – a 1940s heritage building tucked into the quiet back streets of Sydney – were transformed by Woods Bagot into 22 independent suites for the modern co-working professional.

And never has this radical reassessment of workplace design been more ... paramount (as it were).

You see, as you read this, an estimated 1.2 million individuals work in co-working

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spaces, and with more than 40 per cent of our global workforce expected to comprise freelancers, contractors, solopreneurs (and a smorgasbord of faddish titles that fall under the voguishly named ‘gig economy’) by 2020, the sites in which we work are falling to intense debate. As both a seat of modern identity and a site of enormous upheaval, ‘the office’ – with its impenetrable hierarchies and rules, triplicate forms and ceilings of glass – has finally succumbed to the human-centric values of our current era.

“Essentially, we offer sophisticated co-working,” co-founder Naomi Tosic tells me one afternoon. “We appeal to those businesses where design-led work environments reflect their personal values, is a strategy in brand positioning, or both.” Upon entry, it’s not hard to see why. Tosic speaks to me inside one of Paramount’s suites, sitting on a chair designed by Ray Eames. She is bathed in soft, aureated light the exact shade of Darjeeling. Part luxury hotel, part jewellery box, and every part a functional business environment, Paramount by The Office Space is a visual feast of unrehearsed panache laced with wit.

Everything is suffused with care and tellingly curated with same.

Undoubtedly, it’s a space with a very cosmopolitan mind. Naturally, it has a very Australian bearing. Expectedly, it’s impossible to over-eulogize. Celebrating the craftsmanship of traditional joinery while still also embracing the latest in contemporary design, Paramount is an exemplar of poise – every bit as compelling, diverse and chic as the clientele it serves.

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Here timber has magically assumed the suppleness of silk ribbons, wrapping the entire interior to elegantly reference the original curved shell of the building’s fabric. “Anyone can tell the story of the fitout when they are here,” says lead architect, Alvaro. “It relates to the old fabric, but with a whole new quality of office environment.” Brass fixtures, award-winning modern art, and generous expanses of leather and glass kickstart every one of my senses into overdrive, while a pervading quietness allows me to assume a level of concentration I had hitherto thought the stuff of mythology.

I cast my eyes toward a kitchenette in which a handful of Paramount’s clients are gathered around a sculptural brass bar designed by Morgan Shimeld (see

cover image). Each person is clasping a steaming Marc Newson for Noritake teacup, and I can just see the reflection of Zip Water’s All-In-One HydroTap twinkling in the inlaid deep bronze mirrored splashback. Here is creative collision, here is collaboration, all flourishing organically without the kvetching and over-eager solicitations of HR managers.

Although Paramount will have to pass its crown of World’s Best Office over to 2017’s winner, it is heartening to know that a rather imperious benchmark has been set. “Our beautiful working spaces and impeccable business support services elevate our clients’ working day,” says Tosic. “We deliver an unmatched work experience.” Woe betides this year’s finalists, because I’m inclined to agree.

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Zip HydroTap All-In-One

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School’s Up! Is this the university of the future?

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t’s a flexible, adaptive vertical campus,” says Woods Bagot’s regional education sector leader, Alan Duffy, “that encourages learning through conversation.” Eschewing everything one normally associates with universities – the dusty tomes, the sandstone quadrangles, the gargoyles – for a singular, compact, light-filled and all-embracing learning environment, Western Sydney University (WSU) has been expertly reimagined by Woods Bagot to brave the vicissitudes of the changing educational landscape.

Poised resplendently smack-bang in the middle of Parramatta’s new CBD, WSU’s vertical campus stands proudly in defiance of the assumption that stacking educational amenities across several storeys would be inhibitive to communality, interaction and those all-important collaborative moments that enhance positive learning experiences.

According to Duffy, the “vision was to create a campus multidisciplinary in function, innovative in approach and entrepreneurial in spirit. […This meant] creating a unifying, central and flexible vertical campus environment for WSU students via an evidence-based design approach that applied future-focused education principles.”

Naturally, Woods Bagot brought their renowned workplace nous to the proverbial table for WSU – blurring the line between the traditional commercial office tower and the functional education campus. This is an environment that embraces a more collaborative future for learning.

The new facilities feature mobile student desks and consoles to allow those within any of the teaching studios to reconfigure their learning spaces to suit. By levelling the traditional teacherstudent distribution of power and agency, these reimagined classrooms and surrounding amenities also offer individual, face-to-face and grouplearning environments.

With the omission of private offices – bar a select few for student consultation, prayer rooms and parenting rooms – even staff take part in the grand scheme of collaboration, conversation and accidental exchanges. Additional facilities include the largely digital library access, individual quiet pods and equipment for receiving remote lectures and teleconferencing, and a roof terrace with a breakout area. Accompanying these, open kitchen facilities featuring Zip Water’s HydroTaps are an ingenious inclusion in this community-focused vertical university, reminding staff and students that hydration is an important factor in encouraging information retention and agile learning behaviours.

“There are no lecture theatres within the space,” says Georgia Singleton, director of Woods Bagot. “Instead, the design fosters an interactive approach to teaching and learning: a prominent aspect of the WSU curriculum.”

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Words: Calum York Photograph: Nicole England

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Paragon Of Tomorrow Welcome to the Urban Age.

Words: David Congram Photography: Anson Smart Visualisation: Courtesy of THIRDi

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arlier this year, Australia’s housing market made eyes water. As the global average rate of increase sits at 6.5 per cent, Australia’s median property index recently exceeded 7.7 per cent, all within the space of a single year.

Consequently, foreign investors are being directed downunder to participate in one of the hottest housing markets in the world: inflating our GDP, creating opportunities and projects for local industry, ultimately solidifying our status as a well-designed nation.

However, while this seems to be a very positive movement for the architecture and design community, the sheer virulence of competition between potential investors has placed our architects in a perilous position: do it fast, do it cheap. To satisfy this increasing demand for new developments, architects are being instructed to close approvals as fast as possible, with as many separate dwellings as possible, under the duress of mobilising this unprecedented interest in our cities’ real estate. But, will the bubble burst? After all, creating a climate for more buyers to vie for smaller and smaller amounts of stock is neither economically feasible nor socially sustainable.

This uncertainty is precisely where famed architecture firm SJB demonstrate inspired forward thinking. With a visionary, place-based and strategic approach to designing urban environments, every one of SJB’s projects across many sectors all bear the firm’s signature: the pursuit of more liveable, prosperous and people-friendly cities through socially- and politically-conscious design.

We need look no further than their latest residential development nearing completion: Paragon of Pyrmont.

Exemplifying a kind of luxurious living that is the stuff of dreams, Paragon’s rooftop gardens, two commercial allotments, verdant boulevards and vertical gardens establishes the important groundwork to allow the BOILING POINT #23

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residents of its 21 terraces and 11 units to become … well … a functioning, cohesive community.

Paragon is a feat of brilliance that redefines the concept of ‘neighbourhood’ to cater to the reality of higher density living. On the other hand, its design provides a sustainable development solution intimately connected to transport infrastructure, essential services and vendors, crowned with an elevated quality of living.

Perhaps what’s most impressive is how this holistic objective plays out in every stage of the development – from macro through to the most micro of scales. Each of Paragon’s residential spaces is an exemplar of better and more sustainable living. Everything is ‘smart’. Lights, air-conditioning, security and power consumption can all be controlled from a tablet or smartphone, illustrating the value of home-automation in our increasingly technological future.

Gaggenau French door fridges, touchactivated cabinetry, water-efficient bathroom hardware, and Zip Water’s HydroTap Classic all contribute to Paragon’s energy efficient living model – a permanent value injected into the development that will remain immune to fickle market trends.

Expertly crafted to merge minimalism with intricacies of detailing, the exterior façade blends Nordic copper and bronze screening, while suite interiors boast a restrained tonal and material palette of marble, timber and glass.

Whoever said that exclusivity couldn’t be an everyday affair?

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In Conversation...

With Charles Peters, Associate Director of SJB.

Interview: David Congram Photography: Anson Smart

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I note that there is an impressive lineup of brands, including Zip Water’s HydroTap, Tesla and Gaggenau that have been handpicked for Paragon.

What guided the specification of this calibre of brands?

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aragon of Pyrmont is an inspired approach to designing residential environments in suburbs that suffer from the associated pains of higher density living. What kind of design challenges do such projects commonly face?

Charles Peters: One of the early challenges we faced was just getting sunlight into the project. The site was originally a quarry and as a result is dominated by a four-storey rock face to the north.

Working through the issue of sunlight and amenity, we identified that the ideal location for living areas was towards the top of the building. Higher levels weren’t overshadowed by the rock face and had the added bonus of views towards the city and the harbour. This naturally progressed to the concept of terraces – with the potential for all residents to achieve the best possible arrangement of living areas and bedrooms in a typology that fit perfectly amongst Pyrmont’s Victorian workers’ cottages and shopfronts.

So did this unique history guide the development of Paragon?

CP: Well, areas like Pyrmont remind you of the responsibility that comes with every building – even a modest terrace or warehouse might still be contributing to the urban fabric over a hundred years later. Pyrmont is fascinating for its industrial, working-class roots and we wanted to reflect the texture and grain of the old industrial suburb while creating a dynamic new residential typology.

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CP: We’re continually impressed by the sophistication and awareness of purchasers when it comes to the fixtures and fittings within our residential projects. While we endeavour to create the best possible spaces for people to live, it’s the taps, ovens and doorknobs that people touch and interact with every day. These fixtures are key to the success of the architecture and with that in mind we select products that will most enhance the lives of the occupants.

Enhancing quality of life is evidently a large driving force for Paragon, but is this true on both the scale of the individual and the community?

CP: We see every project as an opportunity to contribute to an urban context. So in Paragon we have explored new ways of providing residential amenity within a dense urban environment while simultaneously creating active public space. The result, I believe, is a complex spatial and social dynamic that will hopefully encourage the development of Pyrmont not only as a sustainable, dense residential suburb, but also as a thriving urban community.

Specialising in complex urban sites, Charles Peters’ work with SJB characteristically maximises efficiency through optimal design outcomes. He has played a key role at SJB since 2006, informed by a diverse background that spans infrastructure, retail, residential, hospitality and commercial expertise.

Many of his projects across these sectors have garnered prestigious awards, recognising their considered, innovative and collaborative design approaches. Charles Peters continues to share his knowledge through teaching roles at the University of New South Wales. Read the full interview with Charles Peters at zipwater.com.

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This issue of Boilingpoint celebrates the work of:

Australia Zip Water 1800 42 43 44 zipwater.com New Zealand Zenith Water 0800 558 055 zenithwater.co.nz United Arab Emirates Zip Water +971 4391 3670 United Kingdom Zip Water +44 3456 005 005 zipwater.co.uk Export Enquiries +61 2 9796 3100 export@zipindustries.com A C-Gen Production Published for Zip Water by Indesign Media Asia Pacific (61 2) 9368 0150, indesign.com.au © Zip Water Publisher: Raj Nandan Indesign Brand Director: Colleen Black Editor: David Congram Production: Sheree Bryant Art Direction: Louis Wayment Designer: Julia Gee Zip Water Marketing Director: Tom Fisher Zip Water Brand Manager: Amy David Zip Water and the publisher hereby disclaim, to the full extent permitted by law, all liability, damages, costs and expenses whatsoever arising from or in connection with copy information or other material appearing in this publication, any negligence of the publisher, or any person’s actions in reliance thereon.

Inclusion of any copy information or other material must not be taken as an endorsement by Zip Water. Views expressed by contributors are personal views and are not necessarily endorsed by Zip Water. The terms ‘Zip’, ‘Hydroboil’, ‘HydroTap’, ‘Power-Pulse’, ‘Chilltap’ and ‘Chill Fountain’ are trademarks.

Gandel House, Emmy Monash

by Bates Smart: Jeffery Copolov Kristen Whittle Roger Poole Kevin Masci Andrew Raftopoulos Kendra Pinkus Martine Bonich Lai Yee Chan Naza Abidin Wai Ren Choo Jacinta Tessari Chris Eggleston – Paramount by The Office Space and Woods Bagot: Dominic Alvaro Todd Hammond Naomi Tosic Boris Tosic – Western Sydney University

by Woods Bagot: Adrian Stasi Alan Duffy Alex Wessling Amanda Stanaway Claire Smith Georgia Singleton Jo Dane Kiriah Shead Pablo Albani Silvia Cupik – Paragon of Pyrmont

by SJB: Adam Haddow Alicia Boh Charles Peters Emily Andrews Jonathan Richards Patti Bai Yvette Dunn

zipwater.com 1800 42 43 44

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