10th October 2017 | IN OFFICE DESIGN | BY SBID ShareTweetPinterestLinkedInThis week’s instalment of the #SBIDinspire interior design series features the verdant, boutique-style project by G-Art Design for financial services offices in Shanghai, bringing a breath of fresh air to the workplace and putting foliage at the forefront of interior design. The idea behind this project was to create a workplace with a focus on offering innovative financial services. The designer wanted to give employees the feeling of working inside a boutique hotel-style space; they achieved this by blending clean, modern design with lush foliage, creating a personalised workplace designed to be a breath of fresh air. During the planning stages, the architect took advantage of the building design to draw natural light from the exterior into the space while capitalising on the spectacular views of the lush landscaping outside. Existing internal concrete partitions were removed and instead areas are now separated with glass so the interior consists of a series of ‘bubbles’. Stepping from the lift, visitors face an open reception while the functional areas include a lobby bar, boardroom, three-screen conference room, working section one, VIP club, a water bar, oxygen chamber for staff, working section two and the CEO’s office. SBID had the opportunity to speak with Kim Huang, General Manager & Design Director of G-Art Design International about this refreshing office design project. Company: G-Art Design International Project: Shanghai Zhihui CIFI Square Modeling Finance Office Project Location: Shanghai, China What was the client’s brief? With innovative financial enterprises being the intended customers, the designer proposes the idea of “working in my boutique hotel guestroom”, which aims to create a fashionable and elegant office space with strong sense of design by incorporating style and distinguished quality with the user-friendly experience endowed by a boutique hotel. What inspired the design of the project? The design is led by the concept of incorporating outdoor landscapes with a pleasant working environment. Instead of a traditional LOGO wall, a penetrating glass box comes into sight as customers enter the office foyer exposing the vibrant and elegantly earthy interior as they get their first glimpse into the office space. The front desk is located on the right side of the reception hall. It is made up of antique copper brushed stainless steel, Shangri-La marble, and wood veneer with Eucalyptus ripple finish to carry the natural, outdoor theme throughout. The feature wall is created by crystal blocks in varied thickness. Meanwhile, the lighting at the back helps to reinforce an artistic conception of Chinese landscape painting. What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project? The office area at the foyer is comprised of several transparent glass boxes, which is designed to provide separated yet continuous space. The upper and lower borders of the glasses are made up of LED light strips which appear to be very delicate. The dark ceiling above the public area is made up of transparent acrylic punched plates. The dimensions of the punched holes have been designed to match those of the lighting fixtures, the spray system, as well as the smoke detectors, air-conditioners and the air outlet of the fresh air system. All devices are integrated with the new material to reinforce the unity of the ceiling. Implementation of these features required meticulous planning, seamless attention to detail and accuracy to achieve the desired finish without compromising on the integrity of the design. What was your team’s highlight of the project? The acrylic light slices at the chamfer of the ceiling, as well as its exquisite inlaying process with antique copper brushed stainless steel, brings a sense of future science and technology to the space. The half-height TV system is well integrated with the plant wall at the back. This space is of great significance which on one hand features the service concept of boutique office area, and on the other hand, advocates the humanistic spirit of providing a holistic, human-oriented office environment. Why did you enter the SBID International Design Awards? SBID hosts a considerable number of international awards and has been firmly established as one of the most prestigious design events in the industry in terms of status and specifications.Winning the SBID International Design Awards is a great achievement and an honour for global designers. Questions answered by Kim Huang, General Manager & Design Director at G-Art Design. To ensure you are kept up to date with the latest inspiration sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media. If you missed last week’s Project of the Week with HMKM for the launch of Robinsons, click here to see more Entries to the SBID Awards 2017 are now closed. To find out more about booking a table, click here We hope you feel inspired! Let us know what inspired you #SBIDinspire G-Art Design International | SBID International Design Awards 2017