Waterman Eastland

Waterman Eastland launches an innovative post-pandemic co-working model: a vibrant community within a retail, hospitality and services hub. Inspired by neighbouring Mullum Mullum Creek, it addresses WFH isolation and long commutes and connects diverse tenants via flexible offices, communal habitats and spectacular natural light and volumes from the adjacent atrium. Seamlessly woven into an existing mall, the site-responsive design features flexible offices maximising opportunities from a retail atrium below, barrel-vaulted ceiling above, and Mullum Mullum Creek alongside. Located on Level 3 in Eastland’s heart, the expansive 3,300-square-metre fitout comprises 37 private offices of all sizes, capacity for 400 people, 70-plus hot desks, 7 meeting rooms including boardroom, luxe amenities and communal spaces including a café, kitchen, lounges and breakouts. The design team at ClarkeHopkinsClarke Architects transformed a long, narrow, potentially internalised floorplate by opening the entire fit out to the spectacular ceiling and retail void, illuminating every space with natural light, generous volumes and energising sightlines. Twin entrances, front and rear, are linked by creek-like circulation paths winding past beautiful shared and private habitats. Corian® Platinum Reception Counter Waterman’s reception desk features two zones. A formal ‘front of house’ arrival point with extra height to conceal clutter at the front, and sides that curve seamlessly downwards to create an approachable informality and encourage impromptu interactions. The design required a tactile, high-quality, highly sustainable benchtop material robust enough for everyday use in a high-traffic area. It also needed to curve softly and seamlessly to echo the design’s natural curves, which are inspired by the topography and natural forms of neighbouring Mullum Mullum Creek. Corian® Dune Prima Amenities Waterman Eastland features luxe amenities that ClarkeHopkinsClarke Architects are especially proud of. The team wanted to create a luxurious, high-end space that brings through the natural curves that are a feature of the entire fit-out. The washplanes and benchtops required a high ESD, high-performance material consistent with the palette of natural materials and earthy tones. ClarkeHopkinsClarke Architects also needed to create seamlessly integrated, elegantly curved vanity benchtops, washplanes and basins, which would echo curves expressed throughout in walls, bulkheads and circulation paths. A challenge of this project was the need to work around existing columns in the amenities space to create a flow and sense of spaciousness and luxuriousness. This meant creating vanities between columns in a way that looks completely seamless within the space. The lightness of Dune Prima and the lovely sense of movement in its patterning makes the amenities feel welcoming and dynamic as well as luxe. “We know Corian® and how well it performs which is why Corian® was our first choice when making selections. Both Dune Prima and Platinum colours delivered on their promise: environmentally, aesthetically and functionally, as we knew they would,” said Michelle Cavicchiolo Project Details Design By: Michelle Cavicchiolo of ClarkeHopkinsClarke Architects Builder: Otto Construction Group Joiner: Gen X Group Photography: Nicole England Photography Applications: Washplanes Reception Counter CORIAN® Colours: Dune Prima [E] Platinum [D]