AHEC Europe

Newcrest Mining Office

Species: American white oak
Architect: Lihir Gold Ltd by GroupGSA architects
Photography: Tony Neilson

The mining company wanted ‘sophisticated’ for its head office in a new 5-star energy rated Brisbane high-rise. And the interior designers delivered with an award-winning combination of a neutral base white and the warmth of American oak.

Originally designed for Lihir Gold Ltd by GroupGSA architects, the seventh-floor offices at 400 George St feature an innovative reception and meeting area, and fulfil the client’s strong environmental ethic.
Winner of the northern region commercial interior fit-out in the 2010 Australian Timber Design Awards, the concept has since been modified slightly by the new occupant, Newcrest Mining (incorporating Lihir). But the core design elements, which unite two levels, remain unchanged.
Timber is the primary connecting material, with American white oak featuring in all front-of-house spaces, including an engineered floor wrapping down an interconnecting stairway and seamlessly transforming into the ceiling of the staff café area below.

A monolithic wall entirely detailed in white oak veneer spans the length of the important upper level public spaces and frames spectacular views of Brisbane city and beyond. Other timber features include meeting room names and door framing, and a bespoke boardroom table of white oak veneered on particleboard.

Interior designer Angela Spathonis has also reflected something of the company’s core mining business in the office environment – including the organic formation of the white ceiling ‘sculpture’ running across the main reception area. “We interpreted angular formations in relation to open-cut mines and played the contrasting qualities of materials against each other.”

White oak was used because of its colour, form, availability and performance. “The building is air-conditioned and we had to consider how the timber would acclimatise. We settled on an engineered floor with oak veneer over a ply base [190 mm x 19 mm board], and it has performed as it is supposed to. It doesn’t move and copes well with the variable temperatures.”

GroupGSA principal Lindsay Colwill says white oak holds its position well in a tough market. “American oak has been used in the Australian fit-out business for ever. It is well known and well respected. You could use Vic ash or limed Tassie oak, but at the end of the day there are now more manufacturers here with American oak.”

Colwill likes to use timber to connect spaces, rather than dominate them. “I do quite a lot of domestic projects and like to bring in small elements of really high quality timber and have them contrast against, say, a white wall. Or, instead of a pair of glass doors you might have timber. “Beautiful timber veneered doors cost an arm and a leg, but when they sit in a glass wall, you really get the value because you can put them on show. “I like to do the same for main entrances of homes – big timber doors and jambs with glass either side. Timber should be utilised as a feature, otherwise it becomes a feel and not a focus.”