Dalgleish Architects Ltd was asked by Whanganui District Council to redesign their ground floor Customer Service, and back of house areas. The brief was to move towards a more innovative environment that is stimulating, interactive, user-friendly and collaborative, with a strong sense of connectedness.  

The design of the Customer Service area has a high level of visual energy and stimulation.  Through the use of images, colour, pattern, technology, and the varied and dynamic nature of staff and customer engagement, the space conveys a culture of innovation, energy, productivity, and creativity. The colour palette references both the urban and natural environments of Whanganui. The design prioritizes Equitable access.  We have included high and low customer pods, layout space, computer kiosks, and meeting rooms, allowing customers and staff to carry out their business in ways that work best for them.  

The design of the work spaces considers the psychological needs of the staff, aiming to provide positive stimulation leading to more creativity and productivity.
The ground floor includes breakout areas as a way for staff to perform a focused task, and options for staff to choose their preferred way of working.  These include collaborative work areas allowing staff to cluster and work together for short spaces of time.  These spaces are quite informal and able to be rearranged, which affords flexibility.

Social diversity, culture and community spirit underpin what it means to be from, or in, Whanganui.  We have used full height glazed partitions with images carried by pixelated window film over their entirety, which visually blur the separation the back of house staff areas and the customer care area. This creates an inviting and welcoming environment for customers. This is a direct way to express the importance of community, whilst highlighting sense of place and identity to visitors from outside the region.