Woodhead International, one of Australia’s leading architecture and design firms, worked on the redevelopment of the original brewery site of Castlemaine Perkins, brewers of Queensland’s Fourex beer, in the Brisbane suburb of Milton.
For the first time in the company’s 130 year history, the office and administrative staff have been relocated to the brewery site. Woodhead International fitted out an unused warehouse to be their new home, including interior design and furniture, fittings and fixtures, with a budget of $3.5 million.
Mark Clements from Woodhead International said, “The key with this project was to retain the historical aspect of the site and combine it with modern interior designs. Starting with a heavy industrial structure and then creating a functional office was a challenge as we were required to work within the confines of the existing structure.”
"Several design options were explored for the fit-out proposal but they all returned the open-plan workstation philosophy. Natural light to the offices and boardroom was maximized with additional windows cut into the brickwork and exterior sunshading incorporated."
One of the most important considerations was to display the memorabilia collected over some 120 years and present it in such a way as to preserve it and highlight some of the most important pieces.
The solution was to construct a memorabilia exhibit on the second level, encased in Red Gum timber cabinets and running the length of the walls. The memorabilia theme is introduced in the main lobby, an open light filled precinct with an original Castlemaine Perkins beer truck positioned in pride of place.
Les Sayer, Managing Director of Castlemaine Perkins, is pleased with the outcome of the redevelopment."The new offices are an outstanding facility, they facilitate better communication, better unity, and overall better business. The rich heritage of the company is captured throughout the offices, and there is references, through the fittings, to the modern approach that we have towards business,” Les said.
The new offices include a hi-tech boardroom, tap room for entertaining, a beer systems room, numerous meeting rooms, executive offices and open plan work stations for approximately 75 staff. Also important to the interior design plan was the inclusion of a place for the staff to take a break and rather than ‘lunch rooms’ as such, there is an area filled with café style tables and chairs within the office adding a casual and friendly feel to the environment.
Woodhead International also managed the landscaping works using coal as the bedding material and grasses to represent the original brewing material. The result is a new head office that demonstrates the proud history of one of Australia’s oldest companies with a modern vibrant look pointing to the future.