Introducing Easton Colab
Six months ago, you would have driven past the intersection of High Street and Belford Road Kew without so much as turning your head. It would be impossible to drive past that same intersection now and not be immediately intrigued by the Garfield orange box with large Easton lettering in black. The site at 559 High Street Kew East has a long history. First purchased by Craig Easton in 2002 as the home of Easton Builders. The site was previously a mechanics garage with two large roller doors on the Belford Rd side of the site. Half of the site was used as a joinery workshop, where our in-house joiner, Wes Scroczynski worked (still working for Easton today, 22 years later!). The other half of the site was home to Easton Builders office team.
In 2013 Easton Builders vacated the site in favour of an office in Toorak Village, where the Easton team could closely oversee major developments on Mathoura Road Toorak, the Manhattan Apartments and world-renowned Palais Toorak. During this time, the site at High Street Kew was leased as a medical facility. The interior was frankly an uninspiring, sterile environment with fluorescent lighting and plain white plastered walls. In 2023, under a refreshed team of Directors, Easton again took possession of the site and undertook a major renovation, to take it from a clinical medical centre to the bright and bold architectural statement that it is today. It was a unique and exciting undertaking with Easton playing the role of Client, Project Manager and Builder.
The scope of works included demolition of the interior of the building, including partition walls, wall coverings and all striping out all existing electrical and plumbing. Installation of a cork ceiling throughout in a predominantly double height roof space. Creation of unisex bathrooms (3) and end of trip facilities – all DDA compliant. Inclusion of “Room” telephone booth from Infinity Commercial Furniture – serving as a private space for phone calls, or focused working. New electrical and plumbing was installed throughout and the inclusion of a high-tech Delos wellness system to create the healthiest working environment possible.
From the moment you arrive at the Easton office, using your FOB for seamless electronic entry – the roller doors draw up at the press of the button and light pours in. You are already breathing in clean air via the Delos advanced air purification system and lighting within the building has been set to mimic circadian rhythms – all features which may be little noticed to the eye but are designed to provide you with the healthiest working environment. Step into the technology enabled boardroom, connect to the Easton wi-fi guest network securely and use the Logitech Barco to wirelessly control boardroom television for presentations.
Another special feature is the installation of the stone in the kitchen. To achieve the radius of the stone and the circular legs of the kitchen bench took special expertise and we were grateful to have the experience of Parthenon Marble. Parthenon marble and Easton’s have two generations of history working together. The operable overhead joinery installation creates a multi-purpose kitchen. The joinery slides from left to right, revealing coffee mugs and bowls on one side, and a well stocked bar on the other, ready to slide open for a fitting celebration, such as an MBAV awards win. There is no lack in high-end finishes with the showstopper being the Signorino marble kitchen bench, a 20mm thick, Natural Stone Travertine in Alkos, a warm orangey-red colour. The sheer radius of this dreamy kidney triangular shaped bench is impressive, as are the thick circular legs of the bench all created from the same stone. The detail in the kitchen is an innovation in itself, displaying the Easton standard of high quality finishes. In the mornings, it’s a breakfast bar – or a spot to share a coffee, at lunch it’s a hive of activity with plenty of shared conversation. It’s the perfect space to host a function – with the operable joinery pushed aside to hide the bowls and coffee mugs and make space for champagne glasses and a bar, ready to entertain.
Moving into the main open area, which extends to a double height space, there are 10 sit/stand co-working desks with nearby lockable filling cabinets. Tucked under the upstairs mezzanine are two private meeting rooms, or rentable private team offices. The Installation of glazing partitions in this space creates the private meeting spaces and a boardroom, all of which borrow light from the opening of the original roller doors. Sheer curtains in each room, allow for warmth and privacy without blocking light. Stand out construction features include extending the mezzanine to give us a new floor plate. The perforated metal balustrade that provides the edge of the mezzanine was hand welded in-house.
The existing mezzanine was extended to create a larger useable floorplate, this also creates the more private Easton team office area. Perforated metal balustrade act as both a physical barrier to the mezzanine level but also creates privacy whilst still allowing light to reach the upper level of the building. A kitchenette on this level mirrors the main kitchen and acts as the perfect area for making hot and cold drinks during the day.
Fitout of the new Easton Office was completed over a 10-week period under the guidance of Brodie Easton as Project Manager and Russell Tozer as Site Foreman. Acting as client and builder for this project brought with it both challenges and opportunities as our own client, a highlight for us was there very few changes to our scope and plans meaning the project was streamlined and able to be delivered in a short timeframe, with no variations and minimal fuss!
We had a great understanding of where we could save on our budget, and where it would be most impactful to spend. As clients, Andrew Parr challenged us to step away from the safety of the ‘everyday’ empowering us to embrace colour and boldness and let this unassuming old garage punch above it weight.
For a modest budget of $400,000, this once lifeless medical centre has been re-birthed into a bold building that invites curiosity from the moment of your first glance. In our signature style as builders, we have demonstrated that clever applications of finishes can assist with cost savings in the budget, that then make way for the possibility of those -spare-no-expense details, the showstoppers. The cork found on the ceiling and upstairs wall, is an economical product that also happens to be very practical. The cork is good looking, adding warmth to the space, it’s practical as an office material – it can literally be pinned directly into and most of all, it has exceptional acoustic properties. The floor treatment was also an excellent example of a cost saving finish – the concrete slab was simply given an epoxy treatment and painted in a dulux ‘Ice pack blue’.
We think the greatest value for money created is the union between two firms with a long history of collaboration – the partnership between SJB and Easton allowed for a deep trust and understanding, and for us all to focus our efforts on creating a building that makes you feel good. Value was also unlocked via the quality workmanship and collaborative nature of our trades, who we have extensive long-term relationships with and were all keen to deliver a stand out project for us.
The site presented some design challenges, the main one being the windowless nature of the old mechanic’s garage. It would be easy to see how others might choose to demolish and re-build in these circumstances, however we chose to look at the upsides this brick box provided. The strong boundary walls make you feel hidden away from the bustling street and traffic outside. With the roller doors maintained, lock them up at night for total security, but thrown open during the day to let light flow freely into the building.
Much of the design was centred around using the available light – glass dividers in meeting rooms, perforated balustrades, sheer curtains. The materials allow for privacy and intimacy but are all pointing to the same goal – light and warmth.
Builder: Easton.
Architecture and Interior Design: Andrew Parr SJB Interiors
Photographer: Dave Kulesza
Styling: Bea Lambos