Westpoint
Amenities
QIC approached us at the start of 2016 to undergo an upgrade to the amenities across all four levels of Westpoint Shopping Centre – 10 in total. They wanted to push the boundaries of the design to really create an amazing experience for their customers.
With varying sizes and layouts on each level, each area would come with their own advantages and challenges.
LOCATION
Dharug Country | Blacktown, NSW
CLIENT
QIC
YEAR
2018 -2019
SECTOR
interiors
STATUS
Complete
BUILDER
Construction Control
PHOTOGRAPHY
Esteban La Tessa
AWARDS
- Total Facilities Best Bathroom 2019 Winner
- Corian Design Awards Commercial 2019 Winner
The overall goal was to have the design be consistent throughout the whole centre with a few special features in the large hero blocks
i2C wanted to create a design that had a high level of finish, that not only looked great, but also had durability to withstand a retail shopping centre environment.
The concept for the male and female amenities was intended to be classic and timeless with a bit of unexpected through the features and detailing. The intention was to represent Blacktown with its rich and multicultural heritage in some way, so historical images from the area were incorporated into the design.
The Parent’s Room was a key focus throughout the design process. This space was critical in the planning of the amenities as it’s such an important part of the centre for parents. It’s more than somewhere to change a nappy – it’s a place for children to re-energise and parent’s to take a break; a place that meets all its functional requirements and most importantly, a place that feels inviting and comfortable, like an extension of your home.
It was also important to the Client and i2C that the Parent’s Room was accessible. Extra care was taken working with access consultants to ensure all criteria was met to allow any individual to use the space – everything from reach-ability, to lighting levels, to circulation space.
Careful consideration was taken with every material selection, right down to the finishing and trims
QIC set the benchmark for Changing Places facilities within their other asset at Eastland Shopping Centre, so this was another feature they felt very passionate about implementing in the design.
i2C took it a step further by including finishes and details within the space to make it feel as special as the rest of the design. Often these facilities are least considered in design due to their extensive operational requirements. i2C believe they should be celebrated just as much.
Collaboration was key with weekly meetings established to ensure the construction program ran smoothly
Several design features were highly bespoke, requiring specialty detailing that had no precedent to follow. In order to better develop these items, we created scale models allowing us to truly understand how these features would be constructed. This level of bespoke design required a real team effort between the builder, joiners, services consultants, i2C and various stakeholders at QIC to bring the design to life.
All parties (client, operations team, builder, consultants) were transparent and honest about expectations, deadlines and challenges. By keeping everyone involved and up to date on progress, the team were able to mitigate issues when they arose as quickly and efficiently as possible while always maintaining the integrity of the design.
QIC committed to challenging the idea of an amenities experience; pushing design boundaries and resetting industry benchmarks became an easy process for i2C
RELATED PROJECTS
Westpoint Fresh Food
Dharug Country | Blacktown, NSW
Melbourne Central Amenities
Boonwurrung, Wurundjeri Country | Melbourne, VIC