Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA) and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS)

The creative headspace can only flourish under ideal conditions, when it is nurtured in a creative space of the physical variety. Da Vinci had his workshop, the Beatles had Abbey Road, and Willy Wonka had his Chocolate Factory. The Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA) and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS) was, until recently, based out of a traditional compartmentalised 3-storey office building in St Leonards. And now what does APRA call home? A refurbished-topurpose warehouse in Pyrmont, replete with open plan workspaces, meaningful interior design, a rooftop terrace, and – perhaps most importantly – a unique personality. It just goes to show what good things may come when developer interest presses for a change
of location.

An integral element of Australia’s music industry and the protection of artists’ rights, APRA has used its new premises – and the architectural design thereof – as a model for institutional change within the company, guided by the central theme of open communication and transparency. Lots of transparency. Each floor in the new premises accommodates several departments within APRA, with 95% of employees stationed in an open plan environment, divided only by desktop screens and half-height storage units. Only departmental directors are sectioned off into offices, and even these are constructed from clear frameless glass. Noisy activities such as printing and tea rooms are grouped together in centrally-located semi-enclosed spaces, to encourage interaction and movement, without disrupting workplace efficiency. Also included in each department and all the common areas are formal and informal breakout spaces and meeting rooms to facilitate active interaction and engagement between employees and APRA members alike. In time, the building at street level will also become a welcoming, open forum, initially by increased incidental thru traffic, but also with the addition of an internal/external café and multipurpose conference space.

And just in case the employees ever feel they’re too enclosed (highly unlikely) they can escape to the rooftop terrace, which is used for small functions and staff recreation, in conjunction with the board room and function spaces that share the highlevel atrium floor. Here, the existing trusses have been exposed and painted white, creating a boathouse feel far removed from the corporate norm, and perfectly contrasting the ground floor conference spaces, where untreated black steel wall cladding and edgy splashes of colour are employed to echo the building’s music industry persona.

Throughout the interior, the colour scheme is minimal – vast expanses of white wall space, joinery and workstations to maximise reflected light, with charcoal wall panelling, and of course, all that transparent glass. However, anyone could tell you that a neutral palette could risk dulling the creative energy of the space. And so there is one concession to rockstar colour: the carpet running throughout the office floors is a bold orange, adding a warm vibrancy that lifts the spirit and also offsets the eco-friendly but often cold tone fluorescent lighting. Even with the white walls, there was always going to be a need for some artificial lighting,
but it has been kept to a minimum, in volume, cost, and environmental impact. All lighting is energy efficient, mainly T5 fluorescent and LED, with minimal use of halogens for mood lighting only. And flexible DALI lighting control has been installed throughout, so that the lights can be controlled individually, depending on the amount of natural light available, as well as by user preference and motion sensor.

The ‘green’ credentials of the new location also include stormwater retention (from the roof) and re-use (for flushing the toilets), efficient plumbing fixtures, a gas boost solar hot water system, and Greenstar approved local
finishes and products were specified where possible. Even the building’s users are encouraged to keep the planet – and themselves – in good shape: there are bike storage facilities to encourage cycling to work; an existing stairwell has been opened up to each floor (take the stairs, not the lift). In terms of ventilation, the entire building utilises a displacement airconditioning system, using a raised floor as a platform to deliver low velocity air at warmer temperatures than traditional overhead ducted programmes. The result is much lower energy consumption, and increased indoor air quality for the occupants, especially when – under the right conditions – the artificial air conditioning shuts off, allowing fresh air to enter the space via automated glass louvre windows. Additional operable louvres at roof level, and the high-level roof atrium also act as a chimney, drawing out warm air during the night purge, and facilitating natural ventilation.

From the moment of entry – past the near-original façade, up a dramatic stair, to the reception area at the base of a 4-storey atrium – one thing is crystal clear: APRA has found itself a truly creative space, in form and in function.  +