Description:

OMADA is a new offering to the Christchurch coworking market. OMADA translated to ‘group’ or ‘bunch of friends’ from the Greek language, was designed to bring like minded people together. The brief for the functional requirements was clear, create a place of balance for people to do their best work, a business lounge for connecting and private offices for focused work. This, along with incorporating the new OMADA brand and values would make sure people had a good day in the office, anytime, anywhere.
OMADA was a beautiful partnership between the brand and space. When the project was won, the brand was yet to be developed, we were designing a space with functional requirements only as there was not yet a brand to reflect in the space. We had a wonderful opportunity to work alongside the client to help develop the brand, involved in brand colour selection, font type and the logo of Omada to make sure the physical space would reflect the brand. To win the project we provided a concept design, which was dark, moody and overly sophisticated. Trying too hard to look like a competitor rather than standing out. Through the brand development process we created an identifiable brand to align peoples thinking of the Omada brand and the physical space.
Once the OMADA brand was developed, a complete redesign was created using the new brand values and ethos. We now had a foundation to connect people and place and introduced the rich and earthy colour palette of deep reds, burnt orange and forest green. The final design evoked a home-like feel characterised by comfort and convenience in the business lounge and catering to individual workstyle needs with a no frills back of house, allowing occupants to stamp their own identity to their space.
The designers at Autex were engaged to help develop the bespoke coffer look ceiling feature, which runs the length of the business lounge. An architecture feature often seen in ancient Greece, this detail was adapted and modernised with its clean lines and acoustic materiality. The Autex ceiling provided a great acoustic solution to the business lounge, a place of conversation and activity, whilst adding a sense of interest and professionalism to the space. Best practise methodologies were used to produce a highly functional area that meet the dynamic requirement of a small business.
OMADA is to be enjoyed, it has been designed for people to connect with likeminded innovators and creatives. It is a space where business can grow from one, to some, to many.
This project showcased the importance of aligning brand and space, to create a cohesive solution for people to identify and engage with. The consideration of the emotional physical space reflected in the placement of the amenities including the business lounge, kitchen and utilities and neighbouring hotel contributes to the experience at OMADA.