"Our brief was to renovate the existing building in a way that would reflect the success of the programme," says Alexander Wastney, design director at Designwell. This included the main entry, executive lounge, case study and workshop rooms, as well as breakout spaces students could use pre and post-study.

"The lobby housed two original taonga, wooden carvings, which were connected by a colourful acrylic linear artwork in teal and blue," says Wastney. "We had to replace these, and reinterpreted them, which set up the line motif. It was also a way to indicate movement and energy as people flowed into the building and up to the learning spaces."

Interweave tiles in contrasting shades of grey were chosen to complement the colours from the original artwork. Visual movement in the ceiling design was created with hanging LED lights, and the Interweave tiles were cut so that the floor provides a reflection of that.

For Designwell, the flooring’s practical criteria were commercial durability and easy access for replacement. "We needed the ability to replace and maintain, so we had to pick a supplier with a good, long-term reputation," says Wastney. "We have a great relationship with Advance — they are responsive and easy to work with, and have a good range."

Advance brought in a special shipment of Gecko entrance matting in plank format for the project. This paired well with the Interweave planks, was easy to customise and offered a cost-effective entrance matting solution for the university.