Innocean Worldwide

Innocean Worldwide

by Shubin + Donaldson

By: Luisa Villatoro

 

Designed in the beautiful shores of Huntington Beach, the Innocean Worldwide building it was designed with a Modern, Masculine and Industrial Aesthetic.  This is the home of one of Hyundai’s US subsidiaries, and Advertising Agency.   The space includes a neutral palette with small bright orange and blue accents.  As you enter the building the focal point is the ocean-blue reception desk with the bold INNOCEAN letters on a black metal panel.  The space is divided between formal business, conference center and meeting to the informal creative spaces such as the cafeteria designed with a contemporary loft style.  The striking use of wood provides a great balance with the cold, masculine metal beams and acoustic ceiling.  The overall architectural theme looks remarkable – in the coming blogs weeks we will be taking a closer look at the material and product selections in the different spaces of this building. 

I am going to take quick look at some of the materials utilized based on the references in the publication, Interior Design Magazine, May 2011, written by Edie Cohen.  When I reference a particular material manufacture that reflects a substitute materials as the exact specifications are not provided for the project (and usually confidential, proprietary information).  With this said, the critique of the materials in no way reflect the actual design choices by Shubin + Donaldson, but are only a reference to materials and specifications inspired by their design.

Flooring – Reclaimed American Oak used throughout the office.  Oak is and it is an excellent choice of species in wood flooring.  It has a pronounced grain, is hard and durable-suitable for a commercial application with high traffic areas.  Cleaning and Maintenance is the key to maintaining the oak floor beautiful.  The building is next to the ocean so humidity may be a factor.  Leaving some expansion room at the seam of the wall is important as the wood will expand and contract.  In addition, a good sealant is important to repel salinity and to withstand the aftercare of the floor.  Considering hardwood was specified, then it is important that a plywood base be installed/glued down over the concrete floor.  The Hardwood planks are then nailed to the plywood for better resistance.  Inevitable there will be scratches and dings to the floor, however since the wood was reclaimed, the usage will only add to the character.   Armstrong offers a wide plank oak surface, however the commercial application offers a 10 year warranty, http://www.armstrong.com/flooring/hardwood/natural-oak-5-in-solid-hardwood-wide-plank-SAS501/floor-133333.asp

Acoustical Tack board - Surfaces the walls of some meeting rooms.  Acoustics are a prime choice when it comes to minimizing noise in an open floor plan such as in this space.  The tack-board surfaces are a clever way to provide privacy to a meeting room, noise isolation, as well as a surface on which to ideate, brainstorm, and present concepts.  Assuming that cork was utilized, it provides a medium to high noise reduction coefficient (NRC) of .3 to .7.  Acoustic tack board surfaces are good solution for reducing noise and adding interest to a room. 

Reception desk – Utilizing a bright blue resin on top of the desk, provided and hot rolled clear coated steel on interior creates a unique focal point at the entrance of the building.  Resin is an excellent option when creating unique pieces in an interior.  An interesting property is that light can bounce off of it, or artificial light can be lit though it.

Aluminum Chairs utilized in the café/break area – These chairs are both light and durable.  luminum is a great metal as it does not easily oxidize and is very lightweight but strong.   Since almost no maintenance is required and they don’t oxidize these chairs will be excellent to maintain clean.  The only con to Aluminum is that it scratches easily.

Flank tables with quartz composite tops – Flank tables provide a modern aesthetic, in addition quartz is a durable material and it is also manufactured from scrap stones such as granite and/or marble.  It is a much more durable than the natural wood surface and provides a more sophisticated/high end look than a laminate.  They are an easy to clean surface and don’t stain easily.

Wool upholstered banquette used in the café/break area – Utilizing 100% wool in by the ocean is not a good choice because wool tends to ‘bunch up’ when the environment becomes too humid.  If the wool is combined with polyesters or bamboo, which may be the case for these banquettes, it is a good solution as it can be very durable and provide an excellent texture for seating. 
Sources:
Cohen, Edie.  Pacific Rim In an office by Shubin + Donaldson, Innocean Worldwide melds South Korea with Southern California.  Interior Design Magazine.  May 2011. http://www.interiordesign.net/projects/detail/1557-pacific-rim/

Godsey, Lisa. Interior Design Materials and Specifications. Fairchild Publications.  Copyright 2008

Oak Flooring:  http://www.armstrong.com/flooring/hardwood/natural-oak-5-in-solid-hardwood-wide-plank-SAS501/floor-133333.asp