Sumit Singhal Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination.
FUEL Advertising in Canada by Inger Bartlett
April 30th, 2014 by Sumit Singhal
Article source: Bartlett & Associates
STATEMENT OF DESIGN INTENT
A strongly-branded WOW space was done on a shoestring budget for FUEL Advertising,aCanadian subsidiary of Chicago-based global agency Draft/FCB. FUEL wanted a creative, hip and engaging statement to motivate employees, attract new hires and engage clients in their early 1900’s loft-style industrial warehouse space.
The mandate was to deliver a creative and engaging message – a hip style to motivate employees and attract new hires and a strong creative statement to engage clients.
Tight budget considerations demanded a high degree of creativity for the early 1900’s loft space in an industrial warehouse.
FUEL’s iconic trademark “The Power of the Possible” was the inspiration for the design aesthetic of “Power, Punch and Pop.”
Power – the bright red wall in reception contrasted with pure white bench seating / a superscaled corporate trademark “The Power of the Possible” / strong directional perspective provided by corrugated metal ceiling panels in Reception and leading to the Boardroom / overscale sliding doors into the Boardroom revealing a 25-foot table – all provide a strong sense of arrival.
Punch – 13-foot high plexi screens (also a sense of power) / vivid plexi colors contrasted with the clean white backdrop and white laminate workstations / progression of color from bright red in Reception, to vibrant pink and orange in Client Services, to cool lime green and white in Creative / task chair fabric colors reflecting the plexi colors.
Pop – pop art Marimekko fabric panels on the walls of the Lounge and adjacent Café with oversize images of iconic flowers and birch trees vibrate with the color schemes of the Lounge (vivid purple, white and green) and Creative. Inspirational phrases from John Lennon, Kurt Vonnegut, Steve Jobs and others in black on white canvases establish an uplifting backdrop that links into the powerful corporate trademark in Reception.
Budget – the loft space established the basis of the design solution, with choice of materials reflecting existing metal ductwork, refinished wood flooring, economical Artopex furniture and the power of the printed word (the printed word is FUEL’s world). The Lounge breakout area and adjacent Café allow informal client presentations to flow between these two multipurpose areas.
Second– a space that engages clients, employees and new recruits alike.
Power, Punch and Pop are now clear, emphasizing the Agency’s influence in the fashion and tourism sectors of their core clients.
Bright colors against a neutral white backdrop create energy and help to define spaces.
The successful use of existing elements, responsible design materials, multipurpose Lounge/Café adjacency and attractive workstation price point all result in a project that came in well under budget – totally appropriate for the current environment.
“The new space exceeds my expectations, and that’s significant because the bar was pretty high. We wanted a place for big ideas but intimate ways of working and, of course, everything for nothing. This was our first-ever opportunity to discover the FUEL brand within our environment. We remain excited by our space!” says Cyndy Carruthers, President, FUEL Advertising Inc.
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