Press Release
Aura Receives the Silver A' Design Award for Westland Insurance Office Design in Interior Space and Exhibition Design
The international grand jury of the 2022 - 2023 A' Design Award & Competition recognizes Aura for interior space and exhibition design
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 20, 2023 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Silver A' Design Award in the Interior Space and Exhibition Design category for Westland Insurance Office Design by Aura. The award was conferred within the 2022 - 2023 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the Silver A' Design Award
The Silver A' Design Award celebrates top-tier designs that embody excellence and innovation. This award acknowledges creations that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional, reflecting the designer's deep understanding and skill. Silver A' Design Award recipients are recognized for their contribution to raising industry standards and advancing the practice of design. Their work often incorporates original innovations and elicits a strong emotional response, making a notable impact on the improvement of everyday life.
Regarding Westland Insurance Office Design
Westland Insurance is an office interior design created for a head office in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. The workplace covers 5500 square meters across six levels. The top floor holds the reception area, conference center, bistro and catering kitchen, and can also serve as an event space. A featured staircase connects the top two floors. The five lower floors contain 338 workstations, 38 offices and 34 meeting rooms. Support and collaboration areas repeat in similar positions on every floor to ease navigation. Concrete, wood and handwoven rugs create a calm setting.
About Aura
Aura is an innovative commercial design-build company focused on creating engaging workspaces where teams perform their best. Aura combines workplace strategy, interior design, and project management together to improve office environments. Throughout the last 45 years, Aura has evolved into a trusted, complete turnkey solutions provider, supplying clients with strategic information to design and build industry-leading workplaces that foster connection, collaboration, and innovation.
Award Record
Aura is a winner of 1 A' Design Award, including this recognition.
About the A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award
The A' Interior Design Award is an international interior design competition recognizing good interior designs by interior designers and architects worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to interior designers, interior architects, architects and decorators from all countries. Entries typically include residential interiors, restaurants, hotels, offices, galleries and retail stores. Awarded interior designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/interior
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/148093
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/148093
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!148093
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/337784
- Further Information from the Laureate: http://www.auraoffice.ca/
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Westland Insurance Office Design
- Function
- Office Design
- Category
- Interior Space and Exhibition Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture and Packaging & Retail
- Colors
- Dark Olive Green, Dim Gray, Silver, Dark Khaki and Tan
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Aura
- Country
- Canada
- Recognition
- Silver A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2022 - 2023
- Design ID
- #148093
Credits
- Team
- Salma Sidiqqi, Chris Palting and Isidora Celic
- Image Credits
- Luke Potter Photography
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Focusing on flexibility, the top floor houses the reception area, conference center, bistro and catering kitchen and can double as an event space when needed. A featured staircase adjoining the top floors allows for connection between workstations and the reception. Westland’s value of diversity is seen throughout the space through distinctive artwork, accessible signage, and graphics.
- Inspiration
- Westland Insurance's new 5500 square meter head office is flexible, represents its brand and culture, and promotes connection. The office features natural elements and materials local to Canada. With inspiring and approachable as the design concept, each floor has a consistent welcoming feel. Common elements and repetition in materiality provide unity between floors and easy navigation. Inspiring views are celebrated by highlighting them for shared common use among staff. Common features and repetition in materiality provide unity between floors and easy navigation.
- Research
- Primary research was used to assess space needs. The goal was to figure out how its employees work best and how to best accommodate a hybrid working model. Through company-wide assessments and leadership interviews, data was collected to identify workstyle personas which inform the amount and types of spaces needed within the workplace. Scenario planning utilized this data to set the layout. With the help of this research, Westland was able to reduce square footage needs and increase savings.
- Challenge
- The irregular floorplate for the base building features sharp corners. The harsh angle of the building did not align with the design goal of having a welcoming and approachable space. Designers were challenged to include curved forms to provide a calming sensation and a subconscious relation to the natural environment.
- Realization and Technology
- A workplace that supports connection, collaboration, and company growth. Modular planning creates a futureproof workplace that suits various work styles. The design enables various forms of work, from intimate brainstorming sessions to conferences. There is an equitable distribution of offices and workstations, and employees can sit anywhere and feel at ease. To highlight Canada, local elements were utilized. Concrete, wood, handwoven rugs are included to provide a calm space for staff.
- Operation and Interaction
- The bistro was intentionally placed on the top floor and features elements not offered on other floors to bring employees together. A featured staircase connecting the top two floors allows employees to have more casual encounters. Support and collaboration spaces are seen in the same or similar locations on every floor to allow employees to travel seamlessly throughout the six levels of the office.
- Project Duration and Location
- Phase one (discovery and workplace strategy) of the project began in September 2020. The design phase began in March 2021 and continued until September. The company took possession of the space in June 2022. The project is based in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.
- Specifications
- The workplace is 5500 square meters in size and split into six levels. The reception area, conference center, bistro, and catering kitchen are located on the top floor. 338 workstations, 38 offices, and 34 meeting rooms are distributed across the five lower floors. Support and collaboration areas are positioned in the same or comparable locations on each floor to provide staff familiarity across all levels.
- Keywords
- collaborative, warm, natural, inviting, Canadian, organic, adaptable, inclusive
