Mixing the business of food with pleasure

Compass Group, New Zealand’s leading provider of catering food services, relocated to Parnell’s Textile Building in 2022. The new workplace, designed and built by STACK, was an opportunity for Compass to showcase their abilities in the catering industry.

The brief called for a space that could function both as a demonstration kitchen for clients, while providing a modern and flexible workplace for their employees. An open plan office that embraced an agile work environment, the new workplace was also designed to draw employees back in the office after COVID lockdowns.

The design of the new office space took into consideration the beautiful timber columns and beams, and embraced the high ceilings and exposed brickwork in the space. During the design process soft furnishings were selected to assist with the acoustic challenges of working in a historical building.

To accommodate seismic considerations, STACK made use of partitions that allowed for full height glazed walls. These took advantage of the beautiful double volume space, creating an impressive façade and ‘wow’ factor for clients, while still maintaining an effective acoustic separation for meetings.

The outcome is a workplace that is warm and inviting - an environment that works in harmony with the two primary objectives of the office, allowing Compass Group to mix the business of food with pleasure.