Movie: Julia Borghesi of design studio Hassell discusses the hybrid aesthetic of advertising agency Clemenger BBDO's office in Sydney, which topped the office category at last month's Inside Festival. 

Clemenger BBDO's Sydney office has an informal layout with open offices and meeting areas.

"We were given a brief to connect the teams together," Borghesi says. "So we really wanted to focus on the people and the work that they produce."

"There are areas for relaxation, there are areas for collaboration and there are areas for individual work."

The client had a strong idea of what the office should look like, Borghesi says.

"Clemenger came to us with an ideal aesthetic, combining this industrial loft aesthetic with Scandinavian detailing," she explains. "The space we ended up with quite nicely combines those two visual elements: the New York loft with Scandinavian design."

She continues: "You can see [the loft influence] throughout the centre of the space. The timber panels on the ceiling, also the floorboards. The Scandinavian design really comes in through the loose furniture and the joinery detailing."

The office features a large, open meeting area in the centre of the space.

"It becomes a pivotal point where the executive team from other areas of the building can actually congregate and strategise within the space," she says. "It's also a space that's highly visible to the staff as well."

Borghesi believes that creating an open office environment has been successful. "Every time I visit there, the energy and the vibe in the place is amazing," she says. "It's really inspiring."

Photography by Nicole England.

This movie was filmed at Inside Festival 2013, which took place at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore from 2 to 4 October. The next Inside Festival will take place at the same venue from 1 to 3 October 2014. Award entries are open February to June 2014.