Project Overview

The Trend Customer Experience Centre is a refreshing departure from the conventional idea of a door and window showroom. Rather than the usual dull showcase of product we created a customer centric experience that operates on the principle of Inspiration, Connection, and Conversion.

Organisation

McCartney Design

Team

Gary McCartney - Creative Director
Tarquin Willis - Design Director
Lauren Gelling - Designer
Sinéad Kelly - Client Services Director

Project Brief

Our Client had ambitious goals. This is a refurbishment of an existing showroom and return on investment was important. On a blunt, commercial level, they wanted to increase conversion rates in the store. But there were loftier targets. On a national and international level they wanted to create a showcase for the Trend brand and its values- quality, style and dependability. Trend puts its customers at the centre of its operations and we had to do the same with our design. Knowing the customer base helped. It was clear through Trend’s research that our customer is the end user of the product- the homeowner or renovator and their designers and architects. We had to inspire them and connect with them.

Project Innovation/Need

Thinking about the customer first in an environment that is normally product-centric is something new in this category. The thinking is apparent in the planning. The plan is a variety of spaces, all of which are open to the customer, with different levels of privacy according to the level of engagement. It’s a courtyard plan, with a central area reminiscent of an open courtyard and the product rooms clustered around it. The customer can wander from room to room, with each one connecting to the courtyard. The central courtyard contains all of the elements for the customer to make their final choice, from pull-out sample boards to an embedded flat screen table. The final order can be taken in any of the environments.
One of our goals was to celebrate the connection between inside and out. From any point you can see through one or several layers of glass partition to the outside, where we’ve taken advantage of the landscaping outside as a backdrop. This is balanced out by the carefully chosen planting inside. There are great vistas both into and out of the space. We’ve created a “window to your world.”

Design Challenge

It’s always easy to design a concept into a generic site where there are no physical constraints. Our challenge came from the chosen site in Hawthorn. There was a low ceiling and services to contend with, and plenty of structural columns to work into the plan. The main challenge was in getting the look and feel of a central courtyard with skylighting when in reality there were several stories of office space above.
With the limitations on headroom, we decided to go for a wood slatted ceiling in the centre area, interspersed with backlit ceiling panels to simulate skylights. A mirror panel at the end of the central space gives the illusion of greater size and space, and some careful planning took care of the column positions.
In spite of the spatial limitations the overall feel is of spaciousness, flow and light.

Sustainability

Two of the external walls are glazed and we’ve used that to great advantage in lighting the displays with natural light. Elsewhere the lighting is all LED based for efficiency.
All of the furniture was built from a pattern. It was downloaded from a European site, cut with a C&C router here and assembled on site using dry jointing.
Natural sisal floorcovering was used for much of the area.
All of the partitions are built using Trend product, which features temperature controlling glass and window assemblies tailored towards Australian bush fire areas.
We talked a lot about the mental and physical benefits of natural planting in the work environment, and our Client committed to the inclusion of real plants in the showroom and work areas. It’s a commitment not only to the well-being of staff and customers but a contribution to the “bringing the outside in” spirit of the environment.