New Zealand
Australia
United States
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IrelandSpark's Auckland Headquarters
The Project
Spark entered the project committed to embedding cultural elements throughout the design of the space in a way that felt respectful, modern, and minimalist—allowing room for open interpretation. Through a series of workshops with Cachet and Warren & Mahoney, the concept of the ‘three baskets of knowledge’ was developed.
Project Team
Cachet
Sophia Neill
Mea Grgec
Beejays
Project Details
Auckland
Three Baskets of Knowledge
The first basket, Tāniko, symbolises the weaving together of perspectives, priorities, ideas, and stories that bind us—taking inspiration from the baskets of ancestral knowledge. Built from a series of abstracted triangle forms, movement and variation is generated by varying the body shapes of individual triangle forms throughout the pattern. This basket celebrates Spark’s Māori Strategy, Te Korowai Tupu, which centres connection to its people and communities.
The second basket, Takarangi, symbolises light and dark, physical and spiritual, and growth and decay—a reference to te kete tuauri, the basket of sacred knowledge. This is expressed through an intersecting double spiral pattern that represents the celestial origin of humanity at the beginning of the universe.
The third basket, Niho Taniwha, represents the teeth of the taniwha, and references te kete aronui—the basket of knowledge of arts and crafts. This basket speaks to the knowledge one acquires through careful observation of the environment, and was designed with a pattern system that binds Spark and its connection to whakapapa, whenua, and the spiritual world. Similar to the first basket, Niho Taniwha is also expressed through triangle forms that explore negative space, repetition, and weight.
The Solution
In total, 605 acoustic panels were installed across the six floors including custom 3m Groove on every floor, 185 lineal metres of Symphony® in Koala and 275 lineal metres in Flatiron, 25mm Quietspace® Panel on the ceilings, and a selection of Cube™ and Lanes™ in various colourways. The three basket designs were carved into the Groove panels, and replicated on the frosted glass in the meeting rooms.
“This project came to us at a very early concept stage,” says Autex Acoustics design consultant, Sophia Neill. “I developed the design to optimise it for our manufacturing processes, using groove details and intersection techniques that would best capture the essence of the original concept while remaining practical to produce.”
Due to the scale of the project, material optimisation and site organisation was the leading focus.
“To produce efficiently at such a large scale, I created a method to achieve all the required elevations with the least number of unique cut layouts by designing panels that could be flipped and repeated to create the intended pattern,” Sophia explains.
“The scale was easily the greatest challenge, exposing complexities that weren’t initially anticipated. Our manufacturing team played a crucial role in scheduling the production of specific colours at precise times to prevent any batch colour variances. On-site, clear delivery planning was vital, especially across a multi-story building with such a high volume of panels. In total, around 580 bespoke panels were made to order, each requiring approximately 20 minutes of cutting time (post-processing time only).”
Because Spark has such a large team, it was important to provide a variety of different environments within the office designed to support individual, small group, and large group work. Groove and Lanes were installed in the boardroom, meeting rooms, and focus rooms to allow for speech intelligibility and background noise reduction. By installing high-performance acoustics in these rooms, Spark staff are able to collaborate comfortably in large groups and focus without interruption when working alone. To create a balanced acoustic environment throughout the rest of the office, Quietspace Panel was installed above common gathering areas and high foot-traffic locations.
Due to the scale of the project, material optimisation and site organisation was the leading focus.
“To produce efficiently at such a large scale, I created a method to achieve all the required elevations with the least number of unique cut layouts by designing panels that could be flipped and repeated to create the intended pattern,” Sophia explains.
“The scale was easily the greatest challenge, exposing complexities that weren’t initially anticipated. Our manufacturing team played a crucial role in scheduling the production of specific colours at precise times to prevent any batch colour variances. On-site, clear delivery planning was vital, especially across a multi-story building with such a high volume of panels. In total, around 580 bespoke panels were made to order, each requiring approximately 20 minutes of cutting time (post-processing time only).”
Because Spark has such a large team, it was important to provide a variety of different environments within the office designed to support individual, small group, and large group work. Groove and Lanes were installed in the boardroom, meeting rooms, and focus rooms to allow for speech intelligibility and background noise reduction. By installing high-performance acoustics in these rooms, Spark staff are able to collaborate comfortably in large groups and focus without interruption when working alone. To create a balanced acoustic environment throughout the rest of the office, Quietspace Panel was installed above common gathering areas and high foot-traffic locations.
The Result
This thoughtfully designed space invites everyone—regardless of cultural background—to weave their own stories into the narrative. The three basket patterns have been skillfully incorporated into the acoustic panels, glazing, wayfinding, and room names, highlighting Spark’s commitment to celebrating the cultural identity of Aotearoa. Thanks to Autex Acoustics’ customisation capabilities, the completed office is a triumph of acoustic and aesthetic design.
Groove™ Panel
A lightweight but semi-rigid panel router cut with a series of precise, angular designs that bend and distort light. From subtle patterns to hinges and joins for 3D sculptures, Groove adds depth, nuance, and texture.
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