Words by Michelle Heslop. Photos by Jody Beck.
Your workspace aesthetic makes a visual statement and speaks volumes about your brand. Did you know that the design of your office space subconsciously impacts the mood and productivity of your employees as well the clients visiting your office? Wave goodbye to the static grey and beige cubicle with fluorescent lighting; those days are officially over. As Victoria’s leader in modern furnishings, Gabriel Ross has responded to the city’s growing commercial sector to include a dedicated showroom and collaborative team specifically for contract office furniture. Architectural movable walls, commercial lighting, storage and ergonomic modern furniture are just some of the offerings at GR Contract servicing architects, interior designers, office managers and business owners looking to renovate their office or build new.
“Gabriel Ross Shop has always offered contract furniture through their retail store, but since December 2016, GR Contract proudly took on the Haworth brand who has partnered with the Poltrona Frau group and Creative Director Patricia Urquiola to provide a more comfortable and residential feel to the workplace,” says Workplace Consultant, Vanessa Tom. GR Contract employs workplace consultants, interior designers and project managers to assist everyone from start-up tech companies with tight budgets to full-scale build outs for high-end executive offices.
Haworth is a family run business that believes tailored spaces can enrich lives and businesses while sustaining the planet. Creating the concept of Organic Workspace®, Haworth explains that: “the traditional process for creating and maintaining the workplace is broken in the face of today’s competitive and unpredictable world. The linear ‘design once’ process creates spaces that are quickly outdated. To meet this new globalized reality, we challenged ourselves to come up with a way to ‘future-proof’ your environments — ensuring today’s investment is adaptable and relevant for tomorrow.”
When sound privacy is a primary consideration, space designers at Haworth are continually challenged with meeting the acoustical needs of businesses, especially within smaller footprints. These versatile moveable walls (above) are simple to install and adaptable to the inevitable changes in your office environment. Aesthetically pleasing and cost-effective, these architectural walls can be even more economical than traditional walls.
The Fern task chair by Haworth is next generation sitting experience in tune with your every movement need. Responsive to each person, the Fern task chair is grounded in extensive ergonomic research. Fern’s design puts the person at the centre with ergonomic innovations that provide total back support, edgeless comfort, and free movement.
GR Contract employs a collaborative team of design staff and installers to provide clients with interactive three-dimensional fly-throughs of their space and involve them in the design process every step of the way. “The design process varies depending on the scope of the job but we work directly with clients to develop layouts, budgets and timelines. From planning and design, furniture and walls, project financing and budget development, storage, installation and service work, GR Contract is a full-service shop.”
Tom adds that “GR Contract is proud to represent several stylized architecture lighting brands, such as Flos, Artemide, Muuto, Nemo and Vibia. These design savvy brands are perfect installation pieces for adding that showstopping impact to a client’s reception area or lobby.”
There’s a science behind what drives happiness and productivity in the workplace and what can be done to achieve it, through light, furniture, ergonomics and movement. We usually spend more time at work than we do sleeping, so it’s in your best interest to make your workplace the happiest environment it can be. From floor to ceiling and wall to wall, GR Contract will work with you to explore all your design options for transforming your space as your business needs evolve.
