RESPONSIVE SPACES

National Australia Bank
The Academy at NAB

Architecture as an instrument
of change.

The responsive sound architecture at NAB's corporate university transforms the building into a massive interactive instrument.

Alive, energetic, and playful, it transports staff from conventional to fearless out-of-the-box thinking.

Services.

Project management

Concept design

Technical design

Interaction design

Sound design

Spatial audio

Team.

NAB culture

Rumblefish

BVN Architecture

Dr. Garth Paine

Interaction & Max/MSP

Nigel Derricks

Additional mixing

Design

Designing the customer journey

Audio experiences and placement of sound support the purpose and activity of the spaces and workshop rooms. From rest and play to strategy and innovation.

Do not disturb — open plan design

Respecting other people in the building

We located challenging and experimental components of the soundtrack under building structures to prevent them from floating up into other work areas.

The Academy Chord

The soundtrack's frequencies were calibrated to the building's resonant frequency so that it becomes part of the ambience of spaces as it travels up through the atrium.

Experiences

Foster play, create innovation.

Everyone's welcome

Energy sensing cameras create a tunnel of sound that celebrates people entering The Academy and gets them ready for new ways of thinking.

Thoughts

The feedback microphone is a quick and easy way for people to record their thoughts and opinions, which we can re-compose into the evolving sound installation.

Dialling up the right mood

Trainers use curated playlists to put people in the right frame of mind. Because sometimes you want to stimulate ideas, and other times you want to focus and calm the mind.

Fun & play

The transmogriphic microphone is about having fun, encouraging people to play, and breaking the ice. The microphone transforms voice and re-constitutes words in random ways — much to everyone's surprise and delight.

Transforming minds and space with the Atrium's interactive soundtrack.

River of words

The 32 speaker interactive soundtrack is composed in real-time by staff triggering sensors as they walk through the space.

LISTEN
Atrium soundtrack
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Awards

High commendation

World Architecture Festival. Interior and Fitout. 2010

Commendation

Interior Design Awards. Corporate Design. 2010

Commendation

Council of Educational Facilities Planners. Australasia Chapter Educational Facilities Awards. ‘Education Initiative/Design Solution for an Innovative Program’. 2010

Winner

Council of Educational Facilities Planners Victorian Chapter. Award for Education Initiative. 2010

Contact

Transform spaces, transform hearts and minds.
Marcel de Bie
Marcel de Bie
marcel@marceldebie.com

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