Winner of a Resene Total Colour Award 2014

The brief from our client Graham Moore of Moore Wilson’s was to create a vending station in the concourse of the Wellington cash and carry multi store. A cottage facade wrapped around two sides of the central lift shaft.

The cottage architectural styling and design was to refer to little workers cottages that once proliferated around the Te Aro store site. We made a study of old photographs of these cottages, which aided our design process. The design also needed to be functional as a small food shop. One that was appealing and themed, where customers could easily help themselves to Sushi from cabinets.

Totally designed then pre-fabricated and painted in our workshop. It was installed over three nights for least disruption and an element of surprise for customers. The materials chosen to do this well, were, fibreglass over metal framework. Although the cottage looks like wood it is mainly fibreglass even the window framing. The roof is iron.

Designed in AutoCad. Our CNC router machines used 3D files to mill the moulds for Fiberglassing. We also used AutoCad and Resene colour books to design the colour scheme. Also lots of test pots. While developing the colour scheme we constantly referred to the Resene web site to find colours and information.

The coloured glass in the end windows of the verandah were carefully chosen to work well with the Resene paint colour scheme. And further portray the Japanese x Colonial Heritage story.

The Sushi house project followed the successful ‘Chook Wagon’. A Fabrication of a large scale Citroen HY Van selling French styled rotisserie chickens. Designed, built and installed by Human Dynamo Workshop in 2012.

Some notes from Sue Dorrington

My starting point was to looking at and photographing the environment the cottage installation was to live in. Centrally placed in the Moore Wilson’s complex of stores. It was very Grey. The feel was industrial and prone to a chilly breeze. Colours apart from Grey were Brown Bronze of a near by large art work. And Moore Wilson’s aqua signage. 

Three concept colour schemes were first presented to our client:

1 - Colours inspired from Sushi food. This complex design featured Rice Cake weatherboards and Nori coloured roof. With touched of a wide range of foodie colours.

2 - Colours inspired from Colonial Red cottages. Using period limited palette. A little red house. The Resene Hetitage colour chart was our guide for this design.

3 - Colours used in the ‘Chook Wagan’ which is placed close to the cottage. (Primarily - Robin’s Egg Blue.)  This scheme offered themed continuity and consistency.

Graham Moore ( our client ) liked the Sushi inspired colour scheme. We felt it needed developing further and we started talking about combining the Colonial and Japanese.

I put together a mood board of Japanese ceramics, interiors and Kimonos. One red Kimono started to lead the design direction. It helped me focus and retain an overall Japanese feel. We needed to edit and refine. Adjusting some of the colour choices due to tonal value. I aimed for tonal couples. Monza with Japanese Laurel and Lonestar with Midnight Moss.

The roof colour Marshland with inspired still by Nori, the seaweed wrap around sushi. Japanese Laurel was also inspired by seaweed but this time bright shredded variety. Vermont referred to Avocado. To simplify I dropped colours like Koromiko and Clementine Orange. But kept the accent of orange in the Amber glass. The double pearl lusta in the interior was a nice rice inspired colour that matched the scheme. The reds and all these colours were seen in the Kimono design too.

One of the aims of the cottage concept was to intrigue, add a bit of fun and entertain Moore Wilson’s customers. This was also a consideration in the design of the colour scheme. Feedback from our client has been, that the Sushi chefs are very busy and it feels as if the cottage has always been there. I like to think it has added a warm Heart to the store complex.