Company Profile: HASSELL

By Land8: Landscape Architects Network on November 20, 2016 No Comments / 5046 views

Landscape Architects Network feature a company profile for HASSELL . With social development getting more advanced than ever, projects around the globe have become more complicated. Established more than 75 years ago in Adelaide, South Australia, this award-winning company has strived to provide the best solutions in these challenging and competitive times. HASSELL has delivered over a million square metres of workplace design for over 1000 clients. At the same time, it has participated in different competitions including this one; It was also ranked 25th in the 2010 World Architecture survey of the world’s 100 biggest architecture practices, indicating the status of the company.

Photo Credit: The Peninsula by Hassell Studios and Stuart Green, by Adrian Lambe

The Expansion of HASSELL

Having expanded into South East Asia and the United Kingdom, HASSELL recruits integrated design teams including talented landscape architects, urban designers, architects and specialist consultants. With teams including Landscape Architecture, Architecture, Knowledge and Sustainability, the projects ranged from health specialist facilities to leading research universities, from airport terminals to world-class stadiums. With this business background, it is not hard to connect with a business philosophy that emphasizes openness and democracy. Otherwise, how could they be successful like this?

Photo Credit: The Peninsula by Hassell Studios and Stuart Green, by Adrian Lambe

From an anecdote regarding a career at the firm; “Information and formal design reviews are truly egalitarian, and fresh perspectives or ideas are welcome and encouraged.”, “… all team members are left with a sense of ownership of the work produced.”. Information exchange is extremely valued here; no one is left behind for any task. Everyone has ownership for what they are doing in being a part of the organization.

World-Renowned Projects

Let’s look at the following project as an example. The superbly-crafted Fiona Stanley Hospital is located in Perth, South Australia. It was the largest project ever in South Australia at its time of development, which was worth $2 billion with a total of 8 buildings. The look of the project first stands out with the glassy and green character of the buildings. Then, the outdoor design will come over with extensive plantation in the outdoor spaces.

Fiona Stanley Hospital. Photo credit: Peter Bennetts

These create a suburban park vision, in contrast to other comparatively monotonous views towards a hospital. Not only patients, but also the staff, can gain access to sunshine, fresh air, and the relaxing atmosphere easily. As research shows, being in a calm environment will bring positive effects to the physical and psychological conditions of a person. In other words, the physical and mental recovery process is improved.

Fiona Stanley Hospital. Photo credit: Peter Bennetts

Qantas Domestic Terminal in Sydney

Let’s look at another project, this one for a public utility, that HASSELL created way back in 1999. This is the Qantas Domestic Terminal in Sydney, designed to allow the airline to cope with the ever-changing aviation industry. During the planning process, the future changes were taken into account. What if there were larger planes which require more space and height? What if the number of passengers rocketed? What if the check-in procedure was modified by the government? In light of this, the structure is very spacious and column-free to allow a maximized flexibility for subsequent aviation development.

Multi-layered Projects

When passengers come in, they can engage in various activities. They can find their way easily due to the clear sight lines constructed by natural lighting. They can take intuitive pathways to enjoy the facilities before boarding or after arrival instead of getting lost, the last thing a traveller would want. With such strategic planning for the enduring nature of the project, it helped the airline to embrace changes easily without further expenditure, and to provide a positive airport experience. An enjoyable airport experience is guaranteed. This could be the best summary to describe the works of HASSELL; “We are a collective with a shared design philosophy but diverse experience and perspectives.” Experts also need to work together to adapt to the dynamic environment, for the most thoughtful and enduring result. So next time when you get stuck, it may be a good idea to consider how time will impact on the environment and what can be done to make it more people-centric.

Fangshan Tangshan National Geopark Museum.

This photo captures how the landscape design curves and moves up and down in coordination with the land and how it is layered, geometrically, in a pleasing manner for the user. Photo credit: Johnson Lin

Direct Information for HASSELL :

Founders: Philip Claridge, Colin Hassell and Jack McConnell Managing Director & Chairman: Robert Backhouse Year of Foundation and Location: 1938, Adelaide, South Australia Address: Level 1, 82 Waymouth Street, Adelaide, SA, Australia 5000 Website: https://www.hassellstudio.com/en/ E-mail Contact: aross@hassellstudio.com, shabjanovic@hassellstudio.com Social Networks: Facebook, Twitter (https://twitter.com/HASSELL_Studio), LinkedIN (https://www.linkedin.com/company/hassell), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hassell_studio/), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/HASSELLStudio/videos)