Icebreaker is the very definition of an iconic Kiwi brand, with a devoted following at home and an image abroad as being truly representative of the uniquely New Zealand outdoor lifestyle. When a company is imbued with such an emotive component, both internally and externally, big changes are taken quite seriously. And moving into a new headquarters, in a different city, is something akin to a child leaving home… necessary, but poignant.

With the growth of the business set to make another great leap, the emotional decision was made to shift the Icebreaker head office from Wellington up to Auckland, also absorbing the existing satellite Auckland office. Hence, one of the key elements in the client brief to Jasmax architects was to bring these two groups together in a unified, welcoming setting and to create a collective, soulful space, which captures the essence of the brand and what Icebreaker values.

Jasmax senior associate Harry Rowntree explains: “Interpreting Icebreaker’s functional brief was only part of the story. The real challenge was deciphering the essence of the brand culture and producing a design which brought this to life within the space. Icebreaker came with a wonderfully powerful message – that adventures in nature help to strengthen our subliminal bonds with nature, as well as between ourselves and others. This message is boiled down to ‘born in nature, worn in nature’ and that’s the key driver for the concept.”  

Jasmax essentially split the floor plate into the ‘Born’ side (internal functions representing the staff spaces and production of the garments) and the ‘Worn’ side (external functions representing the client meeting suites and the journey, once the garments are produced). These two halves are connected by a shared communal hub and kitchen/café space. There is no traditional reception area. Instead, a bridge across the building’s central lightwell provides a sense of adventure and hints at the history and future of the business.  

Rowntree says, “you exit the elevator and arrive in the middle of the space. But this element draws you in – you feel as though you’re starting a journey. The building design gave us the opportunity to manifest Icebreaker’s sense of adventures in nature with a real, living, growing green bridge.”

In terms of essential functionality, the new office needed to include a number of enclosed spaces for both internal and external meetings, and videoconferencing with clients and other offices around the world.  In keeping with the Icebreaker ethos, standing desks and communal workstations were prescribed to fill the main open-plan staff area. The longest exterior wall extends the full length of this space, and full-height windows ensure an abundance of natural light. 

To achieve the desired emotional component in the new headquarters, Jasmax looked to materiality as a way to express the intangible aspects of the Icebreaker brand. 

“We wanted the concept of connection to nature to be about the sensory experience of real, tactile, natural materials – not graphic images and representations,” says Rowntree.

The use of toxic, composite or non-recyclable materials was avoided whenever possible. The designers opted instead for raw and honest materials such as a goats’ wool carpet and solid timber tops for the workstations. With these materials building the base coat, the Jasmax team worked closely with Icebreaker staff to selected layers of fabrics, tiles, mouldings, finishes, messages, artwork, unexpected objects and greenery to give it a real sense of Icebreaker-meets-Ponsonby. Macrocarpa timbers as well as brick and black steel reference the industrial history of the Mackelvie Street location.  

Of particular importance to the project was the inclusion of rammed-earth walls built from local soils, hand-picked and sourced from a nearby quarry. One of the signature elements in the material palette, and found throughout the space, rammed earth is similar to board-formed concrete but texturally, and visually, softer. 

In line with the ‘born in nature, worn in nature’ concept mentioned above, meeting rooms on the interal side allude to the origins of the Icebreaker wool, with visual references to shearers’ quarters and a shearing shed. 

The client-side enclosed meeting rooms give a creative nod to each of the key genres in Icebreaker’s range such as Yoga, Snow Sports, Travel and Lifestyle or Hunting and Fishing. 

Also aligned to Icebreaker’s ethos, the hard and the soft fit-outs looked to support local and regional creative craftsmen, designers, manufacturers and fabricators. Sentimentally valuable items from the original headquarters were integrated or re-purposed. The combined Jasmax and Icebreaker teams even made road trips to antique stores between Northcote and Paeroa.