Warren and Mahoney Appoints Interior Design Principal

This is a supplied media release

In a move which recognises the growing importance of the interior design team, multidisciplinary architectural practice Warren and Mahoney has appointed Scott Compton as Principal.

Scott, an award-winning interior designer, will be based in the Auckland studio in the Innovation Precinct of the Wynyard Quarter. Fittingly, he was project designer for the workplace in the former Mason Bros building, which Warren and Mahoney relocated to in December 2016. Scott says it was exciting to repurpose this heritage property into an office which opens the doors, literally and metaphorically, to the world. “We designed the space to celebrate both the joy and business of design. It has a real connection to the street that puts our love of design on show.”

Born in the UK, Scott studied furniture and product design at the Royal Berkshire College of Art and Design. As a graduate, his talents drew him to expand into the bigger-picture arena of spatial concepts.

Before moving to New Zealand in 2012, with his Kiwi-born wife, a fellow interior designer, Scott had already established a significant portfolio. His post-graduation secondment to China helped mature his approach and during a stint at London-based Brinkworth, a consultancy with a focus on the retail sector, his part in the conversion of a character warehouse into a digital agency scooped a prestigious Design Week award.

While at EDGE Architecture & Design also in London, he delivered a workplace for online travel agency Expedia – an environment which was rated by employees as the UK’s number one place to work in the GlassDoor Awards in 2016 and 2017. “Expedia wanted to create a playful and provocative workspace that engaged their employees, encouraged them to come

together and feel a part of the success of what is a massive, world-leading brand,” says Scott.

When Scott joined Warren and Mahoney five years ago he initially worked from the Wellington studio where one of his first tasks was as lead interior designer on the 21 000- square-metre base build and fit-out of a workplace at 15 Stout Street, tenanted by the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment. That project received a 2016 New Zealand Institute of Architects Wellington Architecture Award for Heritage.

Recent undertakings include the refurbishment of the offices of legal firm Russell McVeagh, and the upgrade of the six-storey TVNZ headquarters where Scott worked on strategy and design implementation. “The atrium is evocative of a ‘media city in the sky’ and the inspiration came from a benchmark image from the science fiction cult classic Blade Runner,” he explains. The ‘Open and Live’ environment ensures operations within TVNZ are visibly connected throughout and that ‘content’ is integrated and celebrated within the building.

“Scott brings incredibly varied and international experience to the role. He is an innovative designer who always keeps his focus on the message that clients are trying to convey,” says Andrew Tu’inukuafe, fellow Principal and leader of the interiors team.

The thriving Auckland market is rich with opportunities for the interior design arm of the practice. “It is a tremendous privilege to be able to work with a client base that has been built up over Warren and Mahoney’s sixty year history,” says Scott. “I’m proud to be part of a leadership team that, by creating the right design for the right reasons, will empower our clients to achieve the results that they want for their businesses.”