The Gold Melbourne Design Award in the [city] Design Awards for the Virgin Australia guest experience strategy recognizes the studio's commitment to user experience in the built environment. The project, at the T1 Perth Airport expansion, encompasses the arrival experience all the way to aircraft boarding. Encompassing arrival experience, self check-in, self bag-drop through security and onto the departure gates and lounges, Büro North's design solution delivers wayfinding and process information and instructions to passengers that ensure seamless journeys for Virgin Australia users.

The check-in hall at Perth Airport is a very narrow space that handles over 4 million passenger transitions annually. A staged delivery of information aligning to the steps passengers are required to complete through the check-in process was developed. These steps were articulated using large vertical elements in the space to provide long sight-lines through the international terminal, and from outside, allowing users to orientate themselves as early as possible reducing the load on lateral passenger movements inside the check-in hall.

Büro North’s evidence-based wayfinding approach to the project reduced the number of signs planned for the project by approximately 30%. Less signage means less infrastructure, materials, processing, transport and handling in the procurement process, but also means significantly less ongoing operating costs including energy for lighting, maintenance and updating.
 
"Büro North’s wayfinding design technique has given a new innovative feel to our check in space and most importantly has assisted with a seamless journey for our traveling guests," says Tracey Rosewall, Acting Leader, Construction and Facilities-Property for Virgin Australia.

Büro North has won every gold medal in the category since the award's inception.

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