Kernel Wealth

Designed by Catalyst, Kernel Wealth’s new workplace occupies the former BNZ headquarters at 125 Queen Street, a fitting address for a fintech company reshaping the way New Zealanders invest. Catalyst’s approach was to work with the building rather than against it. Original plaster walls, exposed concrete columns, and heritage tile floors have been retained throughout, with new elements introduced as deliberate contrasts rather than replacements. Bold colour blocking in Kernel’s signature deep green establishes brand identity across the space, while a layered lighting strategy responds to the building’s varying conditions and connects the workplace, arrival space, and kitchen.

Interface’s Artisan Papers Collection carpet tiles, specified throughout the open plan work areas and meeting spaces, fit naturally within this material palette. In light grey and warm beige tones, they bring softness and warmth to the harder surfaces of concrete, marble, and tile without competing with them. The collection’s three styles, Parchment, Deckled, and Gossamer, with Parchment used most extensively, allow for subtle variation in texture across the space while maintaining a cohesive, understated base. Where the carpet meets the existing heritage tile, the two surfaces simply coexist, each bringing the other into sharper focus.

The result is a workplace grounded in its building’s history, with a practical and considered material palette to match.