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All the conversation right now is around people’s reluctance to return to the workplace. In fact it’s not even mere reluctance, is it? It’s actually the make or break for workers and organisations alike. At the recent Worktech conference in Melbourne, Worktech Academy’s Matthew Myerson referenced two key statistics in which 62 per cent of employees are unwilling to return to the office just to meet company expectation. Meanwhile 73 per cent of leaders are not confident about employee productivity. One thing we do know is that hybrid is here to stay and everything is up in the air. As people return back to the office, they bring with them a greater appreciation for their personal wellbeing, an awareness for the critical role the environment plays in this equation, and…

It’s sometimes said that there is no better designer than nature – and, marvelling at the pattern of grain in timber or the hypnotic swirl of the veining in marble, it’s an easy argument to make. This natural beauty is the driver behind the idiosyncratic vision of Milanese artisan, Henry Timi, who has built his practice HENRYTIMI on exploring and celebrating singular natural materials, emphasising their inherent character through geometric purity of form. “HENRYTIMI is a universe of truth based on the relationship between form and nature, and a real culture of know-how is embedded in our daily work,” explains Timi. “The precious craft techniques – every grain of timber, split in the stone, or metallic reflection – is an education of the mind towards history. It is capturing the…

Grosvenor Lounge at Grosvenor Place by DesignOffice Location Sydney Traditional Custodians Gadigal People Design Legacy Made Modern Offering a third option for working, the public lounge spaces at Grosvenor Place are akin to luxury hotel lobbies. 99 DesignOffice’s creation of a new space in the Harry Seidlerdesigned Grosvenor Place building of 1987 in the heart of Sydney, is very much about understanding the nature of an icon and the respect that surrounds that position. Designed as a response to the shifting way we work, Grosvenor Lounge is ostensibly the third space: “It’s not your workplace, it’s not your home, it’s the other place you work,” explains Damien Mulvihill, DesignOffice joint-creative director. For many, a café fulfils this need, but this option has restraints of time, crowds and privacy. The solution…

Alba Thermal Springs and Spa by Hayball Location Mornington Peninsula, Victoria Traditional Custodians Boon Wurrung/Bunurong People Hard/Soft Surfaces Reverse Spanish brick provides a textural shift from the smooth lines of the stair and adjacent raked wall. As a destination to feed the soul and renew the spirit, there is none better than Alba Thermal Springs and Spa. This beautifully crafted health and wellness retreat nestled into the landscape of Fingal on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, is not just a place of respite, but a monumental design achievement that is both sensitive to landscape and more than requisite to facility. Constructed throughout the pandemic, the project was completed in October 2022. Designed by Hayball, with project lead Robert Mosca and his team, Alba is a faultless celebration of style that exceeds both…

When Judy Singer coined the term neurodiversity in the ‘90s she was looking for “a suggestion for the name of a political and civil rights movement for neurological outsiders… simply naming an indisputable fact about our planet, that no two human minds are exactly alike, and using it to name a paradigm for social change.” Across all parts of our society, as that social change gathers pace, there are clear opportunities to improve the experience of the workplace for everyone. The lived experiences of every neurodiverse person are varied and many and, for some, an onslaught of environmental and cultural difficulties at the office isn’t just irritating – it can often be disabling. Eman Ezekiel Aboobakuru, Melbourne-based designer, and Claire Moon, Regional Victoria-based artist, both identify with neurodiversity and find…

“Strategies to harness culture are becoming much more emotive.” We’ve been talking about ‘earning the commute’ for a good 12 months now. But it’s begun to occur to me that the conversation around earning the commute with workers is much wider than simply providing a state-of-the art workplace destination filled with premium quality amenity. Because what I’m beginning to hear is that it’s not necessarily getting traction with people. Many would still opt to work from home a majority of their time. Why? As Amanda Stanaway, principal and global leader in workplace interiors at Woods Bagot, says, it’s a case of culture eats strategy for breakfast. In the wake of the pandemic, as people move permanently into flexible working mode, Stanaway has observed a sense of culture diminishing within organisations.…

Hygiene has become a top priority in the wake of the pandemic and, as Caroma Senior Brand Manager, James Cocking, states, people are looking for solutions that will maximise their hygiene – particularly in the bathroom. Contextualising with the example of Caroma’s comprehensive range of bidet toilet seat options, he says, “Bidet toilet seats offer a hygienic and sustainable washing solution to meet that need.” With its range of bidet seat and suite options taking the Australian market by storm, Caroma is actively augmenting the bathroom wellness experience through its use of cutting edge technology and seamless aesthetics. As Cocking notes, the hygienic benefits of a bidet are unmatched. It helps to limit the spread of germs, decrease bacteria and provide thorough cleaning. Bidets are also more inclusive for elderly…

INDE.Awards 2023 Luminary Partner Patrick Keane is anything but traditional, so to hear him admit he has an overtly conservative approach to living life seems curious. This could definitely use some clarifying and thankfully he can explain. “I met Frank Gehry once and to this day, I think he’s the most conservative person I’ve ever met, but such conservatism is not to be underrated,” Keane begins, in his characteristically thoughtful, articulate way. “You concentrate so hard on creative endeavours, it seems intelligent when you’re winding down to have a conservative approach to, say, what you eat for dinner. It just helps to switch the brain off.” For someone who has pretty much always worked – and will continue to work – in full-steam-ahead mode, this makes plenty of sense. Born…

Sheeth Headquarters by Studio Prineas Location Sydney Traditional Custodians Gadigal People Inspired by the gritty character of the light industrial area of Marrickville in Sydney’s inner west, Studio Prineas’ design is both robust and playful in its heralding of the client’s brand. As a family-run boutique construction firm, and the builder to realise this project, Sheeth wanted a headquarters to reflect its philosophy of quality craftsmanship. Moreover, it required a space that would instil a sense of joy in the team while conveying the deep seated hospitality of the firm. To this end, entry into the inner sanctum is orchestrated as a journey from the nondescript industrial façade (with subtle detailing such as the minimal but refined steel insertions), into a voluminous and low-lit reception space. Here, the reflective stainless-steel…

Warren and Mahoney Melbourne Studio by Warren and Mahoney in association with Greenaway Architects Location Melbourne Traditional Custodians Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong Boon Wurrung Peoples Patterned And Carved The pakati elements of traditional Māori carvings, as well as traditional tukutuku patterns are woven into the design. “We have a process we call creative compression, which is based on the idea of harnessing two very distinct cultures” Warren and Mahoney’s new Melbourne workplace was always going to be something special and indeed it is. The Pacific Rim architecture practice was founded in Christchurch almost 70 years ago and this, its latest statement studio, was an opportunity to reinforce the business’ brand narrative from the very outset. It’s part of a story that has seen one of the most influential practices in…

MinRes Headquarters by Milieu Creative Location Perth Traditional Custodians Whadjuk Nyoongar People Wellbeing within the mining industry is a serious business. Consideration for safety, health and happiness is critical and flows through to touch almost every aspect of an organisation – from the aspirational, like company values, through to day-to-day decisionmaking. In the case of MinRes, specialising in the delivery of mining services and with a growing commodities portfolio, the health and happiness of its people was the focus in the design of its new headquarters: a wellbeing centre that subtly incorporates workplace into its design. This much discussed destination, located in Osborne Park, Perth, is known among locals for its family-friendly, community-embracing culture and its provision of premium-quality, Platinum WELL-rated amenities that have been designed exclusively for MinRes’ people…

“How can we be more cognisant of designs that impact senses and create more inclusive environments to support broader demographics?” At Carr, to better understand designing for social sustainability, we have been interrogating how the population experiences the workplace and what it means for a space to be inclusive. Through conversations with our clients, the large impact of seemingly small nuances of an environment’s design are being understood across aural, visual and physical experiences. These impacts can hinder and, in worst cases, become a barrier to an individual’s ability to be part of a workplace or activity. How can we be more cognisant of designs that impact senses and create more inclusive environments to support broader demographics? How can we design equitable spaces with purpose and sensitivity? Sensitively designing active…

Darling Quarter South Building Lobby and Café Page 70 – Architect and Interior Design Hammond Studio Project Manager Lendlease Construction/Builder Lendlease Building Mechanical and Structural Engineer Arup Fire and Hydraulic Engineer Warren Smith & Partners Electrical, Comms and Security Norman Disney & Young Acoustic Engineer Wood&Grieve, Stantec Special Lighting LLight Hammond Studio hammondstudio.co – Furniture ‘EOOS’ Crosshatch Stools in walnut timber, Living Edge. Finishes Stone floor finishes, Worldstone. Blush quartz stone, Worldstone. Timber battens, Sculptform. Soft ceiling panels, Kvadrat. Lighting Blade lights, iGuzzini. CBA Head Office, Darling Quarter South Building Page 70 – Architect and Interior Design Hassell Project Team Existing base building fjmtstudio, base build upgrades interior designer Hammond Studio Project Manager Turner & Townsend Builder SHAPE Acoustic Engineer Stantec Electrical Engineer Integrated Group Service Hydraulic Engineer Warren Smith &…

For Eva Sue, there has never been a five-year plan. Instead she has followed chance encounters and opportunities as they have presented themselves, or, more accurately, where they have offered the solid pairing of suiting both her skillset and passion. Having switched from landscape architecture to architecture mid-way through her degree, she took two years off to travel around Europe and ended up in London, where she was introduced to Woods Bagot. “It was a chance introduction, but an immediate fit,” says Sue, who worked back and forth between Perth and London Woods Bagot studios throughout her masters degree. On graduation she joined the London studio where she was thrown into the deep end of resort masterplanning, hotel interiors and residential interiors. One of her first projects was a former…

Slattery by Elenberg Fraser Location Melbourne Traditional Custodians Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong Boon Wurrung Peoples Slattery, a leading quantity surveyor, was formerly operating from a floor in the same building as architects Elenberg Fraser, in Melbourne. Ready for a move (just a block away) and a new way of working, Sarah Slattery, the company’s chief executive officer, commissioned Elenberg Fraser for a less corporate environment than the one they were leaving behind. “Post COVID-19, there’s been a new approach to working, spending a little more time at home and wanting the office to feel more like home,” says Melissa Leung, associate director at Elenberg Fraser. Located in a 1980s high-rise on the corner of Queen and Collins Streets, the designers were given a shell comprising an entire level to work…

NUX by Sibling Architecture Location Melbourne Traditional Custodians Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong Boon Wurrung Peoples Subtle Boundaries Flexibility is achieved through operable curtains and a semi-transparent perforated steel screen separating ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ work zones. Sibling is responsible for some of the most exciting small scale projects to come out of Australia in recent years. The architecture practice is recognised for an edgy design sensibility that’s underscored by a strong understanding of form and colour. It’s difficult to overlook their work, which is always informed by rigorous thinking and a methodology that values theory as much as it does aesthetics. Their portfolio comprises civic, commercial, residential and education projects. And in their recent fit-out for NUX digital design studio and co-working space, those distinct Sibling palettes and a nuanced approach…

Where once the trend was for the younger workforce to marginally prefer home over office, the difference is now stark. A whopping third say they would quit their jobs if forced to return to the office.1 Navigating myriad iterations, the workification of home has significantly shifted both position and relevance. Once the dining room or corner nook, the home office is now intentionally occupying space in our homes as a bespoke inclusion. That said, finding the balance between ergonomics, acoustics and aesthetics remains paramount for an integrated design to work well. New residential architecture, for example, is now commonly including a home office as Simon Addinall, co-founder and director of Those Architects, affirms. “We’re definitely designing studies or offices into all of our projects,” says Addinall, whose firm has included…

We have grown accustomed to the idea that the workplace is changing. Architects, of course, concern themselves with creating the spaces in which work takes place, fully cognisant of contemporary demands for flexibility, hybridity and collaboration. They are taught that the built environment shapes behaviour. What, then, of the structures underlying the work of the designers themselves? If the tangible office is changing, shouldn’t we also ask what the corollary might be for designing the organisational infrastructure of a creative practice? For those listening closely, there are tremors afoot that might just herald a new wave of experimentation – namely, the concept of employee ownership. Already in the UK, more than one in five of the largest architecture practices is operating with some form of employee ownership model, while other…