Adelaide office is the epicentre of collaboration

Around the globe and in Australia, workplaces are changing. There is a need to future proof them by rethinking how we design and use our shared spaces to respond to changing needs over time. WSP has created a new place that we are proud to work in and share with our clients.

What makes a multi-functional space shine

The Adelaide office merged WSP and previous acquisitions into a single space that accommodates over 250 people over two floors. There is an internal staircase and large communal hub that enhances collaboration and connectivity.

The office is designed to support individual work, collaborative work, social activities, and client events. There are a mix of workstations, touchdown points, small and large collaborative spaces, and meeting rooms. This type of workplace hub serves all employees and their preferred work style, providing additional choices about where to perform their daily tasks.

Location

Adelaide, Australia

Client

WSP Australia

Project Status

Completed 2023

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We have drawn upon our internal expertise with contributions from many teams across our business including Building Services, Sustainability, Indigenous Specialist Services, Acoustics, Specialist Lighting, along with lead Interior Designer JPE Design Studio. This holistic approach and integrated design have allowed the whole project team to seamlessly develop a multi-functional space for us and our clients.

Lighting was central to the new WSP office, with intent to showcase our specialist skills in lighting design to enhance aesthetics and highlight architectural elements. Our achievements to create a warm, welcoming space for our teams and clients to collaborate was recognised with an Award of Excellence at the 2023 Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) SA/NT Lighting Design Awards.

Meeting sustainability standards

Our Sustainability team ensured sustainable practices and materials were embedded in the design. The fit-out targets a 2-Star Commercial Interiors Fitwell rating and has a strong focus on health and wellbeing. The new office is also located within a base building that holds a 6-star Green Star Design & As-built rating and a Gold WELL Building Core & Shell rating. Our fit-out design had to meet a set criteria to ensure these ratings were upheld for the entire building.

WSP is committed to halving the carbon footprint of its designs and advice by 2023. An embodied carbon assessment was carried out on the fit-out design to highlight the most carbon intensive areas of the design so that we could assess any reduction opportunities to improve the overall carbon footprint of the project. We achieved reductions through material selections used for the services design of the fit-out. Architectural finishes that had third party sustainability certifications, including carbon neutral, were selected where possible.

Large communal hub creates an opportunity to connect for everyone

Indigenous design and knowledge

JPE Design Studio worked closely with our Indigenous Specialist Services team to ensure cultural elements of the local Kaurna people were incorporated into the design. In addition, we engaged the services of RAW Group to advise on art works and meeting room names. Additional indigenous design features in the fit-out include:

Lift lobby wraps
Colour palettes on flooring
Wall colours and soft furnishings
Indigenous patterns throughout meeting spaces
A yarning circle in the communal Hub

Modern and flexible

The new location is right in the heart of the CBD, with access to a wide variety of food & beverage outlets, health amenities, and transport links.

The building is designed to achieve world class energy efficiencies and environmental standards, and currently holds a Gold WELL Rating. There are also premium end-of-trip facilities with over 100 bike racks and exceptional connectivity to public transport.

This project won the 2023 IES SA/NT Lighting Design Awards - Award of Excellence.

WSP Adelaide’s new office address is: Level 17, 83 Pirie Street Adelaide SA 5000.

Images courtesy of David Sievers and JPE Design Studio.

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