HDR’s architecture and building engineering services teams collaborated to design our new Sydney Design Studio in the iconic 25 Martin Place building (formerly the MLC Centre). Collaboration, flexibility, staff well-being and strong brand identity were the main drivers of the design.

An agile workspace, the studio’s three “neighbourhoods” of identical desks sit across the building’s north, south, and east sides, with lockers for storage. Each neighbourhood includes tables for collaboration, with a samples room and design review space bookending the neighbourhoods to the east.  

The hospitality-inspired front of house welcomes visitors with reception, meeting rooms, collaboration spaces and a kitchen. Designed for ultimate flexibility, all furniture is moveable to accommodate 100-plus people seated at tables for events and meetings.  

The use of colour represents areas for collaboration, with an exposed blue ceiling in the front of house areas and blue inset “nooks” for informal meetings. Whiteboards and projectors throughout create opportunities for meetings from any zone. 

Designed to achieve a Gold WELL Health-Safety rating, the fitout design puts the well-being of staff and sustainability first through the use of Low VOC products, sustainable materials, considered services design, and repurposing furniture from the previous offices, wherever possible. 

The uber flexible fitout includes six meeting rooms, four meeting nooks, two quiet rooms, samples room, design review space, wellness room, 103 desk spaces, and ample space for collaboration.