Our team was charged with designing a fitout that would bring seven separately located teams into one office. Downer chose to abandon traditional offices entirely and switch to an activity-based workplace, locating all team members within open plan work areas irrespective of individual roles and titles. Our head designer participated in Downer’s steering committee meetings and spent weeks interviewing each team individually, presenting proposed design concepts, and making modifications based on both feedback from individual members and corporate office guidelines. We also recommended a change management consultant to assist with a workplace environment shift of such magnitude.

Downer carried out a momentous cultural shift for their organisation and amalgamated seven local teams under one roof in a professional, contemporary office that encourages both efficiency and sociability. The transformation of the building at 163 Ipswich Road was a rousing success for everyone involved.