The Department of Education, Employment & Workplace Relations (DEEWR) in Canberra as been named finalist for the Project Control Group Award for Best Office Fit Out category.
Since 1982 the Property Council of Australia has been recognising excellence in the built environment through it’s annual awards program for Innovation & Excellence. Woodhead is thrilled to include DEEWR in it’s long list of finalists spanning this period.
Woodhead designed the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations interior fitout, delivering a new building for 2,500 of DEEWR’s National Office staff. The interior design encompasses 40,000m2 office accommodation over 11 levels, and is designed to perform at a 5 star Green Star / 4.5 star ABGR level.
Through a series of detailed workshops with DEEWR senior executives and leaders, Woodhead established a series of guiding principles that underpinned all decision making throughout the project. The result is a workplace which demonstrates accessibility and visibility, both literal and metaphoric. The design concept creates an environment that engages human emotions and experiences in a ‘living’ space, a place where the boundaries of work life and home life are blended.
A connection stair intersects all 11 floors, designed to breakdown departmental barriers, and foster communication and interaction between staff. Community areas adjacent to the stair well alternate in size, from large to small, between floorplates, creating variation and people flow. These social spaces promote a unified presence for DEEWR staff, bringing together ideas about building form, activity and movement to encourage and maximise the interaction and collaboration of staff and visitors.
The 2011 Awards will be announced on 14 May at the Awards Gala Dinner held in Sydney.
