Leading Australian Private Health Insurer
The project is for a leading Australian private health insurer, based in a brand-new commercial...
Gilchrist Connell is a leading Australian litigation and disputes firm with particular focus on the insurance industry. Their fresh approach to providing legal services sets them apart from the rest.
The Brief
Gilchrist Connell had outgrown their existing space so in embracing the opportunity to update their office, they wanted to create a more inviting space for clients and staff, while making the most of natural light where possible. Their current office had a larger than needed space dedicated to large external meeting rooms with a dark, internal reception area which was not particularly inviting. There was no social breakout space available for staff to have lunch – as staff wellness was front of mind, the challenge was to create this space in the new workspace.
The Outcome
The team explored moving to an entirely open office, weighed up maintaining individual enclosed offices and resolved that they would provide a combination of the possible options, increasing access to collaboration space and quiet rooms. This provided the senior partners with privacy in offices, allowed more junior staff to be mentored by senior staff in dual access offices and have close access to support staff in the open work area. There was a deliberate design focus to have the support staff open work area with direct access to natural light, moving some of the offices to the internal to enable that balance.
The staff breakout area was placed on the portion of floor which had the best views and was kept open – encouraging eating away from desks and creating a more relaxed bump zone to engage with one another.
