Wesfarmers Limited, Perth

Designing a workspace to reflect the way we work now

Having partnered with Unispace to Design and Deliver part of their existing space in Perth, several stakeholder workshops with Wesfarmers uncovered functional pain points and future needs, guiding a strategic design for the required space. Five clear design principles were developed that shaped a refreshed, future-ready workplace aligned with their culture, operations, and growth ambitions, including:

1.    Comfort and Wellbeing 
2.    Activation and Choice 
3.    Focus and Confidentiality 
4.    Culture and Community; and 
5.    Connection and Collaboration.

Bringing people together through purposeful design

Inspired by Wesfarmers diverse nature, Unispace enhanced the existing neutral timber and beige base by softening dominant black tones and introducing accent colours, patterned carpets, and forest green tones, creating a lighter, more inviting aesthetic.

The redesigned social hub now serves as a vibrant central destination that attracts and connects employees, encouraging greater use. The enhanced space features various seating options, including booths, tables and chairs, bench seating, and lounge chairs, intentionally encouraging cross-team interaction in a shared, welcoming space.

Sit-to-stand workstations throughout the fitout support health and individual choice. Quiet rooms and small focus spaces address the need for privacy in an open plan setting. Long vistas were introduced to improve access to core floor spaces and reengineered cross pathways open up the layout and reduce compartmentalisation.

Within the redesigned boardroom and adjacent dining room, restored hardwood timber flooring provides a seamless alignment with the overall aesthetic, elevated by the presence of the Wesfarmers art collection.

Driving sustainability, enhancing experience and delivering results

As sustainability was a focus throughout the project, 90% of furniture was reused or refurbished including 180 task chairs and lounge chairs, significantly reducing waste and the environmental impact. In addition, an eco-friendly Washbox was leveraged onsite during construction, a Washbox uses recycled water to provide tool cleaning for all trades. In doing so, over 6,500 litres of water was saved, 326 litres of waste was captured and a total of 6,862 litres of pollution eliminated.

Delivered ahead of schedule, on budget, and without defects, the refurbished office is a truly successful and rewarding collaboration.