Case Studies
Bendigo Bank - Adelaide
Design Feature
Type of project
Landowner Strategy
State
South Australia
Location
Urban
In February 2014, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank opened its new Adelaide home at 80 Grenfell Street. The 11-storey purpose-built office tower is home to more than 1,100 of the Bank’s staff.
The building’s five-star Green Star architectural design and fit out aims to increase workplace health and wellbeing through innovative and environmentally sound building and design features. Many of the building features are supported by principles and considerations of Healthy Active by Design.
The building’s five-star Green Star architectural design and fit out aims to increase workplace health and wellbeing through innovative and environmentally sound building and design features. Many of the building features are supported by principles and considerations of Healthy Active by Design.
Green Star activation
The design and fit-out of the 80 Grenfell Street office enabled the Bank to transition to the innovative activity based working concept. The building has been designed to contribute to street activation and allows for natural surveillance of the street, with a well-lit pedestrian entry.
The building is well served by public transport and contains change rooms and bike lockers. The building also features a large terrace area with both indoor and outdoor spaces, a cafe and barbeque facilities for staff to utilise, along with after school and parenting rooms.
Activity-based working supports employees of all levels, including the Bank’s Executive team, to work flexibly as individuals or in groups, at workstations most suited to their tasks and style of work, rather than at an assigned desk.
The open-plan office supports mobility and connectivity, with vertical integration between floors and technology which enables employees to move around the building throughout the day. The activity based working model aims to inspire a high performing culture and promote strong relationships between team members. These same features that support performance also provide health benefits, including encouraging a reduction in sedentary behaviour and providing opportunities for activity breaks and incidental physical activity. A range of high-quality features improve the environment for workers’ physical and psychological wellbeing. This includes central atria to provide natural light, more than 600 plants to help purify air and underfloor air conditioning for improved air quality.
The open-plan office supports mobility and connectivity, with vertical integration between floors and technology which enables employees to move around the building throughout the day. The activity based working model aims to inspire a high performing culture and promote strong relationships between team members. These same features that support performance also provide health benefits, including encouraging a reduction in sedentary behaviour and providing opportunities for activity breaks and incidental physical activity. A range of high-quality features improve the environment for workers’ physical and psychological wellbeing. This includes central atria to provide natural light, more than 600 plants to help purify air and underfloor air conditioning for improved air quality.
Project team
- Bendigo Bank
Project Cost
Unavailable
Health value
- Wide internal staircases, breakout areas, four open air balconies and terrace area promote movement within the building. Most floors have two facility and photocopy areas – locating these within walking distance of workspaces encourages brief regular bouts of activity. Centralised bins (separated into rubbish, recycling and green waste) are also promote movement throughout the day.
- The building is readily accessible via public transport and also provides end-use facilities for cyclists. Bike racks are available adjacent to the building, and internal facilities include showers, change rooms and sports lockers.
- Design features such as under-floor air conditioning also promote health, maximising air quality and more than 600 plants assist in purifying the air and providing internal ‘green space’.
- There are approximately 60 fully adjustable sit-stand electronic desks to support posture, catering to individual physical conditions and break up sedentary activity. There is evidence that too much sitting (distinct from not enough physical activity) is an emerging health risk behaviour.
- Although activity-based working is suitable for most employees, anchored desks can be assigned to those with physical, mobility or sensory requirements. Other staff can participate in activity based working with the provision of specific movable equipment or seating.
Economic value
- This fit out utilises natural materials and local products where possible, investing in the local economy. In 2014, 80 Grenfell Street was a multiple award winner at the Master Builders Association Building Excellence Awards. Many of the benefits of activity based working help promote a healthy lifestyle in the workplace, contributing to increased productivity.
Environmental Value
- 80 Grenfell Street uses about half the energy of a typical office building, with features such as energy-efficient underfloor air conditioning, central atria to provide natural sunlight and intuitive lighting which dims in the afternoon when there is an abundance of natural light.
- Certifications include a five-star Green Star Office v3 Design rating, a five-star As-Built certified rating, and a five-star Green Star Office Interiors v1.1 rating for the fit-out. The building received a five- star NABERS energy rating.
- Activity based working requires a reduced amount of floor space, as a proportion of staff will be off-site or taking up flexible work options at any given time. Destination lifts provide for efficient movement of staff by grouping people heading to like floors.
- 80 Grenfell Street has also adopted Follow Me Printing, a print reduction initiative which allows staff to select document to print from a networked printer, reducing unclaimed, misprinted or lost documents.
- The configuration of meeting rooms provides a barrier between quiet workspaces and the central common areas, preventing travel of noise
Social value
- A sense of place is provided by the interior fit-out that uses themes such as ‘apartment’ and ‘townhouse’ to create a homely feel. This is achieved through a select colour palette and furnishing textures. Teams also have ‘home base’ areas including shelving and a noticeboard.
- There is an internal café on the multi-function Terrace area, providing staff with opportunities for social interaction and collaboration. This area is available for social club functions and networking, and staff can also book a barbeque.
- Each floor also has a common kitchen area.
Use value
- This space supports a collaborative and high-performance work culture.
- Technology used throughout the building supports activity-based working and also provides an efficient working environment. This has been carefully considered in use of easily visible screens to display meeting room occupancy and to immediately modify room bookings. Staff can easily dock laptop computers and log phones into the current workspace.
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