World’s Best Architects collaborate on Brisbane’s newest workplace Three Australian architecture firms received awards at the recent World Architecture Festival in Barcelona.

Two of those firms have collaborated on the design of Brisbane’s newest workplace, the Energex Headquarters in Newstead River Park. Cox Rayner, winner of the world’s best ‘Transport Building’ award was responsible for the base building and BVN Architecture, winner of the world’s best ‘Health Building’ award designed the interiors. The result is one of the most contemporary workspaces in Australia that is also Queensland’s first Six Star Green Star Office Design commercial office development.

To be officially opened on Thursday 16 December by the Qld Premier, the Hon Anna Bligh, the new Energex building has already transformed one of Brisbane’s oldest industrial sites, the Gasworks on Breakfast Creek Road that is being redeveloped by FKP Property Group. The building is designed to maximize the use of natural daylight and significantly reduce energy requirements in line with Energex’s ethos of Positive Energy.

‘It was also important that the building contribute to this new urban environment, so incorporating a café and retail activity at the ground level was vital,’ said Michael Rayner, Principal of Cox Rayner.

Designed as a campus environment the workplace has large flexible floor-plates, organized around an open lift core and three full height atrium spaces within the centre spine of the building. ‘There is a high level of transparency throughout the work and meeting spaces, that will support greater collaboration between each of the company’s divisions,’ said David Kelly, Principal of BVN Architecture.

With no individual offices, a series of quiet rooms and meeting rooms are strategically located to support introspective, intense activities. This is in contrast to the generous communal spaces, including cafes and breakout areas clustered around the edge of the three atrium spaces creating a feeling of openness and accessibility for the 1,650 workforce that was previously dispersed across a number of offices in Brisbane.

According to Terry Effeney, CEO of Energex, ‘Newstead sets a platform for business excellence that reduces our operating costs and offers a smart new way to work and stay connected.’ Early feedback from Energex staff includes, ‘it’s a great building to work in’.