Having successfully designed BresicWhitney’s North Shore office, we had a strong understanding of their business and needs and embarked on another fruitful partnership. Their Inner West team had outgrown one of three tenancies on the first floor of a commercial office in Glebe and were ready to expand across the entire level. Our challenge was to create a workspace that operated seamlessly across the large floorplate, accommodating different uses, capitalising on the dual aspect, and attuned to the local demographic.

 The design resolved itself through a central joinery element that acts as a pinwheel in the plan, defining the boundary between client-facing areas and staff spaces. We refined its gently arced form to guide movement, enhance privacy, and assure operational efficiency across different zones. Visitors arriving at the top of the stairs encounter a welcoming reception desk with a stainless-steel front, integrated into the warm walnut veneer joinery. From this vantage point, the receptionist enjoys clear sight lines across the space, including to the visitor lounge, and has direct access to back-of-house areas.

For staff, the dark panelled structure offers a pleasing entry sequence leading to the bright open-plan office, discretely hidden from visitor view. BresicWhitney pride themselves on transparency, a value expressed in the open-plan layout. 60 workstations occupy a portion of the footprint with windows on two sides, defined by a waffled acoustic panel ceiling overhead.

Located behind the joinery element, areas staff breakout areas, essential for a team that work hard, often with long and unconventional hours. At one end a built-in cosy seating nook encourages informal and cross-departmental conversations. Adjacent, a generous kitchen invites staff to gather, featuring an oval island with a recessed ceiling above and a more intimate space for sitting around a solid walnut table behind.

The public-facing areas feel spacious and inviting. Long sight lines are framed through glass meeting rooms, past the entry stair enclosed in fine tensile stainless-steel mesh, and toward the large boardroom with its glass sliding door beyond. S-fold sheer curtains offer privacy when required between spaces and screen the street, filtering the direct sunlight to create a tranquil interior.