Brisbane-based developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/azure">Azure</a> is has been greenlit for its $115 million residential project within the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct in Southport

Following the acquisition of the site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/1-clarke-street-southport-qld-4215">1 Clarke Street</a> in October 2025 with development application Lodgement in January 2026, Azure has been granted approval for the 114 terraces which will form the final stage of the wider Lumina development.

“It’s a fantastic milestone for us to receive the green light on our second Gold Coast project,” said Trent Keirnan, Founder of Azure.

“The Gold Coast continues to evolve, with demand for considered, high-quality residences at an all-time high. This project has been thoughtfully shaped to respond to that demand.

“We’ve worked closely with Economic Development Queensland to bring this project forward, and the collaboration has been both proactive and highly considered. Their shared commitment to quality housing outcomes has enabled a streamlined approvals process and a strong result for the precinct.”&nbsp;

Appealing to a wide demographic, the project will deliver a range of two- and three-storey designs comprising a collection of three-bedroom terrace homes as well as one- and two-bedroom apartment-style residences. The designs by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/plus-studio">Plus Studio</a>&nbsp;focus on&nbsp;“urban coastalism”.

Residents will have access to an array of lifestyle amenities, including a resort-style pool with multiple lounging zones and landscaped gardens.

The residential offering will support the thriving Health and Knowledge Precinct, which includes Griffith University, Gold Coast University Hospital, Gold Coast Private Hospital and the new RDX Lumina and Proxima Towers, which are home to a range of health, education and research tenancies, including a 200-place childcare centre.

Azure aims for an off-market release for the project in the third quarter of this year, at the same time as construction is anticipated to start.

Joel Robinson

Azure approved for new townhouse development in Southport

Fortis has secured approval for a 57-room hotel at Richmond Square, marking another milestone in the delivery of the $330 million mixed-use precinct in Melbourne's inner east.

The hotel will occupy Levels 1 and 2 of Carmine House and forms part of Fortis' vision for Richmond Square, a precinct that will bring together apartments, hospitality, wellness and lifestyle offerings between Richmond and Cremorne.

Once complete, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/richmond-square-1-wiltshire-street-richmond-vic-3121">Richmond Square</a> will comprise 107 residences across Wiltshire House and Carmine House, alongside the hotel, hospitality venues, wellness facilities and a range of services aimed at both residents and visitors.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=13181 project_image_fid=348529]

The approval adds another layer to what Fortis is creating at Richmond Square, as developers increasingly look beyond standalone apartment buildings and towards mixed-use precincts that provide amenity and activation beyond the front door.

Jordan Winada, Head of Acquisitions (Commercial) Victoria at Fortis, said the approval was an important step in delivering the broader vision for the project.

"Richmond Square has always been about creating a destination rather than simply delivering residential apartments," Winada said.

"As buyer expectations continue to evolve, we're seeing increasing demand for developments that offer convenience, connection and access to high-quality experiences and amenity as part of everyday life.

"The hotel approval allows us to further realise that vision and create a precinct where residential living is complemented by hospitality, services and amenity in a way that is rarely seen in Melbourne's CBD and city fringe."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=13181 project_image_fid=348530]

The hotel will also support a range of optional services for residents of Carmine House, including housekeeping and linen refresh programs, laundry and dry-cleaning services, in-residence food and beverage delivery, grocery and pantry stocking services, and concierge assistance.

The approval comes as owner-occupiers continue to dominate Australia's new apartment market, with buyers increasingly seeking developments that offer convenience, flexibility and lifestyle amenity alongside their homes.

Winada said buyers are now placing greater emphasis on the broader precinct and surrounding amenity when making purchasing decisions.

"Residential amenity is no longer limited to what sits within an apartment building. Buyers are increasingly assessing the broader lifestyle ecosystem surrounding their home and the ways in which a precinct can support their day-to-day needs.

"Richmond Square has been designed to provide that experience through a carefully curated mix of residential, hospitality and lifestyle offerings that work together to create a more connected way of living."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=13181 project_image_fid=348534]

The hotel is expected to open in early 2027, with the operator to be announced later this year.

Further hospitality, retail and lifestyle tenants are also expected to be revealed in the coming months as Fortis continues to shape the offering at Richmond Square.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=13181]

Fortis approved for hotel component of Richmond Square precinct

Having successfully expanded into a new region with its Caloundra apartment development, Sunset by Dusk Group, growing South East Queensland developer Dusk Group is again venturing into new territory.

The developer has lodged plans for a 70-apartment project in the Moreton Bay region, to be known as <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/sunrise-on-sutton-25-sutton-street-redcliffe-qld-4020">Sunrise on Sutton</a>, named after its prime Sutton Street location, just one street back from Suttons Beach.

<img alt="Sutton" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="88a9f9ee-6ace-47f5-a0c6-8fb134b27e98" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-06-15%20at%209.20.42%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=iMXmJ7_BNZAmCt.jjupMSLdV_Qa9zJAK" />

Dusk Group Directors Huw Feeney and Anthony Short seized the opportunity to acquire the near-1,800 sqm amalgamated corner site at Sutton and Ella Streets for their first project in the area.

They have again enlisted MAS Architecture Studio, the architects behind Sunset by Dusk, to design the new eight-storey development.

The building will comprise a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments and has been designed to maximise views towards Suttons Beach, Margate Beach and Moreton Bay.

Pending approvals, the project could launch before the end of the year.

<img alt="Dusk" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="90c0c26c-096c-4ceb-8c58-f8303aea542f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-06-15%20at%209.20.49%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=nw8bqQtpOrf5nA95tuYhtqdB59YUzmO0" />

The development will provide 111 car parking spaces and 40 bicycle spaces.

Positioned within walking distance of Suttons Beach, Bluewater Square, Redcliffe Hospital and the Redcliffe Paceway, the development will sit within one of the peninsula's increasingly urbanised coastal pockets.

Redcliffe's new apartment market remains exceptionally tight, with Gardner Vaughan Group's One Redcliffe currently the only new apartment development actively being marketed in the beachside suburb.

It's another beach-focused development for Dusk Group, who has seen considerable success at its Caloundra apartment development, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/sunset-by-dusk-group-caloundra-5-7-bombala-terrace-caloundra-qld-4551">Sunset by Dusk Group</a>.

Over 80 per cent of the 36 apartments have sold ahead of its early 2027 completion.

&nbsp;

First look: Dusk Group targets Suttons Beach precinct with 70-apartment Redcliffe proposal

Leading Brisbane developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/consolidated-properties">Consolidated Properties Group (CPG)</a> has completed and settled $450 million worth of apartments at Monarch Residences in Toowong, marking one of Brisbane’s most significant and prestigious riverfront residential completions in recent years.

The final apartment at Monarch sold at auction on the 30th May for $4.1m.&nbsp;

The milestone has been marked at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/monarch-residences-toowong-600-coronation-drive-toowong-qld-4066">Monarch Residences</a>, with Cr Penny Wolff highlighting the importance of completing major residential projects to boost the city’s much-needed housing supply.

The 224 apartments, delivered across two 15-level towers, are now officially in the hands of owners, including Brisbane downsizers, families and professionals who have traded traditional houses for apartment living. The completion underscores sustained demand for absolute riverfront living in Brisbane’s inner west.

<img alt="$450M Monarch Residences sells out as Brisbane riverfront demand surges" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="56ae05e9-092f-41f0-98a1-a10984fdd171" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/ROBNN_MONARCHLAUNCHEVENT-131.jpg?VersionId=p76J6weGZqseNrE6aOAjmAHUah.y65Gd" />

Monarch Residences was planned and delivered over four years on a 1.2-hectare parcel with more than 130 metres of direct frontage to the Brisbane River, occupying one of the last remaining true riverfront sites of its scale and orientation within close proximity to the CBD. The site has been transformed from an underutilised, derelict block of land, into a thriving residential precinct with Middenbury House at its centre.&nbsp;

Consolidated Properties Group CEO and Chairman Don O’Rorke says the project’s completion represents the culmination of years of careful planning, design collaboration, market conviction and outstanding team delivery.

“We announced Monarch Residences in late 2021 and it’s been one of the most strongly received residential projects in our 45-year history,” Mr O’Rorke said.

"We are incredibly grateful to the outstanding team who helped bring Monarch Residences to life. A special thank you to Hutchinson Builders and their hardworking labour force for delivering a development of exceptional quality that our residents will be proud to call home for many years to come.

“Brisbane City Council and Titles Queensland also played a huge role in getting residents into their homes early through the pilot programs they ran to speed up the approval processes. They understand the challenges of the housing industry and are doing something about it.”&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=113455 project_image_fid=211466]

Consolidated Properties Group Head of Residential, James MacGinley said Monarch Residences showed what could be achieved when private industry and government worked together to deliver new housing for Brisbane.

“Monarch Residences has delivered more than 200 new apartments in Brisbane’s inner-west at a time when additional housing supply is critically important,” MacGinley said.

“It’s fantastic to see residents now moving into this landmark riverfront development, which reflects the strength of collaboration between Council and the project team throughout delivery.

“All government agencies played a significant hand in achieving a fast-tracked outcome for Monarch Residences with Brisbane City Council, Urban Utilities, Energex and Titles Queensland assisted to remove hurdles to achieve settlements.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=113455 project_image_fid=302326]

With Monarch Residences now complete, CPG has launched River Living, a bespoke on-site property management service designed to enhance the resident experience. The service will support all future CPG residential projects, including the recently announced <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/gloriette-30-bedivere-street-yeerongpilly-qld-4105">Gloriette</a> in Yeerongpilly and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/castile-47-skyring-terrace-newstead-qld-4006">Castile</a> in Newstead.

The completion also marks the opening of a prized leasing opportunity at the heritage-listed Middenbury House, built in 1865 and which has been carefully restored and integrated into the broader masterplan.&nbsp;

CPG said the adaptive reuse of the landmark riverfront residence presents an opportunity to introduce a complementary boutique tenancy that respects the site’s historic significance while activating the riverfront frontage.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=113455 project_image_fid=211495]

Colliers Director of Residential Andrew Scriven said the move-in phase highlights continued demand for completed premium riverfront apartments in Brisbane.

“Residents are now experiencing firsthand the scale, craftsmanship and irreplaceable riverfront position that Monarch offers,” Scriven said.

“Opportunities to secure a brand-new, completed residence on Brisbane’s absolute riverfront are exceptionally rare. Combined with the proven track record of Consolidated Properties Group and Hutchinson Builders, combined with a design vision brought to life by some of Australia’s leading architects and designers, Monarch represents a unique opportunity to purchase a home of enduring quality and prestige.”

Monarch Residences was designed in collaboration with Melbourne-based architect Wardle Studio, alongside leading national practice Cottee Parker, with construction delivered by Hutchinson Builders.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=113455]

Consolidated Properties Group sells out Monarch Residences as Brisbane riverfront demand surges

An entity directed by HSN's Rafi Assouline and Rebel Property's Allen Linz has filed plans for an impressive new precinct in Woolloomooloo.

The major mixed-use development would transform a prominent William Street site into a new residential village anchored by affordable housing and a large public park.

The proposal, submitted as a State Significant Development Application, covers 164-172 and 174-194 William Street, a 6,398 sqm site between Forbes Street and Dowling Street on the southern edge of Woolloomooloo.

Designed by fjcstudio in collaboration with Bangawarra, Studio Bright and Tribe Studio Architects, the scheme would deliver 227 apartments across four residential buildings ranging in height up to 18 storeys, alongside retail space, public domain improvements and a new publicly accessible park.

<img alt="Rebel" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0eb59b7c-914a-4a5c-b849-3a56749f5e93" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-06-12%20at%2011.18.51%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=mxM6EEqeoLjrCiTlCzTKTvzpKuh6kSkH" />

It's another design scheme for Rebel, who took <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-rebel-property-group-takes-woolloomooloo-precinct-to-nsw-government">concept plans to the NSW Gov late last year</a>.

The latest plans will be a mix of 167 build-to-sell apartments and 60 affordable apartments, with the affordable housing component representing 15 per cent of the project's gross floor area. The apartment mix includes 12 one-bedroom, 53 two-bedroom, 89 three-bedroom apartments and 13 penthouses, while the affordable housing component would comprise 42 one-bedroom and 18 two-bedroom apartments.

<img alt="Rebel" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3b3d4553-8a8c-4af5-aa8c-519ffb1e28c6" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-06-12%20at%2011.20.12%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=_Yb6ibN7eDnOtQjCNDK2eviORa4qzgv." />

Rebel Property is seeking to take advantage of the NSW Government's infill affordable housing bonus provisions under the Housing SEPP, which provide additional floor space and height in exchange for the delivery of affordable housing for a minimum of 15 years. The planning pathway allows a 30 per cent increase in floor space ratio and building height where 15 per cent of the development is dedicated to affordable housing.

&nbsp;

At the centre of the development is a 1,356 sqm sunlit public park designed to become a new community gathering space at the gateway to Woolloomooloo. The park would be complemented by a network of pedestrian laneways connecting William Street with the surrounding streets, improving permeability through what is currently a largely impermeable block.

<img alt="Rebel" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="257af931-a393-4007-8c6d-7219796df58d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-06-12%20at%2011.20.51%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=KAHy94GrhaReFsWTGDKfy39EDJ8gEEv4" />

The design team says the public domain has been heavily influenced by the site's topography and Aboriginal cultural heritage, drawing on the escarpments, gullies and landscape characteristics that historically defined the area before urbanisation. The landscape design has been developed in partnership with First Nations consultancy Bangawarra.

The project would be delivered across four separate buildings. The William Street East and William Street West buildings, designed by fjcstudio, would contain the majority of the apartments. Melbourne-based Studio Bright has designed the Forbes Street building, while Tribe Studio Architects is responsible for the Dowling Street building.

Rebel had secured approval for the concept plans late last year.

First look: HSN, Rebel, advances Woolloomooloo precinct plans

Office Design

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Australia's largest dedicated Facilities Management conference kicks off this month at Sydney's International Convention Centre (ICC), Darling Harbour.
The 2017 Total Facilities event, March 29 – 30 will host a range a range of workplace experts discussing thermal comfort, making smart buildings, wellness in the workplace and co-working as a sustainable workplace solution.
A key theme will be how much further the built environment commercial sector needs to go in reducing its environmental impact.
Andrew Lawson, event manager, Total Facilities, said the exhibition and education program reflects the evolutionary nature of the industry.
“Today it’s about integrating the built assets of real estate and facilities with technology and other solutions to meet the needs of building owners and occupiers," he said.
"It is the role of a facility manager to ensure the proper operation of all aspects of a building to create a healthy, safe and cost-effective environment in which tenants can function.”
The keynote speaker at Total Facilities will be the world’s leading expert on thermal comfort, Professor Richard de Dear, Director of Sydney University’s Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Lab.
He said searching for thermal pleasure may not make the priority list for employers or staff, but optimal, stimulating thermal environment in an office has transformative potential in terms of staff wellbeing and productivity.
“Research findings on enhanced air movement informs recommendations for both air conditioned and naturally ventilated buildings alike.” 
He will also bring along a life-sized thermal mannequin named Laura Palmer, whose task it is to define heat fluxes between the human body and the built environment surrounding it.
Kirsty Angerer, global ergonomics expert at Humanscale, willdebate the growing requirement for the FM industry to address health and wellbeing in commercial buildings and tenancies.
"Fruit bowls and gym memberships are a good starting point, but we need to do more in terms of wellness programs,” she said.
“Companies measure lost time due to injury and illness, but how many measure lost time due to 'discomfort' and people seeking medical assistance (physios, chiros etc) due to being in pain or feeling uncomfortable?
E"veryday simple strategies can be implemented across the office to help reduce fatigue and improve posture.”
Other headliners at this year’s Total Facilities speaker series include:
<ul>
<li>Libby Sander, respected thought leader on corporate agility, performance and workplace design, who will be sharing her ideas on co-working as generational fad or a sustainable workplace solution;</li>
<li>Kate Harris, CEO - Good Environmental Choice Australia will join with Tony Arnel, Global Director Sustainability for Norman Disney &amp; Young to consider how much further the built environment commercial sector needs to go in reducing its environmental impact; and</li>
<li>Paul Edwards, GM Workplace Experiences – Mirvac, and James Armstrong, National Director, Workplace Management Services at Colliers International, who will look at meeting the demands of the evolving workplace.</li>
</ul>
To register for a rundown on the full education program, please visit <a href="https://www.totalfacilities.com.au" target="_blank">www.totalfacilities.com.au</a>
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Facilities Management conference to tackle thermal comfort, smart buildings

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The majority of respondents to a JLL survey at TEDxSydney rate face to face contact very high in the workplace of the future (88 percent) and 59 percent still want a physical workplace but wouldn't create a CBD if they could.
Some, 81 percent liked the idea of an eco-campus where individuals could live, work and play, 57 percent wouldn’t create a CBD and 78 percent of people wanted to create small self-sufficient communities.
Results from the survey were used to create a new white paper from JLL titled ‘Is humanity the future architect?’.
Rajiv Nagrath, JLL’s Australian head of corporate account management said the research found that, despite technological advancements and the potential impacts of robotics and artificial intelligence, there was a desire for a future dependent on people, not machines.
"Even though it was acknowledged that future technology would allow work to be done anywhere, 88 percent of respondents still placed high value on face-to-face interaction in the workplace of the future," he said.
“While technology continues to evolve at a rapid rate, our basic needs and wants of human connection remain consistent with what they were 100 years ago.
“There will still be a desire for continued human engagement, connected communities and workplaces that foster co-working and entrepreneurship."
Richard Fennell, JLL’s Australian head of property and asset management said the results unanimously focused on human connections and a desire to be closer to nature.
"Some 92 percent of respondents wanted to create a responsive workplace that adapts to enhance the health and wellbeing of its inhabitants," he said.
"It seems that amongst our condensed and densely populated skylines, the people living and working within them are craving more open spaces, more air, and more natural materials and environments.
“Buildings in 2050 will respond and adapt to the people within it. For example, when you enter a lobby, the building will receive a biometric reading of your heart rate, general health and even your age. 
"This information will be used to enhance your experience within the building, such as temperature, sound, smell and visual adjustments via implanted devices or wearable technology."
 
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jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Employees still want a physical workplace in 2050: JLL

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Workplaces of the future could be inflatable. That's the vision to emerge from the “Tomorrow’s Workplace” design competition from Staples Business Advantage and Metropolis magazine.
The entries included a forecast that in 2021, the workplace may include inflatable pods set up in urban parks.
“The massive corporate office tower, usually a glass box with central air pumped in, is turning into the dinosaur from the 20th century,” said Susan S. Szenasy, publisher and editor in chief, Metropolis.
“Workplaces will become more multi-generational and multi-functional.
"One thing is sure—today's office is not your father's or mother’s office.”
Jie Zhang, is an architect and co-founder of OPT, celebrated the rapidly growing freelance economy.
Her FoAM was a combination of easily deployable inflatables that create personal mobile offices, which can be set up in a dense network of urban parks transformed from vacant parking infrastructure. The inflatables are collapsible and equipped with digital technology so workers can connect wherever they are.
<img src="/images/2016/12/07/Screen%20Shot%202016-12-07%20at%201.27.19%20PM.png" alt="" width="588" height="378">
She envisaged digital nomads, with inflatable offices that can be set up practically anywhere.
These collapsible structures are insulated, both thermally and acoustically
One of Zhang’s submitted diagrams shows a person carrying the inflatable in a shoulder bag.
The directions: “arrive,” “unroll” and “inflate.”
It was pointed out that the inflatable is actually not a new idea; it was already kind of an experimental architectural object from the ’60s by radical design groups from Italy and the University of California, Berkeley. 
The co-working trend has grown recently to total 27 million square feet of office space, which 0.7% of the total U.S. office market, but substantial for a niche that barely existed just years ago, <a href="https://www.us.jll.com/united-states/en-us/research/office/coworking-space-the-landlord-perspective" target="_blank">according to a Jones Lang LaSalle report.</a>
Companies like Regus and WeWork dominate the industry.
But WeWork didn’t exist before 2010, and now they occupy 5 million square feet, said Julia Georgules, director of research for the office sector at Jones Lang LaSalle.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Inflatable offices of the future for digital nomads

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/63875/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
A lot of Australian building codes don’t actually refer to the maximum number of people a building should fit.
That’s what researcher Agustin Chevez found when he started to delve into how a better office might look.
As the type of work we do changes, it becomes less about the tasks you do and more about your reactions to and relations with those you work with, Chevez says.
So you need to be able to tell how many people should ideally fit in a space, but that’s not all.
Offices also need to take into account what makes us human, and our varying personalities.
To hear the interview in full, <a href="https://theconversation.com/business-briefing-a-better-way-to-design-an-office-63875" target="_blank">click here</a>.
Jenni Henderson is assistant editor, Business and Economy, The Conversation and can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/team#jenni-henderson" target="_blank">here</a>.
Agustin Chavez is adjunct research fellow, Centre For Design Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/agustin-chevez-120649" target="_blank">here</a>.
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A better way to design an office

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/57114/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
Looking back on the changes in office design over the past 30 years, it is easy to see why some employees feel as if they have been subjects in a giant ongoing experiment.
For decades the office has moved from private, to open plan and more recently, no desk at all. These changes have been driven almost simultaneously by the push to reduce real estate cost and to also increase collaboration among employees.
While savings in real estate costs appear to have been achieved, the negative effects of the open plan office on employees have now been well documented. A large body of research shows these offices are noiser; employees have difficulties concentrating and are unable to hold private conversations.
The promise of increased collaboration in open plan appears to have very little evidence to support the idea. A study of more than 42,000 employees found that open plan office environments did little to increase interaction.
Given all this evidence, it is perhaps unsurprising that a recent study by Oxford Economics found the impact of open-plan office design is far greater than executives realise. The report found both productivity and employee peace of mind suffers in the open workplace. Although there appears to be a growing realisation of the negative effects, the results showed few companies have effective strategies in place to address the problems.
Another key issue in the open plan office is that it doesn’t cater to either differences in individuals or differences in the type of work that needs to be undertaken. The time workers are spending on collaborative tasks is decreasing, while time on quiet concentrated work is increasing.
In response to these issues, organisations have been experimenting with ways to segment workplaces to overcome these problems. Articles on new office design are peppered with concepts such as “caves”, “campfires”, “town squares” and “city zones”.
The segmented office is based around the idea that different spaces are needed to support different tasks and different personalities. Sleep pods, library spaces, mobile-free zones and cafes are becoming standard features in new office designs.
Employees are encouraged to move between the different areas based on what they are doing at the time. Tasks such as taking a phone call, holding a meeting, doing work that requires focus and quiet or work that needs collaboration with others are all allocated separate areas.
While seen as a positive move by <a href="">some employees</a>, the changes often don’t go far enough to allow concentrated, productive work. What if your co-workers are just noisy people in general?
Julian Treasure, sound consultant and author of the book Sound Business, suggests employees are one-third as productive in open office designs as in quiet rooms. In research I am currently conducting, many employees report that having to find a space to work each morning is tiring, while others resent having to move around to do different tasks.
The practicality of moving to different spaces, carrying laptops, power cords and other documents and materials needed to complete work can be tiresome at best and impractical at worst. The inability to find co-workers when needed appears to be another common complaint in early results of the study I am undertaking, with some employees opting out of IT-based location identification systems in order to not be interrupted.
Other key issues emerging in my research on this topic are that often the number of phone booths and meeting rooms are limited, resulting in wasted time and frustration trying to find somewhere to meet or take a call. When the need for confidential conversations arise, such issues often need to be dealt with immediately. Employees report to me that finding private places to converse in such situations is challenging, and being told to “book a room” or “go to a coffee shop” is not uncommon.
The overall office size in Australia is relatively small. As a result, offices being designed to embrace the segmented idea can end up having a gym with a rowing machine as well as the cafe space within metres of the open plan desk area.
It seems we still have a way to go. Recent research in the Harvard Business Review indicates the push for collaboration is too much of a good thing and staff are increasingly demanding quiet spaces to work where they can focus and concentrate.
With many working from home or other third places to get work done, does the office still matter?
Some authors suggest the office will die out all together. Nikil Saval, in his book Cubed, goes so far as to suggest leisure is over as the office now follows its employees everywhere thanks to the cloud.
Yet the imperative to get it right appears more important than ever. While we may indeed be able to work from anywhere, it seems we still want to come to the office.
Two-thirds of employees prefer to build relationships face-to-face, and the majority prefer to build that connection in an ideal workplace. How we create the ideal workplace remains to be seen.
Libby Sander is lecturer, Bond University, and authors for The Conversation. She can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/libby-sander-143232" target="_blank">here</a>.<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/libby-sander-143232" rel="author"></a>
<div class="hover tooltip bottom"> </div>
 
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