The awards acknowledge design excellence that delivers real-world impact, celebrating workplaces shaped by long-term thinking, collaboration and a strong connection to people and place on an international stage. They draw from the world’s largest design awards network, showcasing leading projects from Australia, Asia, Europe, London, New York and beyond. Projects progress from city and regional programs to world-level recognition, positioning award recipients among the most accomplished design practices globally.
A heritage lobby reimagined as a hospitality-grade workplace hub.
Our team transformed the 1939 Art Deco lobby from a static transitional space into a dynamic “third place” that extends the workplace experience and fosters tenant engagement.
Anchored in the building’s heritage character, the reimagined lobby adopts a three-zone plan: Engage (café and event space), Create (collaboration hub), and Imagine (quiet retreat), offering tenants choice, flexibility, and reasons to stay beyond arrival or departure.
Original architectural details, including fluted Art Deco columns, have been sensitively restored and complemented with contemporary finishes to create a cohesive design language. Locally sourced materials, passive ventilation, biophilic planting, and smart lighting enhance environmental performance and occupant wellbeing. A curated historical display celebrates the building’s legacy, reinforcing identity and community pride.
Adaptable layouts and modular furniture ensure the space can evolve with changing tenant needs, maximising longevity and operational value.
By blending heritage preservation with contemporary workplace and hospitality cues, the project sets a new benchmark for how commercial building lobbies can function as active social, cultural, and productivity hubs—delivering both aesthetic impact and measurable tenant experience benefits.
Also achieved Gold in BETTER DESIGN Sydney and BETTER DESIGN Australia awards.
Client: Union Investment supported by AXA Investment Managers
See the nomination here.
A five-star business lounge disguised as a workplace.
The Executive Centre at Grosvenor Place redefines premium flexible workspace, merging the refinement of a hospitality environment with the operational rigour of a corporate setting. Designed within Harry Seidler’s iconic modernist tower, the 1,916 sqm fit-out delivers 36 bespoke suites of varying sizes, each digitally modelled to maximise harbour and city views.
The arrival sequence sets the tone: an elegant concierge with a sculptural timber bar, hotel-like lighting, curated art, and a café lounge with barista service. Corridors, often overlooked, become moments of pause and delight, featuring subtle material transitions and custom fixtures. Shared spaces include executive boardrooms, digital pods, private phone booths, and a podcast studio, catering to hybrid professionals.
Locally sourced materials and carbon-neutral certification reinforce sustainability without compromise. The result is a hospitality-branded workplace that inspires return visits, setting a new benchmark for the sector and positioning TEC as a leader in experience-led workplace design.
Team: Liam Higginbotham, Jessica Margiotta, Jordan Ottley, Pierre Gavelle
Also achieved Silver in BETTER DESIGN Sydney and BETTER DESIGN Australia awards.
See the nomination here.
A workplace that blends heritage with a bold new identity.
MPMS’s Sydney headquarters at Liberty Place reflects a global rebrand while retaining the cultural familiarity valued by long-term staff. Designed by GroupGSA, the 2,700sqm, two-level workplace fuses Japanese restraint with Australian warmth, creating a precise and welcoming environment. Signature features: slatted timber ceilings, a Crystos quartzite reception desk with natural red veining, and integrated First Nations artwork express transparency, trust, and cultural depth.
The layout balances open collaboration zones, quiet focus areas, and formal meeting rooms. It is anchored by a large breakout hub with sweeping city views that double as an overflow workspace. Heritage is respected by retaining warm timber tones and signature ceiling gestures from earlier fit-outs, now refined to reflect a more sophisticated brand direction.
The result is a refined, human-centred workplace that feels new yet authentically MPMS. It supports operational efficiency while projecting a confident, globally aligned identity.
It is the latest result in a long-term design partnership. Seven MPMS workplaces have been completed in the past seven years, cementing GroupGSA’s role as their trusted design partner.
Team: Jessica Margiotta, Huon Toombs
See the nomination here.
Also Shortlisted in BETTER DESIGN Sydney and BETTER DESIGN Australia awards.
Together, these awards recognise not only design excellence but also our commitment to workplaces shaped by people, community and purpose, and to designing environments that contribute meaningfully to cities, organisations and everyday life.
As an Associate Principal, Jessica is an interior designer dedicated to designing and delivering creative spaces that elevate cultural and brand experiences for her clients. Jessica consistently delivers dynamic, impactful, inspiring environments, showcasing her unwavering dedication to excellence and client success.