Liberty Specialty Markets – Melbourne and Brisbane

GroupGSA are witnessing more and more companies prioritising office fit outs centred on the preferred working style and culture of their employees, and unsurprisingly the traditional ‘sea of workstations’ is fast becoming a thing of the past.

Our Workplace Interior Design team were appointed by Liberty Specialty Markets to deliver two new workplace designs for their offices in Melbourne and Brisbane. (Images: L-Melbourne, R-Brisbane).

Both designs shared a common narrative – prioritising the company’s values, whilst injecting local personality, working styles and functional needs.

Liberty required both offices to feature a flexible floorplan with interchangeable desk configurations and enough space to accommodate expansion. Rows of desks were not considered collaborative amongst their employees; therefore smaller pods of workstations were introduced. In recent years desk designs have reduced in physical size due to increased technology enhancements, and were therefore spread at distance throughout both offices. All desks were sit to stand.

Modest colour palettes and an interior terrain motif reflected the texture and personality of each location. The Melbourne office featured rich blues, purples and mocha tones peppered with foliage and contrasted with polished epoxy white flooring. Whilst the Brisbane office featured warm terracotta’s and earthy greens, paired with parquet flooring and aboriginal artwork throughout.

Common elements of each workplace included; curved acoustic panelling, installed to improve Liberty’s improved audio experience. The elimination of individual offices, which were replaced by meeting and quite spaces of various sizes and styles. And plug and play multi-modal environments, which were inviting and collaborative.

The design differed in Melbourne, where the office required a traditional reception with a manned desk, and high priority was placed on a client’s first impression. Whilst in Brisbane, the team opted for no reception desk, and a larger, informal communal space. Storage was also a priority in Brisbane, and lockers were required by the staff.

GroupGSA were able to work in unison across our offices in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney studios to deliver an outcome for one client with differing design considerations.