Two Australian architecture firms that received awards at the recent World Architecture Festival in Barcelona have collaborated on the design of Brisbane’s newest workplace.

Cox Rayner and BVN Architecture teamed up to create 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 Anna Bligh, the new Energex building has helped transform 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 maximise 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,” says Michael Rayner, principal of Cox Rayner.

Designed as a campus environment the workplace has large flexible floor-plates, organised 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,” says 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.”