GDF Suez

Artillery was appointed to work with GDF Suez to establish a detailed accommodation brief for a new workplace that would see staff from two separate locations come together ‘under one roof’.

GDF Suez is not only an energy provider but also an energy retailer operating under the Simply Energy brand. The new workplace was to become the administrative HQ for Australia as well as the workplace for Simply Energy.

With four weeks to design and take a brief, it was essential to understand GDF Suez’s requirements at the onset and to include staff in the process to obtain staff buy-in.

With a high density of 10sqm/person, Artillery needed to provide as many collaborative spaces to ensure a sense of relief from the dense floor plate. A progressive desking system was adopted to ensure this density did not become relentless.

Being located in the Rialto, and with two arms of the business, the two towers became a natural home for each. Space in neutral territory, where the teams could interact, included the breakout zone and the front of house meeting zone.

The perimeter became the malleable open plan where users are able to change their desking system to suit their needs.

Being a power provider, energy was reflected within the design, in many ways. It cracked through the core (the earth) forming a thunderbolt light which linked the reception wall with the floor and finally the reception desk.

The forms of energy supplied by International Power were depicted in a graphic which wove its way through the space, culminating in a carved timber wall within the breakout area.