La Trobe University Research Portfolio

The Challenge:

  • To redefine the way of working for staff at La Trobe University in an Exemplar Workplace pilot.
  • Bring the Research Portfolio staff together as a team.
  • Make the Research Portfolio accessible to researchers.
  • Make visitors and collaborators feel welcome.
  • Integrate collaboration into the workflow and provide a diversity of work settings to accommodate a broad range of tasks and functions.

Our Solution:

  • Incorporate a large central breakout, Welcome Area, with a drinks station to encourage visitors to the space.
  • Provide semi-enclosed ‘Studios’ for teams of 4-6 people. Each work position is unallocated and the boundaries are blurred between teams to allow for overflow and crossover between teams.
  • Support the studio spaces with a variety of alternative spaces for different tasks, such as quiet rooms and collaborative zones.

Their Result:

  • This workplace breaks new ground, but in some ways is back to the future. Here, walls are used differently, teams support and connect people. It presents a paradigm shift in workplace design.
  • Transition to a more collaborative, accessible office in a team environment.
  • Maximisation of space on the floorplate through innovative design.