Insights from the forefront of future of work thought leadership

You have a niggling feeling. It’s been bothering you for some time. Your work colleagues are getting snippier every day. There’s a bruise on your leg from when you accidentally bumped into that desk (had it always been there?). You’ve just had to push back yet another meeting because the meeting room was booked until next Tuesday.

Is it time for a new office space?

An office redesign or relocation takes time, resources and planning, so you want to make sure you’re making the right decision if you’re considering a refurbishment or move. So here are 5 tell-tale signs your business may be ready for a new space.

1. You’re crammed in like sardines

You probably thought it was no big deal when management decided to move the rows of desks just a few inches so they could fit another row in – but now you can’t even move your chair back without bumping into the person behind you.

This might seem like just a minor annoyance – but lots of minor annoyances across lots of employees can quickly add up to major problems for your business.

Here are a few ways you can tell if the office space is overcrowded:

• OH&S incidents are on the rise: When space is overcrowded, people bump into desks, equipment and even each other more often. This could potentially lead to a rise in the amount of sick leave taken.
• There are more employee complaints and workplace conflict: Like bickering siblings who have been sitting in the backseat for too long, forcing employees into each other’s personal space can quickly make tensions rise and tempers flare. This can even lead to more absenteeism and a fall in productivity.
• Full and booked-up meeting rooms: Are meetings often delayed because employees have to find extra chairs to squeeze around the conference table? Are the meeting rooms constantly booked up, forcing employees to delay meetings in order to find an available slot? Do a sizable portion of your employees have to stand when you have company-wide conferences? These indications certainly point to overcrowding – and all that precious time lost finding seats and rebooking meetings is time that could have been spent putting value back into your business.

2. Your employees have nowhere to relax

When businesses try to squeeze employees into every nook and cranny, often one of the first spaces that gets encroached upon is breakout areas. Not only does this mean there are often lines to use the microwave and coffee machine, it also means that more employees resort to eating lunch at their desks, which is not so great for workplace morale.

Studies have shown that when people eat together, work performance actually improves, and people are also more altruistic and helpful to boot.

But you simply can’t reap any of these benefits if people don’t have anywhere to hang out together.

3. Your company culture needs a revamp

Sometimes the problem is not the lack of office space – it’s a lagging company culture.

You may, for example, have accommodated for new employees by leasing out another floor in your building. Your employees now have all the space they need – but collaboration has taken a steep nose-dive, because employees no longer interact organically like they once did.

Or you may have just undergone a period of massive turnover, which has perhaps brought in some new values and ways of working, or even introduced some bad habits.

Or the company has naturally grown and branched into new markets or new products, but in the midst of all that, your company culture has fallen by the wayside.

Whatever the reason, it’s important to be proactive. A strong company culture is the bedrock of a healthy company – it unifies employees behind a cohesive identity, and helps to validate those values that characterise your business. It also helps attract and retain top talent, while contributing to a clearer brand identity in the mind of your clients.

The physical environment can have a marked effect on company culture. If, for example, creativity was an important value in your company, you could encourage this by introducing brainstorming rooms with more of a casual set-up, and whiteboards on the walls so people can take down their ideas.

A office redesign, therefore, might be the perfect opportunity to revive and enhance the positive aspects of your company culture – and perhaps even mitigate some of those not-so-positive ones.

4. The paperwork mountains are starting to take over

Growing piles of paperwork on people’s desks are another sign your office space might be in dire need of an upgrade.

It might seem innocuous, but if people don’t have anywhere to store documents, then messy desks won’t be the only issue – documents will get misplaced, more errors will be made, and employees will waste more time searching for the information they need. And your clients will likely be the ones who suffer.

Sure, you could get some more filing cabinets – but these will take up even more valuable real estate, making the office feel more crowded than ever.

When considering an office redesign, therefore, it’s worth putting some careful thought into not just how much space your employees need, but also how much space your documentation requires, particularly if you work in a paper-intensive industry that requires extensive record-keeping.

5. The location is not so hot

It might not be the office space that is the problem, but rather where it is. Maybe you moved the office there several years ago, having been told it was an area on the way up, but things didn’t quite pan out that way.

Or maybe you opted for a location a bit further from the action, because, at the time, you couldn’t afford the exorbitant city rents, and now you can.

Or maybe the location was at the epicentre of the industry once upon a time, but, over the years, businesses – and your clients – started moving elsewhere.

Being in a good location can have lots of benefits to your business – it can put you in closer proximity to your clients, it can help attract and retain top talent, and it may even save you a lot money if, for example, you manage to get into an up-and-coming neighbourhood before the rent hikes start.

Yes, an office redesign or relocation is a lot of work – but staying in an office space you’ve well and truly outgrown will be far more frustrating and costly in the long run.

If you’re relating to one (or more) of the above signs and think an office redesign might be the answer, we’d be happy to talk about your options. After all, understanding what solutions make the most sense for your business is the first step to creating a refurbishment or relocation plan that stays on schedule.

Embracing Modern Office Interior Design: Trends Shaping Australian Workspaces

In 2026, Australian workplaces are undergoing a transformation, embracing modern office interior design principles that prioritize employee well-being, flexibility, and sustainability. Key trends include integrating hospitality elements to create homely environments, designing adaptable spaces that cater to various work styles, and incorporating sustainable practices like repurposing materials to reduce environmental impact. Innovative office space design now emphasizes collaborative zones, quiet areas for focused work, and wellness features such as improved air quality and access to natural light. This holistic approach to interior design for office settings not only enhances employee satisfaction but also drives productivity and aligns with contemporary corporate values.

At Axiom, we’re excited to see office interior design trends sweeping offices across Australia. These trends show we are clearly well into the era of “people power” – businesses are putting their most valuable asset, their employees, at the heart of their designs, and they are reaping the benefits in terms of more innovation, better productivity, and improved talent attraction and retention.

If you’re looking to outfit your office in the near future, these 5 office design trends will ensure you get maximum bang for your buck.

Infuse Hospitality and a Homely feel into the Workplace

When it comes to attracting the best talent, how a workplace looks and feels can make a world of difference. Businesses are designing more comfortable flexible workspaces and infusing a hospitality experience into the workplace in order to make them more appealing places to be.

Canva’s headquarters in Surry Hills, for example, offer cafes, bars, outdoor spaces, events, volunteering and collaborative work, as well as child-friendly zones, a gym, bike parking, e-charging stations and areas for meditation.

Designing Flexible Workspaces for Enhanced Productivity

Today’s businesses have to be agile – and so do their offices. Companies are therefore providing a wide variety of functional spaces in order to help their employees perform at their peak – think cosy, quiet nooks for deep concentration; standing meeting rooms for quick-fire discussions; comfy lounge spaces for informal chats and open-plan areas for teamwork.

The new Slater & Gordon office at Collins Street Melbourne, for example, was designed with flexibility in mind, featuring dedicated zones for concentrated work, casual areas to engage informally, collaborative zones for teams and mixed areas for sharing information.

Encouraging Collaboration through Innovative Interior Design

Collaboration is a key component of innovative businesses. According to a joint study by The Institute for Corporate Productivity and Babson College. Companies that actively work to leverage team collaboration as an organisational skill are five times more likely to be high-performing organisations.

For this reason, more businesses are cleverly using workplace design to foster collaboration between their employees, using features like open-plan areas, large communal desks and flexible breakout spaces.

Some companies are taking an even more unconventional approach. Hipages have some rare open space in the middle of Sydney’s CBD, with a patio space which is completely screened for their teams’ privacy, and fitted out with plants, lounges and deck chairs.

Adopt Sustainable Practices into Office Interior Design

Companies are taking sustainability seriously, designing energy-efficient office spaces that reduce costs while increasing employee satisfaction.

 Seqwater, a major water supplier in Queensland, recently revamped their offices with a keen focus on sustainability. Key sustainable aspects of the project involved reusing and repurposing existing joinery, carpeting, and structural elements.

These initiatives greatly reduced landfill waste, reflecting Seqwater's dedication to sustainable practices.

 Prioritising Health and Wellness in Modern Office Design

Companies that prioritise health and wellness in the workplace not only benefit their employees but also see improvements in their financial performance.

Numerous organisations use the WELL Standard as a framework to design their workspaces and enhance well-being. The WELL Standard offers a comprehensive collection of over 500 evidence-based strategies encompassing design, policy, and operations that, when applied, can elevate the health and wellness of your team.

• Improve air quality
• Ensure safe drinking water
• Reduce burnout
• Enhance sleep and mental wellness
• Cultivate a healthy culture
• Choose healthier materials
• Promote diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Encourage regular movement
• Cater to the diverse needs of hybrid, remote, and on-site workers

There are countless ways that environments can contribute to the well-being of their occupants, whether through better air quality, access to natural light, or spaces for relaxation and physical activities. At Chevron's Head Office in Perth, a wellness center offers massages and other spa treatments, alongside a tech and learning hub.

Ergonomic design is crucial, with height-adjustable desks gaining popularity. While the cost of replacing each workstation was once a hurdle for many office managers, there are now adaptable solutions that modify existing furniture for this flexibility. As standing desks become more popular, they also integrate seamlessly into the office aesthetic.

These 5 interior design trends suggest several ways to create a smart workplace design that promotes wellness and wellbeing at work and in turn fosters a positive workplace culture. A happy and healthy team equals a thriving organisation.

Learn more in our new guide: Workplace Design Trends 2024

The modern office has transformed. Employee wellbeing, collaboration spaces, open-plan layouts…these qualities were rare in workplaces a decade ago. Organisations now spend a significant amount of their resources bettering their workspace design to optimise the performance and wellbeing of their employees.

Inspiring Collaborative Workspace Design Solutions

Unlock the potential of teamwork with our collaborative office space design services. Whether you're envisioning a shared workspace design or searching for fresh collaborative workspace ideas, we craft environments that foster creativity, communication, and productivity. From sleek, modern layouts to flexible office design ideas tailored for collaborative workspaces, our approach transforms ordinary offices into dynamic, engaging places where teams thrive.

Workplaces are changing. Organisations are moving towards modern collaborative workspaces, where employees can connect, share ideas, and work together. Open designs are replacing traditional isolating cubicle-style offices. But many organisations are yet to perfect this design shift and should consider the benefits of investing in a space solely for collaboration and socialising.

Peace is hard to find in the office. Constant chatting, keyboards tapping, and music blasting can interrupt employees, impacting productivity and affecting their wellbeing at work. Noise is one of the top disrupters to employees and costs Australian businesses billions in absenteeism and staff turnover. Organisations need to ensure their people are well looked after, both mentally and physically, and this can be achieved by adding quiet zones.

A study by Steelcase found 95 percent of employees today need quiet and private areas, but only 40 percent say their workplaces provide them.

It might be an unfamiliar scientific word, but if you’ve recently moved into a new office or joined an organisation that boasts a contemporary fitout, biophilia should have made a meaningful contribution to the ideas, philosophies and aesthetics underpinning the final design.

Biophilia is best explained, literally, as meaning a love of nature or a love of life or living systems. In the early 1980s, American biologist Edward Osborne Wilson created a philosophy and resulting book called The Biophilia Hypothesis, an ingrained affinity between humans and our natural world. Many of the world’s leading universities have also conducted numerous studies into biophilia but, as studies have moved into the biological including psychology, we’ve learnt more about how it can impact workplace productivity and satisfaction.

In a report by Interface Design, Human Spaces Report: Biophilic Design in the Workplace, psychologist Sir Cary Cooper explains the relationship between workplace design and biophilia as “an innovative way to harness this affinity in order to create natural environments for us to live, work and learn [in]. By consciously including nature in interior or architectural design, we are unconsciously reconnecting; bringing the great outdoors in to our constructed world.”

In layperson’s terms, workplaces incorporating natural plant life are likely to be happier, more productive workplaces.