Insights from the forefront of future of work thought leadership

Whether you’re moving to a new office space, or refurbishing an existing one, a workplace redesign requires getting buy-in from senior leaders in your business before you can start putting a plan in place.

Sure, you could tell them a workplace redesign delivers a whole host of benefits – improved employee wellbeing and performance, better ability to attract top talent and increased productivity, to name just a few – but this isn’t enough. You have to be able to prove the return on investment (ROI) that a workplace redesign will deliver.

The best way to do this is by building a solid business case, laying out the cold, hard facts, and demonstrating beyond a doubt that a workplace redesign is the best thing for the company.

Here’s how to go about building a business case for a workplace redesign.

Step 1: Crunch the numbers

One of the biggest things the C-suite really want to know is, how will this workplace redesign affect the bottom line?

A sensible place to start, therefore, is space and operations costs.

In a traditional office, only about 45–50% of the space is occupied at any one time – and you can expect this number to drop even further as people adopt more flexible ways of working, such as having four-day weeks or work-from-home days. With a workplace redesign, you can effectively reclaim all this lost space.

So do the math:

• What are you typically paying for each workstation/square metre?
• How many workstations/square metres could you potentially eliminate in the workplace redesign?
• What do you stand to save in operational costs, like energy, cleaning, facilities maintenance and security?

It also helps to be proactive about exiting your lease – while it can be tempting to simply hand over a cheque to avoid ‘back to base’ obligations, in reality, cash settlements are often inflated by landlords. Taking steps like getting a second opinion and negotiating can save a lot of money – meaning an even healthier ROI.

2. Focus on the value-add

Saving costs is of course important, but a successful workplace redesign will deliver tangible benefits long after the big move too. After all, your employees are the company’s biggest expense, so even incremental improvements on their comfort and productivity can have a marked effect on the redesign’s ROI.

Here are just some of the ways a workplace redesign can have a positive effect on revenue:

• Lower attrition: Replacing employees can be a substantial cost – according to the Society for Human Resource Management, it costs a company on average 6–9 months of an employee’s salary to replace him or her. Workplace redesigns can help lower attrition by creating a desirable environment to work in.
• Less absenteeism: According to the World Green Building Council, one company in the UK saved £28,000 in absenteeism costs by moving their office to a ‘green’ building.
• Better productivity: A study by KPMG showed that Dutch company Heerema Marine Contractors’ move to new sustainable headquarters was expected to reap productivity benefits worth €42 million over 20 years.
• Better ability to attract top talent: Consider how much time and money you spend trying to find the right hires for your business. A redesign can help make your workplace more desirable to potential employees.

3. Rely on evidence to get the best results

In order to reap all those benefits, and provide employees with a workplace redesign that will work best for them, it is important to use evidence-based design.

What is evidence-based design?

This means that, rather than creating a design based on assumptions, and forcing employees to adapt to their new surroundings, you instead configure the design based on the culture of your organisation and the ways in which your employees prefer to work.

For example, an open-plan layout might save space and increase collaboration – but it may not necessarily be the best arrangement for your sales team (or the department that sits adjacent to your sales team) if they spend all day on the phone.

Evidence-based design can help ensure you get maximum ROI from your workplace redesign, ensuring it is tailor-made to deliver happier employees and greater profits.

It is prudent to enlist the help of professionals for this step, who will approach your business from a multidimensional perspective and make sure to ask the right questions, before creating a design based on data and a thorough understanding of your organisation.

At Axiom, we like to think of ourselves, not as an “office fitout company”, but rather a “workplace change partner”.

Need a hand?

If you’re planning a workplace redesign and need some help backing up your business case with cold, hard data, Axiom can help. We’ll work with you to carefully audit and analyse your needs, so you get a design that’s a perfect fit for your business. Contact us today!

Embracing Modern Office Interior Design: Trends Shaping Australian Workspaces

In 2025, 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.

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.

Spec fitouts are a shrewd means for breathing new life into dead properties. While a property manager may be able to see ‘beyond the cobwebs’ to the hidden value of a less than perfect space, potential tenants might sometimes need a little more help. That’s where a spec fitout can be extremely useful.

With a spec fitout, you get to provide a little bit of gloss and functionality without going overboard. Think of it as the first stage in a refit before the individuality and cultural specifics of a tenant company are put into place. Spec fitouts are particularly practical for B-grade properties or older hi-rise buildings. Axiom’s own HQ is a perfect example of what can be achieved in a structure that was considered less than ideal but now serves as a showpiece for state-of-the-art workspace design.

If you’ve got a commercial space you’re having trouble leasing, you may be tempted to quickly commit to a company to complete a spec fitout; after all, time is money, especially when it comes to the rental market. But, there are some very important things you need to consider before taking that leap. By doing so, you ensure your spec fitout doesn’t turn into a ‘spec blowout’.

1. Can they deliver within an extremely tight timeframe and budget? 

Every moment your property sits on the market without a tenant, you lose money – we don’t need to tell you that. Consequently, you should ask your spec fitout company how quickly they can deliver on fitout promises and whether they can work within the budget you’ve allocated. If you can’t find alignment with costs and turnaround time, then you need to either find another fitout transformation partner or reconsider your budget and timelines, as they may not be achievable.

2. Do they understand the needs of tenants across various industries?

No company meets a one-size-fits-all template but that’s exactly what you’re trying to do with a spec fitout. At the very least, you’ll want to create an attractive workspace that has the potential for any company to mold into their own vision – and that includes companies across many different industries. By partnering with a fitout company with a broad range of experience across a variety of sectors and industries, you help ensure your spec fitout has across-the-board appeal to catch more potential tenants in your net.

3. Can they creatively overcome challenges with minimal fuss (and dollars)?

Whatever can go wrong will go wrong – that seems to be Murphy’s Law when it comes to any kind of property renovation. So why should spec fitouts be any different? They’re not. The value you get from a spec fitout company is the know-how they possess to overcome stumbling blocks with creativity and smarts. Do they have the runs on the board of overcoming challenges without spending an arm and a leg?

4. Do they have the insight to identify and accentuate the positives of a property?

There are a number of desirables when it comes to commercial property – natural light being a high priority. Your spec transformation company should be able to cast an eye over a space and spot the attributes that can be emphasised or introduced. For example, a skylight in a particularly dark corner may be less expensive than you think, or the removal of just one wall could make the space so much more functional. A good fitout company will be able to see all the best moves to make.

5. Are they up-to-date with workplace trends and desirable design elements?

Property advisers have their fingers on the pulse when it comes to property trends but the nitty-gritty of workspaces – little details such as the space around workstations and the placement of the watercooler – are the domain of workspace design specialists and, consequently, should be entrusted to those in the know. Your spec fitout company should understand the psychology behind workplace design and the direction in which workspaces are heading, so your property will stand out from the rest.

The company you engage to perform your spec fitout may be able to talk the talk – but can they also walk the talk? Don’t be scared to do some digging. Ask the questions we’ve mentioned above, and also request that you see evidence. Any fitout transformation partner worth their salt will fully appreciate the due diligence you undertake in turning your property from a diamond in the rough.

Want to see what Axiom can do with spec fitout? Take a look at our Design File: hipages   

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.