Home is where the heart is
“We wanted to take inspiration from all the homes we are attracting new buyers and renters to,” says Domain’s Sarah Myers, Group Director of Marketing. “With a rapidly growing business, we also needed to create a beautiful and functional workspace that would encourage collaboration and productivity. We wanted our office space to be a draw card in attracting new talent to the business, as well as a space our teams could appreciate and enjoy each day.”
“We designed a contemporary workplace by fostering the ‘one team, one company’ approach, and we used the idea of ‘home’ as the driving force,” explains Rebecca Schieler, one of the designers from Siren Design who worked on the project’s interiors. A kitchen with a breakfast bar, breakout spaces with couches, custom feature walls, greenery and an understated yet colourful palette make the space feel warm, welcoming and home-like.
Meanwhile, to encourage movement and community, the fitout comprises different areas including casual, collaboration and meeting spaces.
Enhancing connectivity and comfort
Throughout the office are ‘bump zones’ – casual meetings areas aimed to encourage staff to work together away from their desks. For these zones, Schiavello developed a custom triangular-shaped table with rounded corners and a matching base, adding a professional yet playful addition to the workspace. “Schiavello was willing to work with Siren’s particular requirements to create a custom shaped worktop. We’ve worked with Schiavello on previous projects and knew they would be able to deliver on time and with high quality design and materials,” Schieler says.
In the meeting rooms, patterned feature walls pair with Schiavello’s Marina Tables with timber top finishes, bespoke rounded edges and white powder coated legs for a soft and harmonised aesthetic, further reiterating the idea of comfort and home.
Spotlight on wellness: Krossi takes a stand
With the trending word ‘wellness’ used across many industries, Domain has taken the concept 100 percent seriously, and the evidence is seen in the detail.
Promoting movement and improving physical and mental comfort, the height adjustability of Krossi allows Domain employees to control their position at the work point, alternating from sitting to standing with a touch of a button. These workstations consist of light and fresh finishes including white tops, plywood edging, pastel coloured echo panels, rounded edges and white powder coated bases in order to add a contemporary flair to the heritage building.
“It was a pleasure working with Schiavello; it always has been – right from the beginning stages of workstation enquiries, to quotes, shop drawings and all the way through to installation,” Schieler adds.
“We proposed using the Krossi workstation as it was a system that fit well into the project concept in terms of shape, colour and finish,” Schieler says.
“They’ve been very well received and people use the sit/stand option every day, which is great,” says Penny Sandercock, Domain’s office manager. “The System 45 privacy screens work well for employees to be able to ‘decorate’ their own space while also giving them the option for quieter conversations or demonstrations if required. And our meeting rooms are in constant use! We’d be lost without them and the Schiavello tables that help facilitate our meetings.”
Meanwhile, outside-of-work facilities are also provided, promoting movement and wellness beyond the workday. On the ground floor of the building is a wellness centre – a fully equipped gym and yoga studio, complete with lockers and a hydro station. Adjacent to the wellness centre is the zen space. Here, staff can rest and relax in a peaceful setting with plenty of natural light and soft furnishings.
A combination of natural light, movement, relaxation, and concentration, Domain’s new workspace has ticked all the boxes. In the words of Schieler, “It’s a balanced combination of work and play – a fitout that oozes sophistication and comfort; the perfect home away from home.”
Domain
Krossi Workstation
