Meeting the needs of the mobile workforce

Meeting the needs of the mobile workforceWhen people can work anywhere, workplaces must offer diverse amenity and provide choice, convenience and creativity, says the man overseeing the development of Sydney’s new Quay Quarter, Murray Middleton. AMP Capital’s head of development, Middleton is driving the revitalisation of an important corner of Sydney’s CBD, as the new Quay Quarter Tower and surrounding neighbourhood takes shape with a series of villages both in the sky and across two inner-city blocks.Quay Quarter Tower, featuring shifting glass volumes stacked upon each other that rotate towards breath-taking views of Sydney Harbour, has received all the attention so far. However, AMP Capital’s work to reactivate Sydney’s laneway culture and reinvigorate a special heritage area is just as impressive.The project spans two inner-city blocks across an 11,000 sqm site from Circular Quay to Bridge Street, and from Phillip Street to Young and Loftus streets.Quay Quarter Tower will include storeys of soaring office space, while the Young and Loftus development will add what Middleton calls “the fine grain”, comprising lower height residential and office buildings above an urban laneway network.”The great challenge for landlords these days is that their assets must meet the evolving needs of the future workforce. People are now able to work anywhere, any time – and so the whole paradigm of work being housed within four walls of a traditional office is being challenged,” Middleton says.”Quay Quarter Tower maximises the benefits of ‘campus-style’ developments, by taking the modern, large floorplate vertical. The five stacked vertical villages have enabled us to get 2,000 sqm nett floorplates – something that is rare in any tower.”The effect of the villages is to break down the scale of the tower into smaller communities – and each vertical village is shaped and sculpted to accentuate the views, with a north-facing atrium further opening up the facade to allow natural daylight to extend deep into the building.”Down low, the villages are oriented to views of Sydney Harbour Bridge. As you ascend, it’s about the Sydney Opera House and the broader harbour.”Middleton says the existing tower at Bridge Street will be “upcycled”, with 60 per cent of the existing structure to be retained.”We are essentially upcycling with the latest services, facades and workplace amenity. In terms of sustainability, this means we’re optimising the embedded energy and resources in the existing tower.”By working collaboratively with the City of Sydney, there are planning innovations in play too.”By treating the entire site as a whole and lowering the heights in the Young and Loftus street block, we could enhance the sunlight on existing public assets. Then by delivering an improved public amenity on the ground plane and revitalising some key heritage buildings, we were allowed to transfer the unused floor space from Young and Loftus to Quay Quarter Tower, taking it from ,000 to 90,000 sqm. We’ve almost doubled the tower’s size without breaching City of Sydney’s over-shadowing provisions.”An international design competition led to the appointment of Danish architecture firm 3XN for Quay Quarter Tower. However, four emerging Australian architects were uncovered through a national design competition for the four Young and Loftus buildings.”The architects of these four buildings are working together in a very collaborative way to create the laneway precinct, and using materials that respond to the heritage character of this historic part of Sydney.”The development also incorporates around 6,000 sqm of retail space, and Middleton says the precinct will “infuse” this end of the city with cafes, restaurants and bars, as well as a food marketplace.Reinstating Goldsbrough Lane at the back of 33 Alfred Street – that was covered over in the 1970s – will breathe new life into this historic part of Sydney.”Laneways present unique opportunities to create the ‘fine grain’ – those hole-in-the-wall cafes, basement bars, bespoke fashion outlets. We are creating an urban neighbourhood that provides people with a luxury of choice.”This is important, because people – particularly knowledge workers – are increasingly attracted to workplaces that enhance choice, encourage collaboration and idea sharing, and offer surprises around every corner.”We saw that this part of the city was long overdue for reactivation and revitalisation – and now we have a chance to create Sydney’s newest urban neighbourhood,” Middleton concludes.Murray Middleton will be sharing further insights into ‘World’s Best Projects’ at The Property Congress from 20-22 October 2016. More than 6 delegates will attend this year’s SOLD OUT event. www.thepropertycongress.com.au