Premium legal firm Maddocks has successfully moved into their new ‘signature space’ in Melbourne’s Collins Square, after Buildcorp completed the fit-out in August 2016. The modern Bates Smart-designed workspace will meet the current needs of their workforce and clients, and support their growth well into the future.
More than 350 Maddocks partners and staff are now occupying the three levels of Collins Square’s newly completed Tower 2. The 6,250m2 largely open-plan fit-out moves away from traditional siloed offices and is instead designed for collaboration and the increasing amount of flexible and mobile working arrangements required. It also provides more shared spaces and in-house hospitality offerings with a two-storey Wintergarden, a striking intertenancy staircase and commercial kitchen and café where clients and staff will socialise and work side-by-side.
Early design & prototyping
The project delivery process was supported by a six month pre-construction period where Buildcorp worked with the design team and suppliers to meticulously plan and test key features as part of a prototyping process. Elements such as joinery, finishes, banquette seating and workstations were prototyped and tested for quality, durability, functionality and maintenance before a full roll-out. The process included:
- All key joinery elements were workshopped to ensure Bates Smart and the specialist joiner, BorCor, could coordinate the finer details and achieve the quality required. As part of this, specialist banquette seating was prototyped and ergonomically tested with the Client.
- Travertine stone is a feature element of the design and slip and strength testing was first conducted on the product to optimise the final finish and functionality, as well as better understand its durability.
- Functional prototypes of the workstations were set up in the existing Maddocks office space to test and integrate IT and services requirements into the design. This also enabled Maddocks to influence the final custom design with their feedback and connect their staff with the new way of working.
The high-level of quality and finishes achieved in the final product are testament to the comprehensive pre-construction process Builcorp undertook in collaboration with Bates Smart and Maddocks. This quality, along with the forward thinking design, will enable Maddocks to evolve their business within the flexible workspace for many years to come.
