For Woods Bagot Principal and Global Workplace Sector Leader Kirsti Simpson, longevity has become one of the defining considerations of contemporary workplace design.

"The conversation around workplace sustainability often focuses on operational performance, but one of the greatest opportunities lies in designing spaces that remain relevant for longer," Simpson says.

"Workplaces need the capacity to evolve alongside the organisations they support. Adaptability is fundamental to creating enduring environments that continue to deliver value over time."

Remaining true to this approach, when the practice sensed the need for a workplace upgrade, it chose not to move to new premises but refurbish its long-standing home at Wynyard in the Sydney CBD.

"Our studio refurbishment operates as a working prototype," Woods Bagot Principal and Project Lead Hayden Crawford says. "It allows us to test ideas, understand how they perform over time and demonstrate how workplace environments can deliver greater flexibility, sustainability and long-term value."

Existing elements were retained wherever possible, while new interventions were conceived as modular insertions that can be reconfigured, relocated and repurposed as needs evolve.

At the heart of the workplace sits a meeting village that acts as both social anchor and collaborative hub. Designed as a demountable architectural system, it provides a variety of spaces for project reviews, workshops, informal discussions and client engagement while remaining adaptable to future requirements.

Drawing on ideas more commonly associated with hospitality and residential design, the studio prioritises warmth, comfort and social interaction. Shared spaces are positioned to maximise natural light and views across Wynyard Park, while material selections, lighting and furniture create an environment that feels welcoming, tactile and distinctly human.

There is also a distinct gradient of spatial typologies. The client zones are clustered adjacent to entry sequence, while model-making, material libraries and collaborative project zones reinforce the culture of creativity and exchange that defines the practice.

Overall, the project builds on Woods Bagot's broader research into adaptable workplace systems, including its collaboration with Dexus on the Forever Fitout initiative, which explores how workplaces can reduce embodied carbon and extend fit-out lifecycles through design for disassembly.

"The spaces we create should be capable of growing with the people who use them," Simpson says. "When a workplace is designed with longevity in mind, it remains valuable, adaptable and meaningful for much longer."

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