Arup’s Brisbane workplace

One of the few projects in Australia to pursue the Living Building Challenge certification, Arup’s new Brisbane home sets a benchmark in sustainability and reinforces the importance of designing flexible, dynamic spaces.

Spanning three levels in the recently refurbished 123 Albert Street building in the Queensland capital’s central business district, global built environment consultancy Arup’s Brisbane base is the latest iteration of the decade-long Hassell – Arup workplace collaboration. It leverages learnings from our other recently designed Arup studios in Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

Building on the workplace approach developed with Hassell’s strategy team, our design team collaborated closely with Arup, sustainable materials advisors Five Mile Radius, and First Nations design consultants Blaklash to embed the vision.

HOW REGENERATIVE DESIGN IS RESHAPING THE WORKPLACE

A thorough material audit of both the new fit-out location and Arup’s existing space quickly identified opportunities to breathe new life into familiar elements. Working iteratively with Five Mile Radius, 111 components in the fit-out were salvaged, ranging from metals and timbers to stones. Existing ceiling tiles, carpets and furniture were earmarked for reuse, setting the stage for a design that honours the past while embracing innovation.

With a focus on flexible, social environments, the space invites people to connect and collaborate. Two side areas maximise openness, while a central shared spine — with stairs and curated sightlines — physically and visually connects teams. Around the spine, four neighbourhood-style zones, varied in size, champion daylight, textured materials and greenery to create a sense of comfort. Arup’s Brisbane office is a fully agile workspace powered by smart tech and seamless operations with shared amenities and diverse work settings where every individual stays connected and supported.

On Level 26, occupants are greeted with a spacious forum complete with adaptable tiered seating, an auditorium staircase and moveable furniture that can be rearranged as needed. Spaces of varying scales cater to different users: some places feature lower ceilings and lush plantings for a more intimate atmosphere, while others offer high ceilings and open layouts for a brighter, more expansive feel.

The fit-out offers a curated experience where every detail delights and surprises as you explore the space. It demonstrates that elegance and sustainability can coexist harmoniously — refined aesthetics blend seamlessly with regenerative design principles.

Client

Arup

Location

Yuggera and Turrbal Country
Brisbane, Australia

Status

Completed

Year

2025

Sustainability Ratings

Living Building Challenge (targeting), WELL Platinum (targeting)

Scale

5,000 sqm

Collaborators

Arup, Five Mile Radius, Blaklash, Acuity, Studio Ongarato

Design team

Scott Walker, Emma Williams, Sophie Kebbell

PHOTOGRAPHY

David Chatfield, Jon Wright - Blank Canvas Photography

98.4% of all building waste has been diverted from landfill
1,769 sqm of carpet tiles were retained
115 sqm of cork was refurbished for reuse
111 types of salvaged material used
73% of the fit-out was sourced from the east coast of Australia
100% of workstations on Level 21 were salvaged from an existing fit-out
1,900 plants throughout the space

Creative reuse solutions feature throughout the project. The original stair mesh balustrade was retained and wrapped around columns to foster a living, green display with recycled timber studs used as partitions around print areas and storerooms.

Leftover perforated metal, sourced from a closing Ripple Iron factory, found a new purpose as café joinery and wall cladding — each piece carrying its own character. Other reclaimed treasures include blackbutt timber floorboards from New South Wales wharves and Brisbane volcanic tuff, a type of rock, from site work excavations at Brisbane Airport. The latter echoes the rugged elegance of nearby Kangaroo Point Cliffs.

Additional touches highlight the resourcefulness of the design: Five Mile Radius transformed salvaged floorboards into custom stools, and local Museum of Brisbane display boxes were reimagined as furniture, mounted on bases sourced from shopping centre food court tables. Crushed oyster shells, collected from Queensland restaurants, form the render on the main central columns — the first installation of its type, developed by local company Mineral Fox. Later in the design process, construction company Buildcorp identified an opportunity to reuse green granite from a demolition site, which now serves as the winter garden flooring.

Working with First Nations design agency Blaklash, Arup’s new Brisbane workspace immediately evokes the local Yuggera and Turrbal Country. A reflective metal ceiling mirrors light like a waterway, linking the space to the nearby Brisbane River and the historical creek that once lay on the site’s grounds.

At the building’s heart, a vaulted double-height arrival space showcases artwork by Waanyi and Kalkadoon artist and designer Keisha Leon, deepening the connection to Yuggera and Turrbal Country. Some 1,900 plants and diverse floor levels mimic the landscaped terrain of Country, actively restoring the site’s ecological memory and reflecting the riparian systems erased by colonial development.