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Workplace strategy think tank Leesman has ranked Axle, South Eveleigh (for Commonwealth Bank Australia) in Sydney as the newest number one workplace in Australia and one of the top workplaces globally for outstanding employee workplace experience, according to its annual global survey of employee experience.
Dr. Peggie Rothe, Leesman’s chief insights and research officer, said the 43,000-square-meter stood out among the rest of the spaces for its experience within a building of its size.
“We’ve measured nearly 5,000 workplaces globally during the past ten years and if we look just at the large workplaces, Axle is number two on the entire list,” Dr. Rothe said. Based on employee feedback about how effectively the workplace supports them and their work, Leesman+ certification is awarded to only a fraction of the buildings measured.
The global Leesman team examines how workplaces affect employee and organizational performance and identifies top-tier workplaces around the world. Employee experience is measured via employee feedback on how effectively the workplace supports them and their work. Each workplace is then benchmarked against Leesman’s workplace effectiveness database – considered the world’s largest and statistically most robust.
“CBA isn’t new to pioneering in workplaces and experimenting to optimize its facilities. With its workplace strategy and identity shifting from ‘bank’ to the environment of a tech company or a start-up, CBA’s commitment to supporting a healthy and sustainable future for its people is exceptional,” said Woods Bagot’s global leader in workplace design, Amanda Stanaway.
At Axle, people have the freedom to find their ideal space to work in at any time of the day that suits their schedule. Standing at eight stories, the new building harnesses the communal and craft-based concept of the railroad workshop that once operated on the historic site, providing the 4,000 employees with the best spaces, tools and techniques to bring new ideas to life. Unlike a traditional workplace, Axle is open 24/7, and the developing precinct in which it is located will be activated 18 hours a day, every day, by the end of the year.
“As well as achieving equitable access and utilization across a workplace of such a large scale, the design meets the needs of diverse roles and creates spaces that allow for rest and respite. Retreat spaces and shelters for individual work, rest and tech-free relaxation ease into vibrant and active settings,” Bradhly Le, a workplace interior design leader working closely with Stanaway, said. According to Le, the design for Axle flips the fixed, process-driven model of thinking with spaces that are focused on the intellectual exchange and intuitive wellness for a mindset of innovation.
Conceived as a miniature city, the mix of structured and personal spaces provides settings for collaboration balanced by those for independent tasks and retreat. Café-style meeting areas, multipurpose rooms for groups, secluded private booths and outside terraces give staff the freedom to connect from wherever. The clear delineation of these areas invites intuitive movement among them. Technology has been simplified and unified, allowing teams to work effectively in real-time, no matter where they are.
South Eveleigh is a precinct in inner Sydney, developed by Mirvac. The Axle building architect is FJMT.
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