The Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s (CBA) newest workplace, Axle, focuses on the bank’s continued commitment to innovation, learning and the wellbeing of its people. With CBA’s workplace strategy and identity shifting from a more traditional banking environment to that more akin to a tech company, the design of Axle responds directly to the bank’s vision for a world-class environment. CBA is focused on advancing its digital future through people, collaboration and innovation, and Axle helps with this focus.

Across 42,500 square metres and eight floors, Woods Bagot has created an intuitive workplace that uses smart technology to simplify and unify the workspace, building and employees to create a positive experience for everyone. Accommodating 4,000 people, the spaces within Axle are highly diverse and highly porous. Optimised for learning and productivity, the mix of logical, open, desirable spaces is designed for both deliberate and random collaboration. There are retreat spaces and shelters for individual work, while rest and tech-free relaxation spaces ease into vibrant and active settings.

Developed as ‘the smartest of smart buildings,’ the intuitive workplace uses smart technology to simplify and unify the workspace, buildings and employees to create a positive experience for everyone. Equally committed to being incredibly human – keeping its scale, architectural strategy, amenity and workplace philosophy people-centric. Working with CBA’s realisation that its need for flexibility required a degree of simplicity, Woods Bagot designed a program that does not convolute functions. For example, rather than adjustable workstations, there are separate sitting and standing workstations and a simple movement takes people from one to the other. Work settings are also simplified. The periphery provides ‘me settings’, then come the ‘we settings’ (the individual with team members and other people), then ‘us settings’ as one gets closer to the atrium. The simple separation creates clarity in the workspace and with simplicity comes flexibility.

Furniture:
Unifor Australia, Living Edge, Dexion, Uplifting Solutions, Work Arena, District, Design Nation, Café Culture, Seehosu, Anibou, Cult Design, Stylecraft, Mark Tuckey, Koskela, Schiavello, Jardan, Mid Med, Kezu, Wilkhahn, HVG, Architonic, NSW Leather, CFS Furniture, Tappeti, Dexion, Wilson & Gilkes.
Lighting: KKDC VBO. Finishes: Halliday Bailie, Spectrum Flooring, Forbo;,RC +D, Gibbon, Interface, Artedomus, Earp Bros, Classic Ceramics, Teranova, Ocean and Merchant, Academy Tiles, Skheme Tiles, WK Marble, Corian; Civardi Joinery, Dulux, H Dallas Industries, Armstrong, Polytec, Elton Group, Laminex, Kvadrat, Portugal Cork Co, CHH Woodproducts, Woodform, Instyle, Easycraft. Fittings & Fixtures: Darko Hafele

Photography: Nicole England & Trevor Mein