All images in article from Macquarie Group HQ (unless otherwise noted)
European examplars for the refurb-first approach
With aging building stock and a tightening economy, new commercial buildings in CBDs are becoming rare.
The UK is shifting toward a refurb-first approach, with numerous notable projects leading the way.
For instance, EPR Architects’ 60 London Wall, which won the Edie Net-Zero Award for Green Building Project of the Year, exemplifies this shift.
Stripped to its structural core, 60 London Wall is now highly efficient and a model for circular economy practices – reusing 80% of carpets, furniture and lighting, resulting in a 59-tonne CO2 reduction.
In Berlin, the Luisenblock project by Sauerbruch Hutton for the German Parliament demonstrates another innovative approach. Its 470 interlocking mass timber modules plug onto a rationalised slab, with all fitout components prefabricated offsite. Designed for future disassembly, the modules can be reconfigured elsewhere, ensuring longevity and adaptability.
The main resistance to modular fitouts lies in upfront costs. Sustainable timbers and modular systems often struggle to compete with traditional aluminium and plasterboard partitioning.
While many organisations set ESG targets, endlessly rising material and construction costs can challenge their commitment to sustainability. However, developing a modular planning approach from the outset is a significant step toward better outcomes.
Above: 60 London Wall project by EPR Architects [Image: EPR Architects]
Below: Luisenblock project by Sauerbruch Hutton for the German Parliament [Image: Jan Bitter]
[Both images published in Architecture, AU.]
Efficiency can be achieved using modular planning strategies and components designed to fit within the base building geometries and structural grid.
This ‘macro to micro’ approach allows built zones on multi-storey floors to be minimised while maximising open, adaptable areas. Purposeful, scenario-tested open areas then provide much needed long-term flexibility, reducing future demolition and waste.
Designing more open, adaptable areas for Australian clients
Several key clients, including Macquarie Group, Atlassian and Ashurst, have successfully adopted this planning model.
Leaving 75% of floor plates open and flexible, the remainder integrate ‘hard-wired’ built zones embedded early in the planning phase allowing confident progress of all consultants through key design stages.
Open areas are designed with pre-planned scenarios, allowing businesses to reconfigure spaces as needed.
For Macquarie, this strategy enabled the late-stage integration of modular, prefabricated room systems toward the end of a seven-year project timeline – demonstrating the power of flexible design.
The concept of ‘space as a service’
But we can push this thinking further by adopting the ‘space as a service’ concept. Co-living models have already embraced shared facilities to create adaptable, multi-generational housing.
An IKEA-backed project, led by SPACE10 in Scandinavia, explored a subscription-based housing model where occupants access sustainable, beautifully designed spaces without the burden of ownership.
Applying this model to commercial real estate could transform how landlords and tenants interact. Instead of static office spaces, buildings could house dynamic, shared hubs with state-of-the-art technology, premium coffee, and collaborative meeting areas. Such hubs would extend each tenant’s workplace, reducing individual fit out requirements and associated costs.
By promoting cross-pollination between tenants, these spaces would also foster community engagement, breaking down silos often found in commercial buildings.
If widely adopted, space as a service could become a baseline expectation in commercial buildings. This shift would significantly reduce waste and energy consumption, replacing traditional office construction with smart, sustainable, and socially enriching environments.
Macquarie’s headquarters in Martin Place exemplifies this potential, integrating public spaces that benefit not only employees but the broader community.
Crucial next steps
Addressing the environmental impact of the design and construction industry is critical.
While sustainable materials and modular construction represent the holy grail, immediate improvements can be achieved through smarter workplace planning.
By maximising adaptability and promoting occupant choice, we can demonstrate to clients how thoughtful design reduces environmental impact.
Developers and landlords must also take responsibility. Rather than offering short-term lease incentives, they should invest in shared spaces that provide lasting workplace value.
By prioritising long-term resilience over short-term gains, they can help create active, highly utilised buildings that enhance our urban centres.
Designing for net-zero is designing for resilience. The key is accepting that workplace needs will always change. Spaces designed for transformation and adaptability will endure, while rigid, outdated office models will continue to end up on the scrap heap.
This article was first published by Architecture,AU on 2 April 2025.
