“Following the sale of our South Melbourne office location, where OUP have been located for nearly 30 years, we set ...
Oxford University Press
“Following the sale of our South Melbourne office location, where OUP have been located for nearly 30 years, we set out to find the best location to maximise public transport access for employees and to create a working environment which achieved our workplace strategic objectives. Following many staff focus groups and workshops these objectives were articulated as:
- Know our customer better,
- Value and develop our people,
- Innovate early and often,
- Understand and value change,
- Break down silos,
- Be collaborative, but respectful.
This meant creating a design which was open plan, with ample space for open collaboration, and mixtures of rooms for all tasks from quiet individual working through to customer workshops and training.
We had a rocky start when we commenced the design phase with a different fit out company and subsequently made the great decision to move to Evoke. From the moment we started working with them we knew we had made the right choice. Evoke’s designs were streets ahead of the competition and the team made it feel easy and exciting.
The project ran like a dream, even when faced with challenges which squeezed our dates, together we delivered!
The final fortnight, did see us panic a little, as it appeared that we were still a long way from completion. But it was like watching a home renovation programme where at the last minute suddenly it all comes together and the new space unfolded, much to our delight.
Day one when the staff entered the building for the very first time, was special to watch. Everyone was blown away with how amazing the office looked and how the spaces worked to ensure we delivered on our workplace strategy. It was a real success.
Jerry and the Evoke team have really been a pleasure to work with, and the overall result of the design and a fit out is a real hit. To the point that our group MD jokingly said ‘we don’t want anyone to see Australia, or they will all want new offices!’. We know we have the best office across the global business, and the results in terms of staff engagement since the move prove the worth of good planning, great design and exceptional project management.
We are thrilled with the results. Thank you, to the Evoke team”.
Arthur Baker, Managing Director