Hume City Council Office Building

The Hume City Council Office Building demonstrates the transformative effect that architecture can have on a workplace, community and urban environment. Completed in 2007 and awarded the Harry Seidler National Architecture Award for Commercial Architecture in 2008, the building’s iconic design unites council staff in a harmonious environment, makes services more efficient and contributes to the urban fabric of Broadmeadows, Victoria. It acts as a civic hub that supports collaboration between service teams and the public. After being appointed to this project following a national Design Competition, we worked closely with the Hume City Council on a design that reflects their pride and ambition to be an employer of choice. Because of this, the design is driven by occupant comfort to foster a united and seamless work culture. Awarded a 5 Green Star ‘as-built’ rating, the building showcases a commitment to environmental sustainability without compromising the quality of the work environment. A flexible workplace strategy enables efficient service delivery across teams. While achieving the council’s workplace goals and environmental sustainability ambitions, the building is ultimately designed for the community, making council services accessible for everyone. At ground level, a welcoming customer service centre and clear wayfinding make interactions simple.

Welcoming one-stop shop for council services

Our design for the Hume City Council Office building demonstrates our expertise in modern service design and our ability to consolidate services and staff. In 2005, Victoria’s Hume City Council, proposed consolidating its offices into a united and seamless organisation, with a vision to be a one-stop shop for the community. Our design consolidates and redesigns the delivery of council services from four locations, so the community can have all their questions answered under one roof. The consolidation creates a single point of entry and co-locates public-facing teams to streamline enquiries. The design also benefits council staff, transforming working methods through an integrated workplace that operates as a seamless, interconnected organisation. The building is a compact six level form with five levels of workplace interconnected by open stairs. The design features a solid services core at each end of the building allowing maximum possible penetration of natural light into the workplace. Open stairs and shared hubs encourage everyday collaboration and knowledge exchange. The layout provides opportunities for a wide range of shared and collaborative workplaces, including social areas for staff. Flexible floorplates support future reconfiguration as service models evolve.

An environmentally sustainable civic marker for a fast growing suburb

Built opposite a major shopping centre, the building creates a new public realm for the community and sets important precedents for sustainable design practices. The compact design is built up to the local planning scheme’s height limit, providing a proud vertical scale to contrast the horizontal retail centre and setting a precedent for a suburban metropolis. A small forecourt at the front of the building creates a quality public realm for small community activities. These moves support activation of the precinct and reinforce the building’s civic presence within the urban fabric.

Our design illustrates The Hume City Council’s commitment to a sustainable vision for their city and leads the way for future developments. Our approach to sustainability is threefold; low energy usage, water conservation, and most importantly, occupant comfort. This was in response to the Council’s understanding that motivated, happy staff provide better service to the public. Passive-first design reduces energy demand and supports efficient operations over the life of the building. Passive design principles including good orientation, sun shading, thermal mass and high performance glass are all integrated into the design.

Inspired by the cross section of an apple, an environmental skin rendered in bright white with a green line wraps around the building’s form. This singular and dynamic gesture expresses the ethos of the council; equal measures civic and corporate. Expanding at top and bottom to accommodate the staff lounge and public meeting room, the envelope folds over the foyer to form a generous public space. Recycled timber is used where possible and offers contrast with ‘Welcome’ super graphics, mediating the relationship between public and private. The building is powerful and iconic in its new city setting, seen from afar as a civic attractor but also highly engaging and accessible at ground level to welcome the diverse community into its generous service centre. The distinctive envelope strengthens wayfinding and signals an open, community-focused civic identity.