Lendlease unveils new headquarters

Local Lendlease staff have joined their suburban colleagues at a consolidated campus at the new Melbourne Quarter development in Batman’s Hill.

The first of the new precinct’s buildings was opened by planning minister Richard Wynne and Lendlease Group CEO and managing director Steve McCann on October 11.

Mr McCann said his organisation had only signed a development agreement for Melbourne Quarter in 2013 and was granted a permit for One Melbourne Quarter in 2016.

He said Melbourne Quarter was the largest mixed-used development within inner-Melbourne and an estimated 15,000 jobs would have been created by the time the development peaks in coming years.

Mr Wynne said: “This is a place where Melburnians will want to visit, live and work. The Melbourne Quarter precinct creates an important gateway, linking Docklands to the CBD, creating thousands of jobs for Victorians both during construction and once complete.”

One Melbourne Quarter is home to about 400 Lendlease employees who have relocated from three different office locations across Melbourne.

Lendlease occupies levels four to six of the 13-storey building, the first commercial tower to be delivered in the 2.5 ha Melbourne Quarter precinct on Collins St.

A key feature of the new workplace is access to the first phase of the precinct’s elevated Sky Park, featuring a spiral staircase leading up to the park from Collins St.

Creating additional community amenity, the wi-fi enabled Sky Park encourages workers to re-charge and work outside. The park’s biophilic design – which refers to design that reflects the natural world – is essential for enhancing health and wellbeing.

Lendlease’s new office is centred around the concept of team neighbourhoods of 15 – 20 employees. Allocated desks are eliminated and replaced with centralised team tables to promote a team-based working culture and opportunities for immediate feedback, staff connectivity and collaboration.

Additional highlights include a dedicated event space, a high-tech immersion room, a social hub with a barista and interconnecting stairs across the three floors, promoting free movement and social connectedness.

The building will be home to about 2500 workers, with design and engineering firm Arup already joining Lendlease and AMP due to move in next year.

The building is targeting a 6 Star Green Star rating from the Green Building Council of Australia, a 5.5 star NABERS Energy tenancy rating and a WELL New Interiors Certification.

The Lendlease-managed Australian Prime Property Fund Commercial (APPF Commercial) purchased the 26,000sqm One Melbourne Quarter on behalf of its investors in November 2016.

The precinct’s next commercial tower, Two Melbourne Quarter, is currently under construction. The 50,000sqm building is pre-committed by EnergyAustralia and is expected to reach completion in mid-2020.

When finished, more than 50 per cent of the Melbourne Quarter precinct will be dedicated to public open space. Melbourne Quarter has achieved a 6 Star Green Star Communities rating, showcasing world leadership in sustainability.