BHP ADELAIDE WORKPLACE
The brief for BHP Adelaide was crystal clear: create a bold, welcoming and connected new home for a proud and professional organisation. Spread over eight storeys at Charter Hall’s 20-storey tower at 10 Franklin Street, BHP Adelaide echoes the distinctive landscapes of the company’s mining sites. The earth-red colour scheme and natural materials pay homage to BHP’s heritage. With light, airy spaces and a range of work settings, it is a place that encourages people to breathe and do their best work.
Designed by Woods Bagot and delivered by Built, BHP Adelaide has garnered accolades and admiration around the world. In 2020, it was named the world’s best workplace by the Leesman Index, which benchmarks workplace experience and enjoyment. In 2023, BHP Adelaide took home the Property Council of Australia’s prestigious State Development of the Year Award.
At a glance
- ClientBHP
- ServicesCommercial Success
- sectorCommercial
- LocationAdelaide, Australia
Deep experience and data-driven advice
RLB’s deep experience in the Adelaide market and our independent thinking proved a winning combination for the state’s largest company. RLB provided cost management services throughout the project from inception to occupation. With the help of our in-house cost benchmarking dataverse, RLB developed detailed cost plans that informed the project team’s decision-making process.
BHP Adelaide combines spectacular amenity, state-of-the-art technology and inspiring aesthetics. A commitment to collaboration and creative thinking supported the delivery of an exceptional, future-fit workplace that will help BHP attract and retain top talent, innovate and unearth new valueJohn Drillis, Managing Director, RLB
Every element of BHP Adelaide was carefully designed to spark collaboration and connection, and our multi-disciplinary team looked at the cost implications from every angle. The result is a flexible and future-focused environment that allows BHP’s people to adapt their space to each task today, and their work and ambitions tomorrow, as technology and thinking evolve.
Collaboration, connection and creativity under the one roof
The copper-clad steel staircase, made with materials taken from BHP’s Olympic Dam mine 560 kilometres north of Adelaide, runs through the building’s spine to foster connection and facilitate the ‘social bump’.
The exposed ceilings – with their earthy-brown tones – turn the mechanical services into a feature, celebrating BHP’s industrial heritage and eliminating unnecessary materials.
- 10,000m2
of space
- 8
storeys
- 1,500
employees
Focused, future-fit, flexible and fun
The best workplaces offer a range of settings to suit each person’s mood, task and preferred workstyle. At BHP Adelaide, appealing open plan floors are flooded in natural light, while a series of soundproof booths offer privacy. Each floor is fitted with 100% sit-to-stand workstations that can be raised or lowered electronically, moving to the right height each time a new staff member sits down. A large terrace, overflowing with greenery and with expansive views of the city, offers fresh air and fresh perspectives. On level three, the Integrated Remote Operating Centre allows staff to control Olympic Dam’s machinery and systems remotely. This centre is sealed off from the rest of the office; a viewing gallery gives school groups a rare insight into the 24/7 operations.
A new chapter in a celebrated story
Home to more than 1,500 people, the workplace experience is set from the moment BHP’s employees walk through the door. The foyer, with a design inspired by an airline lounge, features 60 workplaces and seating areas, as well as a 4.5-metre-high digital screen. Beyond the lobby, two-metre-high dividers turn communal desks into oases of calm; the level five library is another place of quiet respite that supports research and reflection. Rooms for contemplation, prayer, wellness and fitness were carefully considered and costed. Other rooms offer space for employees’ children to chill out after school, while a games room with table tennis and e-sports offers another relaxation zone. BHP is a fitout that is future-ready – a welcoming place that connects a diverse workforce, fosters wellbeing and belonging, and signals a new chapter for an organisation with a long and storied history.
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