AECOM’s Brisbane Workplace that was designed by BVN won the ‘Office Fit-out’ category at the 2011 BPN Sustainability Awards that were announced last night in Sydney by ABC personality and comedian James McLoughlin.

This highly sustainable workplace includes innovations like worm farms in each of the staff kitchens that are used to convert all organic waste into liquid fertiliser which is then used to feed the office plants.

According to the awards jury, “The AECOM building’s design philosophy was adopted by BVN, to apply a communal, rather than territorial approach to space design and allocation.”

The jury noted how BVN’s design, “achieves high level visual connectivity (transparency) via the void staircase design, thereby aligning with the client's ‘one AECOM’ philosophy whilst still providing discreet task specific spaces.”

Mr David Kelly, BVN Principal said, “AECOM needed a flexible workplace to enable a diverse range of work types to be carried out in a collaborative environment.”

He noted that, “our design team focused on supporting AECOM’s green office policy by using sustainable building methods and materials in an effort to avoid a tick box approach to Green Star rating.”

Other sustainable initiatives included sourcing materials from renewable and ecologically sound suppliers where possible, that involved establishing a chain of Custody and Forest Stewardship for all timber products and ensuring that all the hardwood timber used was 100 per cent post consumer recycled.

According to Mr. Kelly, “Workplaces are no longer just spaces where people come together to do work, they are spaces used to inspire and motivate staff to maximise their potential.”

“It’s all about keeping people at the heart of the project, designing a place that supports a community,” he said.

This is the third award BVN has received for AECOM since it was completed late in 2010.