Our ‘Workplace Progress’ issue—on sale from 25 March 2021—examines the shifting goal posts of workplace design, and shares the most notable contemporary insights, perspectives and projects in the space today.
March 25th, 2021
We’ve collectively been through so much in the past year. In putting together the ‘Workplace Progress’ issue of Indesign it became increasingly clear that we are in a period of adaptation and transition.
For years we’ve pioneered change through design. But the last 12+ months has upset that status quo. We’ve been forced into a reactionary relationship with change. Adaptation and transition are no longer just a philosophy, they are a daily practise.
The work-from-home phenomenon has precipitated a dramatic shift in expectations among workers – ourselves included. The goal posts of workplace design have shifted. Architect Kellie Payne of Bates Smart sums it up so well when she says: “I like to think of the past year as an evolution, not a revolution… Evolution requires persistence. We shouldn’t ever be at a place where we’ve finally ‘solved’ workplace.” (Responding to Change, Indesign #83, page 148).

On that note, here’s a taste of other such astute insights, perspectives and exemplary work you’ll find in the contents of our latest issue, on ‘Workplace Progress’, Indesign #83, on sale 25 March 2021.
As we teeter on the edge of rapid and volatile change, we look to one of the global industry’s leading lights for insight and direction.

Architecture is more than just a practise, it’s a vocation, for brothers and business partners, Corbett and Carey Lyon.

From its basement bike racks to its rooftop meeting pods, Market Lane fulfils a craving for greener pastures among its health-driven workers.
Market Lane, Melbourne, by Elenberg Fraser in partnership with Hickory Group. Photography by Damien Kook
A nook, a niche, or even just a portion of a kitchen table was once sufficient to work from home. But these temporary spaces no longer feel suitable and, with the family underfoot, the home office has moved up the wish list.
Bellevue Hill House, Sydney, by Bureau SRH. Photography by Tom Ferguson
Security, visibility, legibility. bamford-architects’ bespoke interior expertly juggles the complex needs of this inner-city police station.
Melbourne East Police Station, Melbourne, by bamford-architects. Photography by Dianna Snape
In a post-brand age enterprises are re-evaluating their real estate to create a visceral brand presence.
McConaghy Properties head office, Brisbane, by Hogg and Lamb. Photography by Christopher Frederick Jones
When Woods Bagot was approached to submit a concept as part of a competition to design the new Sculptform showroom, the team took the opportunity to throw caution to the wind and really get creative in their design response.
Scultpform Showroom, Melbourne, by Woods Bagot. Photography by Peter Bennetts
Simon Pole, global design director at Unispace, says that the CBD has had it too good for too long. As workplace designers, this is our moment to look beyond office towers.

From the streets of New York to the laneways of Melbourne, Stephen Crafti looks at how architects are reinventing the public realm to support collaboration and connectivity.

How do we begin to facilitate better wellness within a community context? GOLDEN shares their perspective.

Now is the time for strategy and action, say workplace strategists Kellie Payne and Dr Caroline Burns. And it all begins with asking the right questions.

Gensler’s Australian Workplace Survey finds that people returning to work would prefer to decide how and where best to complete their work. Enter the new hybrid work model.

From the quiet seclusion of home to the thrumming energy of the office; could acoustics be the key to our peaceful and productive transition back to work?

All these stories and more can be devoured to your heart’s content inside our ‘Workplace Progress’ issue, Indesign #83. Many valuable insights and perspectives await within. We’d love to hear your thoughts and responses, after you’ve finished reading, editorial@indesign.com.au.
Get your copy of Indesign #83, or subscribe to stay connected here

INDESIGN is on instagram
Follow @indesignlive
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
For those who appreciate form as much as function, Gaggenau’s latest induction innovation delivers sculpted precision and effortless flexibility, disappearing seamlessly into the surface when not in use.
The undeniable thread connecting Herman Miller and Knoll’s design legacies across the decades now finds its profound physical embodiment at MillerKnoll’s new Design Yard Archives.
Rising above the new Sydney Metro Gadigal Station on Pitt Street, Investa’s Parkline Place is redefining the office property aesthetic.
London-based design duo Raw Edges have joined forces with Established & Sons and Tongue & Groove to introduce Wall to Wall – a hand-stained, “living collection” that transforms parquet flooring into a canvas of colour, pattern, and possibility.
A thoughtful, low-waste redesign by PMG Group in collaboration with Goodman has transformed a dated office into a calm, contemporary workspace featuring a coastal-inspired palette and Milliken flooring for a refined finish.
Making a splash on the hair spa scene, the latest project from X + O makes a little slice of Japan right at home in suburban Melbourne.
The World Architecture Festival has named The Holy Redeemer Church and Community Centre of Las Chumberas in La Laguna, Spain as World Building of the Year 2025, alongside major winners in interiors, future projects and landscape.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Buchan weaves heritage and contemporary retail across a 3,600sqm site featuring dual-branded hotels, arcades and revitalised laneways.
The final instalment in our three-part series on collaborations between the world’s best designers and the American Hardwood Export Council.
Humanscale’s new showroom is about the modern workplace, with ergonomic excellence, sustainable design and architectural heritage in Singapore.
Recognised as a winner at the INDE.Awards 2025, Barton Taylor has received The Photographer – Residential accolade. His photographic work on Cake House captures the soul of a coastal icon reimagined, blending light, texture and atmosphere into a compelling visual narrative.