NAB’s Melbourne headquarters voted best IEQ workplace

NAB’s headquarters at 700 Bourke Street, Docklands is the best commercial performer for indoor environment quality, according to a building occupant survey.

The Building Occupant Satisfaction Survey Australia (BOSSA), a collaboration between the University of Sydney and University of Technology, Sydney, rates buildings from an occupant’s perspective, covering indoor air quality and air movement, spatial comfort, noise distraction and privacy, connection to outdoor environment, building image and maintenance, individual space, thermal comfort, visual comfort, and health and productivity.

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The results found that out of 60 buildings rated, 700 Bourke Street topped nine of the 13 categories, placing NAB as the best workplace out of all the top-tier buildings surveyed.

University of Sydney architectural science lecturer Christhina Candido said the results showed how well the top end of the market was performing.

“NAB’s headquarters topped nine out of 13 Indoor Environmental Quality indicators: spatial comfort, individual space, indoor air quality, visual comfort, building image, productivity, work area comfort, building satisfaction, and health and maintenance.”

The new HQ has led to a 17 per cent increase in staff satisfaction and 11 per cent increase in staff productivity, the survey also found.

“We’re delighted that we are supporting NAB’s employees to work more collaboratively and flexibly, with greater focus and with stronger performance and wellbeing outcomes,” NAB’s group executive people, communications and governance Michaela Healey said.

“As we reach the second anniversary of opening the building, it’s a great time to recognise how an innovative design and our commitment to flexible and agile working has built a better workplace for our people and the environment.”
The workplace design was the result of a collaborative alliance between NAB Cbus Property as developer, Woods Bagot as designer and Brookfield Multiplex as builder.

“NAB’s ranking in the survey confirms that our performance based design and user experience approach has a tangible and quantifiable impact to those experiencing the environments we create,” Woods Bagot managing director and chief executive Nik Karalis said.

BOSSA has been running for five years and is an accredited part of the NABERS and Green Star ratings schemes used by building occupants and owners to comply with and benchmark against the system.