Officially opening early in 2022, and designed in partnership with Mirvac, Heritage Lanes was called Brisbane’s first “post-COVID workplace”, and the new Leesman findings are shedding light on the changing role of the office in today’s hybrid workplace culture.
Suncorp EGM Real Estate, Procurement & Operations Colin Harris said with home offices having the advantage of privacy and allowing for independent focused work, offices like Heritage Lanes are now prioritising the need for connection and community.
“A significant portion of our building is dedicated towards formal and informal meeting spaces, wellbeing spaces and event spaces, including our rooftop terrace,” Mr Harris said.
“Technology was also very carefully considered as part of the building design as it’s a critical part of the employee experience and the success of hybrid work. Our new Suncorp @MyOffice app and the wayfinding kiosks on each floor makes it easy to book a shared workstation, locker or room, while AV is included as standard in every enclosed meeting room.
“With our new Leesman+ certification, it’s clear we’re on the right track with Heritage Lanes a leading example of what the modern workplace experience should feel like.”
Suncorp EGM People & Culture Strategy Matt Leslie said with the majority of Suncorp’s workforce now adept at working from home, the role of our workplaces like Heritage Lanes had shifted to become more about creating meaningful employee experiences.
“Working from home has proven to have many advantages, and like many organisations, we needed to carefully consider when, and in what capacity, our employees should return to the office,” Mr Leslie said.
We’ve always backed a flexible approach to work and encourage our employees to make use of both home and office workspaces. The question shouldn’t be which is better – it’s recognising we need to use both and embracing the advantages each provides.
The Heritage Lanes Rooftop is one of the most impressive, and frequently visited, parts of the building.
Mirvac’s General Manager, Office, Andrew Butler said Mirvac, co-owner of the building along with M&G Real Estate, had focused on creating a ‘destination office’ at Heritage Lanes through restoring a significant piece of Queensland history at the site, the former Brisbane Fruit & Produce Exchange building on Turbot Street.
“Heritage Lanes is the expression of a fantastic partnership that from the outset, set out to be a world-class workplace and one of the most intelligent buildings in Australia, with ongoing innovation, a truly flexible design to meet Suncorp’s needs and a high level of sustainability. Heritage Lanes combines Queensland authenticity with global thinking to create a world-class workplace for Suncorp and our other tenants, and an activated city precinct for the community,” said Mr Butler.
Beyond its open and collaborative building design, Mr Leslie said Suncorp’s Heritage Lanes offered employee experiences designed to create a sense of community at work.
“Our award-winning ‘Big Days In’ employee campaign brought a festival feel to Heritage Lanes, with games, food trucks and hydration stations, and encouraged employees to mark ‘office day’ on their calendar.
“This was incredibly successful among our people, and it was great to see our welcoming Suncorp culture at play, while offering people the chance to informally catch-up with their colleagues.
Matt Leslie, Suncorp EGM People, Culture & Strategy
We want our people to feel connected again and bring new life back into Brisbane’s CBD.
“We’re also seeing employees come into the office to take part in fundraising or volunteer opportunities, or to take advantage of the free wellness classes we’ve been trialling.
“We want our people to feel connected again and bring new life back into Brisbane’s CBD.”
Leesman+ is awarded to top tier workplaces who achieve Leesman’s independent “LMI” score of 70 or above on a scale of 0–100. Heritage Lanes achieved a score of 81.2 which gives it the highest score of any eligible workplace in Brisbane.
#Key findings from the Leesman review
Employees are embracing hybrid
65% of Suncorp Heritage Lanes employees use a hybrid working model, splitting their time between the office and their home.
Mobility is the norm
80% of Suncorp Heritage Lanes employees said they perform their work in multiple locations, while 73% of employees use multiple workspaces within Heritage Lanes.
Offices need to focus on community and connection
95% of employees said Heritage Lanes supported collaborating on creative work.
93% said it supported learning from others.
87% of employees said Heritage Lanes contributes to a sense of community at work.
Technology is key
With desk sharing now the norm and meeting rooms in demand, employees listed desk and room booking systems as the third most important physical feature of the office (behind desks and chairs). The opening of Heritage Lanes also introduced Suncorp’s @MyOffice app, which employees use for this purpose, as well as their digital ID for gaining access.
Office-based technology must also accommodate for hybrid meetings as the norm, with Heritage Lanes offering AV in all its 234 enclosed meeting rooms for a seamless experience.
Employees need to be equipped to work productively at home
With many employees still choosing to also work from home, it’s important organisations also consider requirements for home set-ups.
98% of Suncorp Heritage Lanes employees have a dedicated workspace at home (e.g. a home office or dedicated desk) and 97% agreed their home environment allows them to work productively.
#About Heritage Lanes
Opening in early 2022, Heritage Lanes is Suncorp Group’s new Brisbane-based headquarters. The building was designed in partnership with Mirvac and was purpose-built for Suncorp as the major tenant.
Building and precinct:
60,000sqm net lettable area (Suncorp occupies approx 39,000sqm)
Dual frontage to both Ann and Turbot Streets
Revitalised heritage building on Turbot Street
300m walk from public transport
35 floors, with Suncorp occupying levels 2, 3, 16 to 31
Ground floor retail and food precinct
Wellbeing:
- 6 Star Green Star
- 5 Star NABERS (Energy)
4 Star NABERS (Water)
Gold Shell and Core WELL rating
Full interconnecting stairs on all Suncorp levels
640 bike racks and bike repair station
1,000 end of trip lockers and 64 showers
Wellness, parents and multifaith rooms
Nurturing 4,000+ plants on Suncorp floors
Workspaces:
- 3,353 work points
- 55% adjustable sit to stand
- 3,048 primary work points
- 305 touchdown work points
- Wayfinding and kiosks on every floor
- Digital screens in common areas
Almost 6,000 laptops issued to all employees
Workstations equipped with 34” curved widescreen monitor, adjustable arm, desktop sensor, keyboard and mouse
6,167 personal lockers and team storage
Collaboration spaces:
- 467 meeting spaces
- 233 enclosed meeting rooms
- 234 informal meeting spaces
- AV in every enclosed meeting room for a seamless experience
- 2 superhub floors featuring multifunctional spaces to support events, learning, innovation and collaboration
- 2 destination floors featuring spaces for events and training
- Technical training rooms located on levels 2, 3 and 23
- Town hall and large event spaces
- Roof-top terrace space with city and river views
- Level 23 café exclusive for Suncorp employees
- Co-located concierge, SmartBar and employee hub
- Configurable spaces to support innovation and collaboration
#About Leesman+
The Leesman Index is the largest employee experience database in the world. For each working environment surveyed, Leesman calculates an LMI score – a 0-100 rating – which can be used to benchmark an organisation’s performance against thousands of organisations across the world.
The Leesman+ certification is awarded to top-tier workplaces who achieve an independent LMI score of 70 or above on a scale of 0–100.
