DEXUS’s Premium-grade 480 Queen Street office in Brisbane will officially be launched tonight (Thursday) by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, featuring what is believed to be Australia’s first elevated park in an office building.
The Grocon-developed and built 6 Star Green Star office, which is also formally registering for WELL Building certification, incorporates a 1400 square metre park on its fourth floor available for community use, as well as a “grove” of trees on its level 32 rooftop. The path up to the park features a 350 square metre glass-tiled rainforest mural by artist Daniel Mellor.
According to outgoing Grocon chief executive Carolyn Viney, the development has already had a lot of positive engagement from the community, and was designed to contribute to the broader CBD precinct and involve community as well as tenants.
“This is a building for all of Brisbane and we’re delighted that people seem to have embraced it already,” she said.
Grocon has been in the news multiple times in the past few weeks for incorporating social outcomes into its developments, including with end-of-use facilities that can be used by the homeless in a Melbourne development, and employing an organisation whose profits help build womens’ shelters to manage another Melbourne project.
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The building features a number of amenities, including a childcare centre, a gym, a pharmacy, a barber, food vendors and end-of-trip facilities – 600 bike spaces, 500 lockers and 45 showers.
Tenants include BHP Billiton, PWC, Regus, Mitsui, Arrive Wealth Management, and law firms Herbert Smith Freehills, Allens, HWL Ebsworth and DLA Piper, most of whom have moved in over the past few weeks.
DEXUS chief executive Darren Steinberg said the names on the tenant list was evidence the building had achieved its goal of being “Brisbane’s ultimate business address”.
“480 Queen sets a new standard – it’s a Premium building in a premium location, and with people at the heart of its design our customers will enjoy the increased efficiency that comes with a flexible and inspiring workplace,” he said.
“Combine that with a focus on sustainability, public art and precinct activation and you have a workplace that sets a new standard in Australian office.”