Spaceworks Interior Architecture

Why Now: What’s Driving the Future of Work in 2025? Spaceworks is proud to sponsor WORKTECH Auckland this August. Understanding where work is going is no longer optional. It’s key to helping our clients make informed, confident decisions about their space. Here’s what we’re paying attention to: 1. Capex is under pressure Economic headwinds mean every dollar is being scrutinised. The priority is now on flexible spaces that clearly support performance and deliver measurable value. 2. AI is already influencing design This isn’t a future trend. AI tools are already changing how teams work, collaborate and make decisions. We’re using these tools in our own process to remove friction and speed things up. The challenge now is ensuring physical space evolves alongside technology, without losing focus on people. 3. Tenant needs are diverging Some businesses are scaling back. Others are creating culture-led hubs. What works in Auckland often looks very different in Queenstown or Whangārei. One-size-fits-all no longer applies. 4. Success is being measured differently It's no longer just about space efficiency. Clients want to understand how their workplace impacts brand, wellbeing, culture and talent retention. These are complex metrics, and good design plays a critical role in delivering them. At Spaceworks, we see design as a tool for solving complex problems. Whether it’s improving leasing outcomes, supporting hybrid working, or helping avoid over-capitalisation, our goal is to make sure every investment in space is intentional and effective. From flagship HQs to flexible regional hubs, we apply the same strategic lens. We start by understanding the need, identifying friction points, and designing spaces that respond with clarity and purpose. If you're involved in workplace, leasing, strategy or asset management, this is one of the most relevant events of the year. We have a small number of VIP discount passes available. To access one or view the full agenda, email jana@spaceworks.co.nz or call 021 153 3408. WORKTECH Auckland brings together some of the brightest local and global voices pushing this conversation forward, it's a fabulous speaker line up including the following: 🎙Hilary (Hils) Walton - Microsoft Suzie Lewisham - Fonterra Anshuman Banerjee - Spark New Zealand Andrew Bowring - Nespresso Anna Campbell - Whakarongorau Aotearoa // New Zealand Telehealth Services// Tica Masuku - Spaceful Brian Northern - Fulton Hogan Dr Dani Chesson - Design Thinker Institute Anita Potgieter - Visa Ryan Ghisi - 2degrees Dr Paulette Brazzale (PhD) - Auckland University of Technology Sonia Askelund (née Martin) - Air New Zealand Lucy Matheson - Grant Thornton New Zealand Ltd Anya Duffy - Auckland Council and a case study on Beca’s HQ transformation from Chloe Stewart-Tyson & Veleska Rough #FutureOfWork #WorkplaceDesign #WorkplaceStrategy #CommercialRealEstate #Spaceworks_nz #WT25Auckland #Interiorarchitecture #interiors Lizzi Whaley Jana Stringer

When design honours legacy, every detail matters. We believe furniture, fittings, and equipment (FF&E) are never just functional additions. They’re an extension of story and purpose. Yes, that may sound like we’re giving “just furniture” too much importance - but in spaces like these, FF&E is the icing on the cake. The cake would still be good without it… but the furniture is what finishes it off. We were honoured to contribute to the award-winning Te Taumata o Kupe, a cultural and educational hub at Te Mahurehure Marae in Point Chevalier, Auckland. Designed by the incredible team at TOA Architects the building celebrates the legacy of Kupe - the great Polynesian navigator - through its sweeping form and patterned façade, which speak to voyaging, ocean currents, and celestial navigation. Our role was to lead the selection and installation of FF&E - not to make a statement, but to amplify the one already being made. Every piece of furniture, every finish and fitting, was chosen with intention: how it would be used, moved, seen, and felt within the storytelling, and across the space’s many uses. The result was a flexible, adaptable interior that supports wānanga, community gatherings, and connection - all while honouring both the architecture and the kaupapa that drives it. This approach underpins how we work across aged care, workplace, and retail too. Whether we’re specifying 10 items or 10,000 (like we did recently), we think about: - Accessibility and mobility - Trip hazards and visibility - Ergonomics and cultural familiarity - Longevity without compromising beauty - Aesthetics that support emotional and sensory wellbeing We bring deep expertise into every FF&E or OS&E (operational supplies and equipment) package - using design as a tool for usability, legacy, and care, no matter the sector. Te Taumata o Kupe has since received the 2024 NZIA John Scott Award for Public Architecture - a testament to the vision of TOA Architects and the many hands who brought it to life. We’re proud to have played a part in a space that will live on for generations. Want to explore how intentional FF&E or OS&E could support your next project? Contact Jana Stringer at jana@spaceworks.co.nz  or call 021 153 3408 #FFandE #StorytellingThroughDesign #DesignWithPurpose #Spaceworks_NZ #InteriorArchitecture #bespokefurniture

Time to join the movement, DE&I is here to stay. And this is a great place to get involved. Dip your toe into this Rainbow mahi and the celebration of inclusivity. Our own Lizzi Whaley is a returning judge. An out and proud Rainbow community member, she leads us in this space. As Pride Pledge 🏳️🌈 members we support the work and leadership of Martin King and all of the other judges alongside Lizzi this year. It’s also a great event, filled with laughter, colour and rewarding moments. A must attend event, coupled with bags of inspiration if you are new or seasoned in this space. #rainbowinclusivity #pridepledge #spaceworks_nz #dei #pridepledge

Sustainability isn’t a side note - it’s a design conversation. Over on CEO Lizzi Whaley LinkedIn feed, she often talks about her passion for this - especially given the wasteful practices of the construction sector. Over 17,000 tonnes of waste into New Zealand Landfill daily is not sustainable. This year’s Reset Conference by Property Council New Zealand left us thinking bigger. And a month on, it’s still whirring away in the back ground. We are excited this coming week to be able to discuss waste diversion on a retail project. Unheard of given the amount of MDF used in joinery manufacturing. Call out to all manufacturers in this space - we need better solutions for MDF recycling. The Reset conference was not just about carbon stats and policy frameworks - but about the choices we make every day as an industry. The real takeaways happened in the conversations between sessions. With clients. With peers. With suppliers. All asking: How do we turn talk into action? One thing became clear - fitouts don’t sit outside the climate conversation either. They’re right in the middle of it. And Design is the calculator & tool we use to reduce impact. Every fitout has the power to reduce freight, cut carbon, reuse materials, and reimagine what a space can be - without compromising function or performance. The speakers challenged us, but so did the people around us. From Dr Rod Carr’s wake-up call to hallway chats about accountability, it was clear this isn’t a future issue. It’s a right-now one. And it echoes what Lizzi shared in her personal reflection of the conference: ‘We can’t fix everything with a fitout - but we can make better decisions. More informed ones.’ This passion drives us forward - and why we’re putting our custom carbon calculator to use in more design projects (but we would like to use it more for businesses interested in sustainability). It’s not about perfection. It’s about progress. And using what we have - design, data, dialogue - to keep moving.   Want to talk about reducing the impact of your next fitout? Email jana@spaceworks.co.nz or call on 021 153 3408   #SustainableFitouts #ClimateAction #DesignResponsibility #ResetConference #CircularEconomy #CarbonReduction #GreenDesign #ESGLeadership #Spaceworks_NZ #CommercialInteriors #CarbonTracking

We flew to Queenstown - and we just didn't leave...?! Yes, we now have an office there and it's led by long-time Spaceworker Lauren Gibbs. Whilst we have worked across New Zealand for 20 of our 25 years, the time has come to replant roots in the South Island. We’ve had a foothold in Wellington for over a decade, and Christchurch was home to a Spaceworks office (prior to the earthquake). Now, with 30% of our current projects based in the South and major work like the Skyline Queenstown redevelopment under construction, the timing couldn’t be better. And even more so when you have a rock star like Lauren part of your team, that wants to be in Queenstown - you don’t hesitate. You back her. You build around her. You book the next flight. This isn’t just about geography. It has so many benefits: - Supporting our national clients with on-the-ground continuity - Creating deeper relationships with local trades and suppliers - Reducing travel-related emissions - Investing in South Island talent and economy - Building regional knowledge and cultural insight into our design approach - Investing in the goals of own people - Staff strategic growth & enabling their leadership We’re not new to the South. But now we’re here to stay - permanently. If you are in QT and are keen for a coffee or to look at a project - email Lauren@spaceworks.co.nz or connect with her on Linkedin. #RegionalDesign #QueenstownBusiness #SouthIslandProjects #SkylineQueenstown #DesignLeadership #SustainableFitouts #LocalPartnerships #TeamGrowth #InteriorArchitecture #Spaceworks_NZ

In a recent podcast chat with Annamalai (Andy) Alagappan, Lizzi Whaley shared a classic Spaceworks story from around 2018. Where we once built an entire retail store layout out of boxes, so the client and their key stakeholders could physically walk the space, see fixture sizes, and feel the spacings for themselves. It was not fancy, it was very simple (it was also sustainable), and better still it explained the space in a powerful way that allowed on the spot decision making. #retaildesign #spatialplanning #designthinking #clientexperience #retailstrategy #spaceworks_nz

The most powerful thing about a space... isn’t the space at all. When you work in design, people expect your purpose to be obvious. It must be about the space, the look, the feel. Creating the best looking design that you can with the budget that we have. Maybe even the award that comes post design. But not for us, it was something else entirely... It wasn’t until we challenged with these questions: What lights your team up? What makes them come to work daily? What drives them to push past the frustration, sometimes long nights and tight deadlines? To see this, we had to step back and observe what we were doing on a day to day basis – project after project, day after day. We weren’t just delivering designs, picking materials or building fitouts. We weren’t obsessed with finishes for the sake of aesthetics. We were passionate about businesses succeeding – using design as the calculator to solve their problem. We didn’t invent our ‘why’. We noticed it. Over time, patterns emerged: - The fitout that helped a workplace reduce staff turnover - The retail kiosk layout that increased sales by 20% - The aged care community design that improved staff workflow and resident satisfaction The hospitality venue that has a loyal client base that returns regularly and has increased their spend by staying longer. And in every case, the story wasn’t “look at this beautiful space.” It was “look at what this space helped achieve.” That’s when it became obvious. Our purpose isn’t design. Our purpose is business success. (for you). Ready to design for impact, not just appearance? Contact Jana Stringer at jana@spaceworks.co.nz or call +64 21 153 3408 to start the conversation. #businesssuccess #designthinking #commercialinteriors #workplacedesign #retailstrategy #spaceworks_nz

Three new Tank Juice sites & One epic new smoothie. Over the past 6 months, we’ve rolled out fresh sites for Tank in: - Auckland Airport – high footfall, high function, challenging requirements - Riccarton – a tight space with Mall power running beneath the site, requiring on the spot construction changes - Highbury – new neon signage, testing out adding new layers to signage Each one threw us a different challenge. And that’s exactly what we love. Also – have you tried their coffee + protein smoothie? Honestly, it is everything. Because, much like a great smoothie, a retail rollout is all about balance. Design. Function. Price. If one’s off, the whole thing’s off. Every site is different – and that’s the whole point. Overhead canopies allowed in one mall? Great. Banned in the next? We adjust. Some sites are full start-from-scratch. Others are refurbs or relocations. For rollout clients, the ask stays the same: - Stabilising construction costs across locations and the country - Optimising internal design methodologies so we can produce drawings faster, cheaper with a downward trajectory for our clients - Refining pricing predictability for our clients so they can forecast (down to a few percent) - Optimising every element for experience, flow, and footprint - Tracking and reducing carbon impact with every fitout - Continual innovation optimisation - how we can say more for their brand. We love rollouts. But if you think we’re a design-and-build firm… you missed the memo - we’d almost be insulted. Here’s what rollout strategy means to us: - Locking in consistent build costs across sites - Streamlining drawings so you get faster, cheaper design over time - Forecasting costs down to the percentage point - Squeezing every bit of use out of your footprint - Cutting carbon as we go - Constant tweaks and upgrades that lift the brand and experience Rollouts aren’t set and forget. It’s system, feedback, iteration. We do it because predictable cost, high-performing sites, and efficient delivery drive real business outcomes. And for us? That’s the kind of work that gets us out of bed. Up for a smoothie-fuelled chat about your next rollout? Call Jana Stringer on 021 153 3408 or Jana@spaceworks.co.nz Let’s talk. #RetailRollout #DesignOptimisation #FitoutStrategy #MultiSiteDesign #BusinessImpact #SustainableFitouts #TankJuice #InteriorArchitecture #Spaceworks_NZ #RolloutExcellence Lizzi Whaley

Three new Tank Juice sites & One epic new smoothie. Over the past 6 months, we’ve rolled out fresh sites for Tank in: - Auckland Airport – high footfall, high function, challenging requirements - Riccarton – a tight space with Mall power running beneath the site, requiring on the spot construction changes - Highbury – new neon signage, testing out adding new layers to signage Each one threw us a different challenge. And that’s exactly what we love. Also – have you tried their coffee + protein smoothie? Honestly, it is everything. Because, much like a great smoothie, a retail rollout is all about balance. Design. Function. Price. If one’s off, the whole thing’s off. Every site is different – and that’s the whole point. Overhead canopies allowed in one mall? Great. Banned in the next? We adjust. Some sites are full start-from-scratch. Others are refurbs or relocations. For rollout clients, the ask stays the same: - Stabilising construction costs across locations and the country - Optimising internal design methodologies so we can produce drawings faster, cheaper with a downward trajectory for our clients - Refining pricing predictability for our clients so they can forecast (down to a few percent) - Optimising every element for experience, flow, and footprint - Tracking and reducing carbon impact with every fitout - Continual innovation optimisation - how we can say more for their brand. We love rollouts. But if you think we’re just a design-and-build firm… we’d almost be insulted. Here’s what rollout strategy means to us: - Locking in consistent build costs across sites - Streamlining drawings so you get faster, cheaper design over time - Forecasting costs down to the percentage point - Squeezing every bit of use out of your footprint - Cutting carbon as we go - Constant tweaks and upgrades that lift the brand and experience Rollouts aren’t set and forget. It’s system, feedback, iteration. We do it because predictable cost, high-performing sites, and efficient delivery drive real business outcomes. And for us? That’s the kind of work that gets us out of bed. Up for a smoothie-fuelled chat about your next rollout? Call Jana Stringer on 021 153 3408 or Jana@spaceworks.co.nz Let’s talk. #RetailRollout #DesignOptimisation #FitoutStrategy #MultiSiteDesign #BusinessImpact #SustainableFitouts #TankJuice #InteriorArchitecture #Spaceworks_NZ #RolloutExcellence Lizzi Whaley

Certainty builds confidence. In this clip, our CEO Lizzi Whaley shares her view on why digital tools are critical for fitouts—and why they should be standard in every project. From faster decision-making to reducing risk, these tools help clients feel confident in spending. More than that—they should be required in future contracts. Speed to market isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore. It’s essential. #constructioninnovation #fitoutdelivery #digitaldesign #clientconfidence #spaceworks_nz #speedtomarket