I BELIEVE THAT WELLBEING IS KEY TO THE SUCCESS OF ANY PROJECT, NO MATTER WHAT THE SCALE OF PROJECT, OR THE TYPE OF BUILDING.

WORKPLACE STRATEGY

A successful project starts with a Workplace Strategy.

No matter how many people you have in your organisation, or how complex the change you are planning, the strategy is a fundamental part of any project.

By understanding how you work now, how you would like to work and what needs to happen to achieve that, I help you create a strategy that will get you there. The strategy will be approached in a way that is inclusive and considers all of your people, to ensure they feel valued and heard.

I have delivered workplace strategies for many clients including Beca, BNZ, Fonterra, Mahitahi Colab, Napier City Council, Queenstown Lakes Council, Tasman District Council, Piritahi and Rabobank.

To learn more about what a workplace strategy is, and how it may help you, click the WORKPLACE STRATEGY button.

To head straight to my experience delivering them, hit the PROJECTS button below.

office design

I have been responsible for many office designs over the years, as both the client creating the brief and leading the project, and as a designer listening to the client’s needs.

My strength is in being able to build a brief that aligns with your workplace strategy and tells your story. This leads to designs that create positive experiences that support your staff health, wellbeing and productivity as well as amping up your brand presence.

Biophilic Design is so beneficial to wellbeing, and is an important part of my design philosophy, bringing Nature in through natural materials, patterns and textures, as well as connecting people to Nature with natural daylight and views. I consider the energetic flow of the spaces to create spaces where people thrive and work to minimise environmental impact by developing sustainabilty principles for each client that work towards their goals for the project.

I have designed and managed the design and delivery of projects for clients including Beca, Meridian Energy, Kiwi Income Property Trust, Cooper and Co, BNZ, Rabobank, Fonterra, Dunedin City Council and Mahitahi Colab Tasman.

residential design

My first residential design, Waraki House, completed in 2021, is an exploration of Sustainable Design methodologies and technologies that follows Biophilic Design principles and has Wellbeing at its heart.

My strength in this space lies in listening, understanding your wants and needs and developing your brief, so that the outcomes meet your expectations, and represent you.

WORKPLACE PROJECT LEADERSHIP

Successful projects are built with the help of great teams and methodologies. With years of experience delivering workplace transformation projects on the client side and as a project manager in both new and existing buildings I can help deliver the project in a collaborative and positive way.

In my roles at BNZ, PwC and Fonterra I was responsible for leading their corporate property programmes, providing solutions tailored to meet the business needs.

A Workplace Strategy can help your business evolve to meet your goals

The workplace strategy is the foundation for any workplace project and is the blueprint for how the business evolves the way it works. The strategy is developed when you want to make a change as it will help you understand what you need to change about the way you work to align with your business drivers.

This could be optimising your existing premises, or it could mean moving to a more suitable space. The strategy will help you define what needs to change, and in the case of a move, what you need to be looking for.

The workplace strategy is intended to aid decision making related to People, Place and Technology. It will align with your business vision, values and strategic objectives.

It will be tailored to suit your business and may include:

• Workplace vision

• Workplace objectives

• Optimisation plan

• Space requirements

• Success measures

• Workstyle guidelines

• Communication and engagement plan

• Change methodology

I have delivered a number of workplace strategies and my approach is very people-centric as I believe that this approach creates the most sustainable outcomes. This starts by listening to the leadership team and understanding the key business drivers for the change then aligning on the methodology for engagement that best suits you.

I provide workplace project leadership to allow you to focus on your business as I deliver on your goals.

Successful projects are built with the help of great teams and methodologies. With years of experience delivering workplace transformation projects on the client side and as a project manager in both new and existing buildings I can help deliver the project in a collaborative and positive way.

In recent roles at BNZ and subsequently PwC I was responsible for leading their corporate property programmes, both of which involved a move to new ways of working.  The workplace transformation project at BNZ has been very successful and an industry leader.

Managing a multidisciplinary team of consultants as well as internal stakeholders my approach is to focus on creating strong team relationships and an agreed methodology of how to work together to produce the best outcomes for the business.

My skills include:

• defining the project strategy

• workplace strategy creation

• BUSINESS CASE PREPARATION

• negotiating with the landlord

• procuring and managing the team

• Running the internal workstreams e.g. hr, technology, facilities management, procurement, chang, SUSTAINABILITY

• Engaging with the business AT ALL LEVELS

• working with suppliers

• managing delivery of the project

Helping you understand the right sustainability strategy for your project

Sustainable buildings are healthier for occupants and also typically have lower running costs so throughout a buildings lifecycle offer ongoing benefits to both the occupants health and wellbeing as well as your the bottom line through lower running costs and increased productivity.

There are a number of sustainability strategies and rating tools on the market and I can help you choose the one that meets your business strategic objectives.

My sustainability expertise comes from a passion for the environment which led me to become a Green Star Accredited Professional with the New Zealand Green Building Council over ten years ago. Since then I have provided sustainability advice to clients including Kiwi Income Property Trust, Cooper and Co and the BNZ.

In 2016 I gained a First Class Masters in Sustainable Design at Auckland University with my thesis being on how we could create sustainable eco-precincts in Auckland based on best practice overseas.

I am currently designing my own home under the Living Building Challenge rating tool.

some of the options i can provide independent advice on:

• nzgbc rating tools

• LIVING BUILDING CHALLENGE

• BIOPHILIC DESiGN

• SUSTAinable urban precinct design

• Well CERTIFICATION

2025: mahitahi colab - tasman

Mahitahi Colab is a not-for-profit organisation championing business and innovation in the Nelson/Tasman region.

They wanted a Space for Doers and Thinkers. More than a workspace — a place to work, connect and belong.

I was responsible for the fitout design, including the furniture, creating flexible co-working spaces, meeting rooms and event spaces as well as a central kitchen hub to bring together people, ideas and opportunity.

The budget was a challenge, so it was awesome to be able to leverage my (many!) years in the industry to source pre-loved furniture, extra stock items and even a free carpet.

These kinds of projects, doing good things for people that do good are what makes my job so enjoyable.

2021-2024: FONTERRA GLOBAL WORKPLACE MANAGER

In my role at Fonterra I was responsible for the workplace strategy for all regions, as well as multiple global projects including new offices in Bangkok and the Waikato as well as workplace optimisation of the head offices in Auckland.
The Auckland Optimisation took place post Covid and embraced the new hybrid workstyle, providing different spaces and places for staff to come together to socialise, collaborate and innovate.

2019-2021 RABOBANK: HAMILTON HEAD OFFICE WORKPLACe STRATEGY AND DESIGN

The Rabobank head office relocation from Wellington to Auckland required a deep understanding of their aspirations and key business drivers to enable me to develop their workplace strategy and concept design. The office design is down to earth and reflects the Rabobank brand and values, demonstrating the bank’s commitment to its clients and the wider agricultural sector. Materials showcase the best of New Zealand, with a custom wool carpet from three of Rabobank’s clients. The scope of work encompassed strategy, concept design and furniture selection, with Spaceworks as partners for detailed design and delivery.

2019 BECA: NELSON OFFICE STRATEGY AND DESIGN

Opened in July 2019 the Beca Nelson office is designed using a human-centric approach. Staff were consulted throughout the strategy and design process and the design reflects the unique Nelson team and environment. Designed using Biophilic principles to bring a natural palette inside echoing the surrounding landscape.

2019 TASMAN DISTRICT COUNCIL: WORKPLACE STRATEGY

The Council wanted a workplace strategy to be a blueprint for their future property projects. Working with the Leadership and Project Board and Team, I helped them create a strategic vision for their workplace which aligns with their vision and business drivers.

2017-2019 BECA: WORKPLACE STRATEGY AND DESIGN

I led the creation of a Workplace Strategy for the Northern Region which had high levels of staff engagement to co-create the future vision for how Beca Northern Region will evolve the way that they work. The was an interesting project as the approach was very human centric, co -creating solutions with staff from all levels of the business which was both fun and challenging!

As design lead for the Beca Property Strategy Group I was responsible for design of spaces in their existing Auckland premises, as well as feasibility studies for growth. The Beca Nelson regional office is the latest project I have led, due for completion in July 2019 it uses biophilic design and sustainable principles to create a workspace focussed on staff wellbeing.

2017-2019 Dunedin City council: strategy and DESIGN

I worked with Dunedin City Council from 2017 to 2019, creating a short term workplace strategy and design to fulfill their needs in the Civic Centre Building. Part of this work has been to create a staff cafe with an environment that encourages people to pause, connect and engage with one another which was completed in late 2018. The latest project is a customer facing area which aims to create a better customer experience. Working within the constraints of an existing building and with limited budget to provide positive outcomes has been the greatest challenge and success for these projects.

2015-2017 BNZ Centre christchurch: project leadership and design

The creation of BNZ Centre Christchurch brought together teams displaced during the earthquakes into one workplace with a next generation Partners Centre. Staff consultation and engagement was key to this project being a success and I led the project and transformation of how the Christchurch BNZ teams work into a new Activity Based flexible working environment. “Being Together” was the key driver and I feel that this project succeeded by bringing staff from all areas of Christchurch under one roof in a safe, collaborative environment that promotes community both internally and externally.

2016-2017 PWC: project leadership

2011-2017 bnz 80 queen street: workplace strategy and programme leadership