In a sleek office building at the heart of Auckland’s north shore, a curvaceous stair arcs up the sunlit atrium. It’s playful, inviting and unapologetically orange: a stunning contrast to the greenery basking in the sunlight. The staircase looks like a sculpture, but it’s more than this. It’s a deliberate challenge to the notion of a corporate office. An irresistible alternative to getting the lift, it invites you to walk, bump into others, stop for a chat, look around, and connect. To be immersed in the B:Hive vibe. The unconventional design signals to those who work here, that this is a place for new ideas. Our brief was to take the traditional business park of the 20th century and turn it into a workplace for today. We started with a question: why shouldn’t the places we work in be as special as the places we live in? B:Hive is our answer to that question. It’s unique, unifying and a little bit defiant. It’s a workplace for big thinkers, change makers, and innovators. It’s also a place organized around a true commitment to wellbeing. Every element is designed to support this, from the vast open floors and greenery to welcoming hospitality spaces, to its bespoke air circulation system. Gaps atop walls ensure fresh air flows through every corner of the building. Sunlight reaches every floor, and views to the outside help bring focus to the workers within. Once we set the overall tone of the BHive workplace, we went to work on making it hum. Connection and flexibility were high on our agenda. To bring people together, informal meeting places are generously provided. From seating nooks to garden walls, it’s easy to grab a place for a quick conversation. Tenants have the opportunity to come and go as their needs change. Relocatable walls and dynamic spaces eliminate the need for complete retrofits. From an individual working on a start-up at a hot-desk, through to the companies that occupy an entire floor, all configurations are possible. In every space, fresh air keeps circulating courtesy of a special system of thermal chimneys that draw air up through the atrium, ensuring it’s constantly replenished. The air-conditioning acts merely as support. Outside, glazed curtain walls and mesh sunscreens assist with climate control and create a shiny, angular, machine-like facade. Beyond the front entrance, the building connects with Goodside; a lush, green hospitality precinct with open-air dining spaces, bars and restaurants that carry the B:Hive vibe through to the outdoors. Combined, these design choices fulfil a cornerstone of our design philosophy: sustainability and care for the earth. But they also have a notable effect on wellbeing. The fresh air, along with the greenery, natural light and warm tones create a special kind of ambience. The building feels alive. B:Hive is a landmark design: a new way of crafting commercial spaces to host multiple businesses, and one that set a new standard for continually evolving workplaces. It was voted Best Office Design, unanimously, at the World Architecture Festival Awards in 2019. But more importantly, it’s become a hive of ideas, enterprise and community. A buzzing workplace fulfilling the potential of its design.