Independent creative agency Emotive transformed the local landmark Pro Dive, Learn to Scuba, shop on Coogee’s beach front into its own creative haven.
Simon Joyce, Emotive CEO and founder, told AdNews: “The building is somewhat iconic in Coogee. Not because of its design excellence (it was incredibly dilapidated when we took it on), but more because of its age.”
From the late 1970s until 2021 the building was a Pro Dive business, teaching people to scuba dive or get their instructors licence.
Old building pic via Tripadvisor.
“From what we understand, the building is over 80 years old, as evidenced by the newspapers from 1947 that were found when digging up the floor,” Joyce said.
Old ads found before renovations.
For many Coogee locals the building holds special memories for finding their diving passions. With this in mind, Emotive made sure to incorporate its history through their renovation led by the Bold Collective in late 2021.
For example, the agency pays homage to its former life by hanging on to the scuba diving mural in the courtyard, that doubles as a breakout space and ‘christening our drinks area as the dive bar’.
Back courtyard with mural.
That feeling of a beachside holiday
“The most important goal was making the office truly representative of our brand personality and how we do business creatively and collaboratively,” Joyce said.
"Emotive has always been by the beach, so we put a lot of thought into ensuring an authentic beachside feel."
Current front of the building, featuring a beach-inspired mural done by local Aboriginal artist on the side.
“Uniquely we are right off a retail zone, mainly known for restaurants (some people come to the door thinking the agency is a bar or restaurant). You walk out the front and you are 50 metres from the sand.
"We think being by the beach helps people think more fluidly and expansively. There are less rules than the city, and all of those little elements can help our teams creatively thrive.”
Emotive management team outside the office.
“One of the beautiful things about being an independent agency is that sense of ownership that people feel within the business. So extending that thought into the artwork across the two floors led us to two approaches,” Joyce said.
Downstairs, a number of the team brought in their favourite pieces of artwork they had created themselves, which Emotive then reframed and included a plaque with the story behind it.
Artwork by staff and stairs that leads to upstairs desks.
Opposite the stairs, is the office foyer.
Similarly, upstairs Emotive again showcases staff art but this time with A.I.generated artworks inspired by key prompts, with 10 pieces now gracing the walls.
AI artwork by staff.
Despite having 53 employees with a plan to hit a maximum of 70, Emotive intentionally only has 38 desks as they view their office as a HQ instead of a traditional workspace.
Some of the upstairs desks with a great view.
Overview of upstairs desks.
Overview of the downstairs desks, across from the boardroom.
"When it comes to expectations to be in the office there are no rules,” Joyce said.
“We understand that there isn’t a one-size fits all approach and we have a senior team who we know care for the business and the work, wherever they are. So that flexibility allows them to plan their weeks in sync with their home lives and get the most out of their time.
Emotive management team sitting in foryer.
Great tech
“The design and updated technology ensured the environment to seamlessly accommodate the new working normal – half the team working from home and half the team in the office on any given day. Other features include two brand new edit suites."
One edit suite.
“You can’t have meetings where everyone is crowded around one laptop. The boardroom tech is brilliantly setup from an audio visual POV, so for those not in the room there’s never a disconnect."
Boardroom.
"We also ensured there are breakout areas to take calls and naturally everything is geared towards hot desking, with dual screen and keyboard setups that just require a single cable plug."
Overview of the kitchen (left) and breakout booths. Up the stairs is the office courtyard.
Close up of bar and kitchen area.
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