The talent crisis and employee preferences for WFH means workplaces need to utilise office spaces as a tool to connect with staff. In Better Workplaces, AdNews looks at how agencies use office design to entice staff to come in and create a company culture worth staying for.
Creative advertising agency Showpony Adelaide transformed a rundown and dangerous building into a stunning haven that nurtures creative thinking.
Located in East Adelaide this three level office faces onto Pulteney street and with a rooftop entertaining space Showpony staff often enjoy the city landscape.
The original office space before Showpony's transformation.
Jamie Scott managing director at Showpony told AdNews: “When we found the space in 2018, it was a neglected shell with a flooded basement, loose wiring and asbestos everywhere.
"But once we saw the rooftop, we knew it was ours.
“PACT Architects, who share the building with us, did the designs with a focus on creating collaborative spaces. They were excellent to work with, understood our need for detail and were very generous with our ‘suggestions’."
Showpony's current branding at the office's enterance.
Overview of the open-planned desk area, with staff making most of the kitchen space in the background.
Scott: “We wanted to keep as many original features as possible - the beautiful red bricks, metal framed windows, the wooden trusses in the film room and high ceilings.
Oil painting of Showpony's orginal branding which the agency has held onto for many years and through office moves.
Sophie Allchurch managing director at Showpony Adelaide said: "The first Showpony logo had a little pony character we named 'Swifty'.
"A former colleague, an incredible artist, gifted us this oil painting of Swifty when he left.
"When we opened the Melbourne office we had another one made and Swifty now has pride of place in both offices."
Showpony's champagne tradition shelf.
Scott: “We have a long tradition of cracking a bottle of champagne to celebrate new client wins and then signing the bottle.
“We built custom cabinetry to display them, building a bit of our own history into the fit out.”
Showpony's champagne tradition shelf acts as a divider between desks and the office kitchen.
Unlike most other corporate capitals of Australia Adelaide only had work-from-home mandates for only a few weeks, as a result, much of the city is in office 90% of the time.
So most Adelaide offices never had to adjust office spaces to cater for WFH flexibilities, including Showpony.
One of the agency's many two-desk office rooms.
Scott: “Thankfully not much has changed, but the ‘Zoom Room’ is popular. Everyone has the latest tech and our systems were already set up to allow remote access.
“Our goal was always to create a space where creativity and collaboration would thrive and be fun.
“The kitchen is designed to double as a meeting space, and the custom-built table is always full at lunchtime.”
Office kitchen.
With 22 staff in the Adelaide office, each employee has their own designated desk and storage spaces.
But the office has seating for up to 30 people, meaning the agency often has freelance staff and clients regularly staying after meetings to work from there. With a variety of small offices and meeting rooms for added flexibility.
Office rooftop.
Scott: “The rooftop is our defining feature. Lunches, briefing sessions, Friday night drinks, Christmas parties, it’s even hosted 50th and 21st birthdays.
“The only problem is that the music carries, the fun police have come knocking a couple of times…”
Showpony staff enjoying one of many social events on the office rooftop.
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