Woods Bagot has completed the interior design for an innovative 850sqm show suite on Level 8 of Westralia Square 2, Western Australia’s first commercial timber hybrid tower. The project establishes new benchmarks for sustainable workplace design through its groundbreaking use of a fully demountable building system engineered from precision-milled plywood. All the walls are designed to be disassembled, replanned, re-used and reinstalled; providing the ultimate flexibility for the client. 

The show suite sits at the junction between sustainability and craftsmanship, with every detail considered. It was important for the space to feel bespoke and represents a sophisticated response to the building’s timber construction, with every design decision informed by principles of craftsmanship, circularity and adaptability.  

“This project allowed us to completely reimagine how we approach commercial interiors,” says Ethan Trang, Interior Design Leader at Woods Bagot. “We were guided by our innovative clients to craft a future forward workplace that was sustainable, flexible and premium.” 

The modular XFrame system forms the backbone of the fitout and eliminates building waste through circularity and are fabricated from pine plywood in South Australia before being shipped and assembled by local installers, supporting both sustainability goals and regional manufacturing.  

XFrame also helped the team to achieve significant reductions in upfront embodied carbon emissions. Traditional partitioning systems are formed from carbon intensive materials (such as plasterboard and light gauge steel). XFrame eliminates the use of these materials – replacing them with renewable and low-carbon alternatives.   

The project encapsulates over 260m2 of wall frame area. The net emissions associated with this frame area when using XFrame is a reduction of -3,150kg CO2 (Lifecycle stages A1-A3 – inclusive of wall linings). Traditional systems would have resulted in net positive emissions of over 2,600kg (Plasterboard and Steel Studs – Lifecycle stages A1-A3). The significant emissions savings achieved are in alignment with the hybrid timber building strategy and underwrite the use of XFrame in the show suite. 

The long-term emissions benefits of this fit-out approach are also significant. At end of life the components can be reconfigured, and therefore fewer new materials are required. This can result in the near complete elimination of future emissions associated with the supply of new materials. 

“The building being timber was very interesting, but it also inspired our approach,” explains Trang. “There were a lot of nuances and peculiarities with a timber hybrid building, and we did push the modular wall system to its limit. However, constraint became our greatest opportunity, and we’ve created something so sophisticated and bespoke that it is hard to imagine all the walls were not constructed from metal frame and plasterboard.” 

The design narrative celebrates craftsmanship, the building’s architectural heritage and sense of place. Every element required a ‘maker’s touch,’ from the custom, locally made reception desk by renown WA furniture maker Nathan Day to hand crafted, mid-century Italian furniture pieces to bring international flair. The colour palette was inspired by the panoramic views of the Swan River and Kings Park. 

The materiality juxtaposes the warmth of walnut timber against the coolness of metal mesh; warm, earthy hues with blush and faded blues. Visual design cues to celebrate the building’s structural elements were peeled back whilst maintaining premium hospitality-grade finishes throughout. 

“We took Westralia Square 2’s design codes and elevated them to create something entirely new on Level 8,” notes Trang. “The cross-laminated timber slab frames the entire workplace, and we’ve celebrated this with an intricate ceiling design that shifts and change throughout the space.” 

The workplace area defies typical back-of-house treatment, receiving the same level of design attention as front-facing spaces. The open-plan environment maintains generous ceiling heights with an open ceiling in sky blue to expand the visual horizon, while incorporating a bronze metal veil to elevate the design. 

This approach reflects Woods Bagot’s philosophy that sustainable design need not compromise on quality of the space. “Everything has been designed to be disassembled and re-used ” emphasises Trang. “We’re very excited to be one of the first in Western Australia to deliver a sustainable workplace that not only looks good but feels great.”

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Adrien Moffatt
Content and Communications Manager (Australia)