COX Architecture Adelaide Studio: Where Sustainability, Culture and Design Practice Converge
2024 National Architecture Award for Interior Architecture, Workplace Design
What does it mean for a workplace to truly support the people within it? At COX Architecture, the answer is not found in surface gestures or visual statements, but in the quieter relationship between space, values and daily practice. The Adelaide studio on Wyatt Street is conceived not as a backdrop to work, but as an active participant in it. A place that gently shapes how people think, collaborate, pause and care.
Project Completed 2024
Rather than defaulting to familiar office formulas, the studio unfolds as a series of shared and private moments. Collective zones invite conversation and exchange, while more intimate spaces allow ideas to settle and take form. This balance reflects COX’s team culture, one built on trust, autonomy and respect for different working rhythms. Productivity here is not measured by visibility or noise, but by the quality of focus and the freedom to move between togetherness and solitude.
At the heart of the project sits a deep commitment to sustainability, understood not as a design feature but as an ethical framework. Every material decision was assessed across its full lifecycle, resulting in emissions of just 98 kgCO2e per square metre, nearly 90 percent lower than the University of New South Wales’ Race to Net Zero benchmark. These numbers speak to more than performance. They reveal a practice willing to slow down, question conventions and take responsibility for its impact.
Material choices throughout the studio reflect a principle of doing more with less. Renewable cork flooring and recycled carpet tiles sequester a significant portion of the project’s embodied carbon. High carbon materials like steel and aluminium are minimised, replaced with timber mullions and pre finished MDF joinery. Furniture from the previous fitout is reused, carrying stories forward rather than discarding them. There is restraint here, but also intention, a belief that longevity is a form of sustainability.
Texture and tactility bring warmth and intrigue to the space. Locally sourced brick introduces depth and variation as light shifts across the day, grounding the interior in its regional context while offering durability and thermal mass. Bespoke elements by local designers and artists add moments of play and craft, reminding occupants that workspaces can be expressive without being excessive. Indoor planting and operable windows further soften the boundary between inside and out, inviting nature into daily routines.
“ This project was a true labour of love—a space crafted by our people, for our people. It’s more than just a workplace; it’s a source of inspiration. Every corner resonates with the energy we bring each day, blending dedication, camaraderie, and, of course, a few laughs along the way. This is our hub — the heart of who we are and what we do. ”
—— COX Director, Zoe King
Beyond environmental performance, the studio reflects a broader social consciousness. Collaboration with Aboriginal elder Rosalind Coleman and Kaurna artist Tony Wilson integrates Country into the workplace through artwork and language. Meeting rooms are named in Kaurna, embedding respect and recognition into everyday practice. This gesture is not symbolic alone, it is cultural, acknowledging that place carries memory and meaning long before buildings arrive.
“ The innovative and thoughtful approach positively enhances the studio space, fostering both collaboration and individual reflection in a balanced and inviting environment. ”
“ The COX Adelaide Studio sets a new benchmark for workplace design. ”
—— The National Architecture Awards Jury
COX’s Adelaide studio offers more than a model of sustainable workplace design. It proposes a way of working that is attentive, grounded and humane. One where decarbonisation does not erase joy. Where materials are chosen with conscience. And where a workplace becomes a shared expression of values, reminding us that how we design is inseparable from how we live.
Read more about COX Architecture Adelaide Studio here.
Project credits
Architecture and Interior Design: COX Architecture
Furniture Design and Collaboration: Remington Matters & Khai Liew (late)
Hardware Design: Phoebe Kretschmer, Jam Factory
Plant Design: Emma Sadie Thomson
Key Consultants: SHAPE, Bestec, WGA
Photography: Timothy Kaye
