Intermain, a fitout & refurbishment company with a unique joinery manufacturing facility, worked with BVN to design their new HQ, occupying a former industrial building at 126–136 Bourke Road, Alexandria.

Reimagined as a living manifesto for adaptive reuse, the project transforms an archetypal industrial workplace into a work of art, while keeping sustainability principles at the forefront. Operating as both head office and joinery workshop, this truly multi-faceted environment integrates open plan working with sustainable materials to create an efficient, environmentally responsible workplace.

The first thing that stands out is the simplicity of rawness from its material reuse, balanced with confident bursts of colour and art that bring it to life. Statement lighting and lime-coloured boardroom chairs create an immediate sense of energy, while subtle washes of deep ocean blue across feature walls add depth and calm. A live tree is planted within a clay-orange structure that doubles as a bar leaner, complete with matching shelving, softening the harder materials with warmth and texture.

Art plays a central role in the experience: Intermain commissioned award-winning Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay artist Dennis Golding, via Curatorial & Co, to create Following The Pathways, a powerful mural that connects the workplace to landscape and elevates First Nations stories. In the breakout space, a 6-metre mural by local Sydney artist Felix Saw, titled Good to be back injects colour and optimism, celebrating a playful return to the office post-pandemic.

From the outset, the brief positioned the headquarter as both a workplace and demonstration project. Intermain sought a space that could house its growing team while also communicating to clients what is possible through circular thinking.

“In a quest to communicate what’s possible in creating more sustainable fitouts, the arrangement of spaces encourages clients and collaborators to weave through the site, telling a story of clever reuse and reimagination.”

—— Sally Campbell , BVN, Principal

BVN’s design organises the workplace as a sequence of interconnected zones, guided by carefully considered pathways. These paths move directly through work areas, material libraries, and communal spaces. Daily movement becomes a way of experiencing the project’s values, allowing users to encounter reuse strategies, joinery details, and material decisions at close range. This approach encourages openness and transparency. Circulation supports visual connection across the workplace, reinforcing Intermain’s collaborative culture while making sustainability an active, lived experience.

Existing building elements like timber and cord are adapted wherever possible, significantly reducing embodied carbon. Reclaimed materials, reused joinery, and salvaged finishes are integrated alongside new components chosen for durability and low environmental impact. Improved daylight access, ventilation, and zoning provide comfort and performance while lowering operational energy demand. The result is a workspace that feels practical and well considered.

As Campbell notes, “This project was about leading by example. We wanted our headquarters to embody the principles we advocate for every day, showing that reuse, adaptability, and sustainability can sit comfortably within a high-performing workplace.”

The project’s significance has been recognised by multiple high profile critics. Intermain HQ was named Joint Winner in the Workplace Design category at the 2024 Australian Interior Design Awards, with jurors noting the clarity of its sustainability agenda and the confidence with which reuse is celebrated rather than disguised. International recognition through Dezeen Awards and World Interiors News Awards further reinforces the project’s relevance beyond the local context.

“The project goes beyond what could have been a very basic refurbishment to become a celebration of rudimentary materials and the re-use of materiality to achieve a sustainable outcome. It is an unexpected pairing of workshop and traditional workplace that has created a very interesting union. Intermain promotes the re-use and recycling of materials, demonstrating how raw materials can be used in refined ways and how intelligent, robust design can create value in a project.”
—— 2024 Australian Interior Design Awards Jury

Fundamentally, Intermain HQ reflects a culture that places community, wellbeing, and craft at its core. The close relationship between joinery workshop and office brings the act of making into daily view, allowing clients and collaborators to engage directly with the craftsmanship behind the work. The headquarters operates as a living environment where office, workshop, and learning space coexist, and where sustainability is experienced through material reuse, daily practice, and shared knowledge.