The KPMG Fitout Team played a key role in developing 44 Bowen Street, the final addition to Wellington’s Bowen Campus. This landmark project, situated near government and corporate precincts, showcases our expertise in delivering spaces that are functional and embody a spirit of inclusivity and sustainability.
KPMG had been in Maritime House for 15 years, and the existing premises no longer met their requirements. The shift towards modern, agile ways of working called for a transformative change in how they work, collaborate, and engage with clients and team members. KPMG wanted to foster a more dynamic, interconnected, and innovative workplace culture. This sparked a journey towards creating an environment that not only met but exceeded their requirements.
Located on the sixth and seventh floors, the office was designed around accessibility and inclusivity. Sustainable thinking was also front-of-mind, focusing on three key sustainability themes: longevity, identity, and low impact. KPMG’s move to the new Bowen Campus was also an opportunity to embed a cultural narrative and strengthen KPMG’s existing relationship with Te Āti Awa and ensure that the new space embodies the stories of people and place through the lens of Te Āti Awa.
Early on, vision workshops enabled the group to land on a key design driver ‘Haukāinga’. The word and its meaning to KPMG was stemmed from their aspiration to create a space that felt authentically like home; a place of belonging, a space that evoked the sense of being welcomed into their living room.
The office space is approximately 3000sqm over the two floors, which are connected via a curved internal staircase. With veneer panelling all the way up and a light well in the void with cultural panels up to 6m tall, the staircase is aesthetically impressive and provides greater connectivity to the two floors. There is also an external balcony on L7, which has expansive views over northern Wellington from the harbour to the Thorndon greenbelt, and is fitted out with heaters, speakers and lights. The staircase and balcony are ‘tied’ in delivering the ‘wow factor’ to the office space.
At its peak, the KPMG office site had 250 people working on it and required an outstanding effort by the project team to deliver the project on time, on budget, and to the highest quality standards – during what has been a challenging time in the construction sector.
