Gate 8

Gate 8 responds to a challenging, higher-purpose brief to create a high performance office environment that flows and integrates with a place that is a catalyst for social and civic impact. The challenge lay in uniting diverse programs (café, amphitheatre, offices, rooftop venue) with complex structural and services needs. The project also challenged prescribed setbacks and planning controls, ensuring it responded directly to its Jolimont context, prioritising place, people and purpose. Through collaborative, iterative design, early contractor involvement, and engineering ingenuity, the team overcame spatial, regulatory, and technical limitations—exceeding the brief to deliver a commercially robust, community-focused landmark.

Gate 8’s design solution was shaped through an iterative, cross-disciplinary process prioritising buildability, context, and civic intent. Early stages reconfigured setbacks to engage directly with the park, requiring planning innovation and close authority consultation. Key moments included integrating a structurally complex amphitheatre and solving the technical challenges of face-laid brickwork with expressed concrete elements. Early contractor involvement enabled real-time feedback, optimising detailing and sequencing. Conflicts were resolved early through digital modelling, coordinated structural services, and façade systems. Through constant collaboration and adaptive problem-solving, Gate 8 achieved a finely crafted, enduring outcome that meets both community and commercial objectives.

Gate 8 delivers a new benchmark for socially conscious commercial development. Financially, it achieved 100% pre-leasing before construction, demonstrating strong market confidence and sustained tenant demand. Environmentally, the project targets 5 Star NABERS Energy and Green Star ratings, embedding initiatives such as rooftop solar, water recycling, and responsible material selection. Societally, it transforms the workplace into a platform for community impact—integrating the STREAT café for disadvantaged youth, a public amphitheatre, and spaces for social enterprises. Gate 8 proves that commercial success, environmental responsibility, and social value can be mutually reinforcing within a considered, enduring, and beautiful architectural outcome.

Gate 8 is defined by civic generosity, material craftsmanship, and purposeful integration of social enterprise into the commercial landscape. Key features: Civic Generosity - A project of civic scale and ambition, Gate 8 is marked by its red-brick façade and tiered form, responding to parkland and residential surrounds. The Civic Amphitheatre and Public Lobby dissolve traditional thresholds, creating a welcoming interface that activates the precinct and offers a platform for public discourse. Human-Centric Design - People are at the heart of every decision, from the active ground plane and STREAT Café—a social enterprise for disadvantaged youth—to the elevated retreat of the Jolimont Club. The project fosters connection, comfort, and wellbeing. Innovative Planning - The team reversed conventional approaches, challenging planning norms. Responsive massing carves the building into three volumes, softening its presence and connecting to the heritage context. Flexible Workplaces - Adaptable office spaces support diverse tenants, from entrepreneurs to social enterprises. Jolimont Club - A rooftop venue with panoramic views and curated interiors enhances tenant amenity and spatial richness. Sustainability - Targeting 5-Star NABERS and Green Star ratings through solar, rainwater harvesting, grey water recycling, and sustainable materials. Integrated Delivery - Early contractor involvement, digital modelling, and stakeholder collaboration ensured precision and quality.