To enhance the space and provide its inhabitants with an immediate connection to nature, the concept of a terrarium was formed, providing an experience akin to walking through the Waitākere Ranges. Located at the heart of the workplace, the terrarium provides staff with a space for contemplation and meeting for informal conversation, and to experience the calming and restorative effects of being immersed in nature throughout the working day.

Drawing on holistic biophilic design principles, the terrarium includes 1,600 plants across a variety of species, including ferns and palms. The sensory experience is also enhanced by a change in environmental conditions; specifically, the ratio of oxygen in the air is artificially increased, the air is cooler, the lighting is subdued to replicate being beneath a tree canopy and sounds of the forest and New Zealand birdsong are played to provide a replication of the natural world. Meeting pods are located throughout the Terrarium, which, like the secluded seating areas, provide flashes of vivid colour contrasting with the greenery. Te Tiriti o Waitangi is at the heart of the new office.

As New Zealand’s largest litigation firm, MC places significant importance on training the next generation of talent. A first in Australasia, the firm has introduced a replica courtroom into its new headquarters, the design for which precisely mirrors Auckland’s High Court.

Designed to encourage a sense of belonging and pride of place among staff, the new MC workspace provides a premium ecosystem for litigation skills development, with a wide array of formal and informal work settings. These include silent concentration spaces, collaborative meeting rooms and a café and breakout areas around the atrium space which sits at the heart of the floorplate. With a fully glazed roof and end walls, this glasshouse-like space floods the MC building with light, providing a premium environment for socialising and programmed learning and development activities.