- 2026 Prize
- From Office Space
Quercus Building Group Office
Project Description
Quercus Building Group Office reimagines a compact heritage brick shophouse as a contemporary office and showroom that reflects the client’s craftsmanship, identity and collaborative culture. The design retains original brickwork, steel columns and the concrete floor slab, reducing waste and embodied carbon while preserving the building’s character. Inspired by the stepped brick entry, sculptural internal walls establish a dialogue between heritage fabric and contemporary intervention. Recycled timber joinery, laminated timber and skylights reinforce the project’s sustainable approach and improve workplace amenity. A spiral staircase integrated with the reception desk creates a memorable focal point and transforms circulation into a defining design feature. Across two levels, the planning balances showroom display, open work areas and private meeting spaces to support daily operations and client engagement. Close collaboration with contractors and trades ensured craftsmanship, resulting in a refined, functional and distinctive workplace that celebrates construction quality, adaptive reuse and long-term environmental responsibility.
Jesse Ant Architects is a Melbourne-based architectural practice committed to creating artful spaces for living, working, learning and leisure. With our extensive experiences on residential, educational, and commercial projects, various purposes are delivered with thoughtful consideration and understanding of the users of the building. Through our concept design driven process, we craft the spaces and buildings in response to its physical, environmental, economic, and social context and landscape. Each stage of design is crucial in considering all factors and challenges of a project, while maintaining a focused vision.