At RSM’s new Sydney office, challenge wasn’t something to design around, it became the driving force behind the design.

Located at No. 1 Martin Place, the 3,600sqm workplace spans two podium levels defined by deep floorplates and limited access to natural light. Windowless rear corners typically relegated to storage or secondary functions presented a fundamental constraint.

Instead of avoiding these areas, WMK’s design reimagined them.

The defining move was a deliberate inversion of traditional workplace planning.

Reception, client-facing areas and staff breakout spaces were positioned within the windowless rear zones, locations most offices would consider the least desirable. By placing the most important functions at the centre of the challenge, the design transforms constraint into opportunity.

This shift reframes how value is assigned within a workplace. The “best” spaces are no longer dictated by perimeter access to light, but by experience, intention and design intelligence.

To support this bold planning move, lighting became more than illumination it became infrastructure.

A virtual skylight system uses specialised lens technology and LED lighting to simulate natural sky conditions, creating the perception of daylight in enclosed spaces. This is reinforced by a layered lighting strategy that introduces depth and visual interest across key surfaces.

Together, these interventions create a convincing sense of openness and outlook where none physically exists.

The interior palette is intentionally restrained: whites, creams, sand and beige create a cohesive, tone-on-tone environment that amplifies brightness and reduces visual noise.

Natural planting is integrated throughout, bringing softness and supporting wellbeing.

This calm interior sits in quiet contrast to the richly detailed sandstone architecture of the nearby General Post Office Sydney and its clock tower which is visible from the building’s perimeter. The dialogue between ornate heritage and refined minimalism grounds the workplace in its civic context.

A central interconnecting stair links the two levels, improving movement and encouraging informal interaction. It creates a sense of cohesion across the workplace while maintaining the acoustic privacy and confidentiality required in a professional services environment.

The result is a workplace that supports both collaboration and concentration without sacrificing either.

RSM is a workplace people actively want to come to.

By challenging conventional planning assumptions and elevating overlooked spaces, RSM’s Sydney headquarters demonstrates that even the most constrained footprints can deliver exceptional outcomes.

Not by avoiding limitations but by designing directly into them.