Australian electrical brand ZETR’s new headquarters in New South Wales blurs the boundaries between workplace, studio and showroom, creating an environment where the company’s approach to architecture can be experienced rather than simply displayed.
The space brings together design, collaboration and production, with ZETR’s electrical systems integrated throughout.
Founded by Garth Elliott in 2017, ZETR has taken a different approach to one of the most familiar elements of the built environment: electrical hardware. Its power, lighting and control systems are designed to recede into architecture, allowing materials, forms and interiors to take precedence. At the headquarters, they are a part of the everyday experience, incorporated into workstations, meeting rooms and breakout areas.
Once a 1960s garage and exhaust workshop, the HQ has been reworked without erasing its industrial origins. Red brick, concrete and steel remain prominent, creating a tactile backdrop that speaks to ZETR’s Australian identity and its beginnings in Elliott’s own concrete garage.
ZETR collaborated with a spatial designer to help forecast the evolving needs of its team; otherwise, the space was largely self-designed. “Every element has been considered through the lens of our products, personal style and workplace culture,” says Elliott. “Many pieces were designed internally and realised through close collaboration with long-standing brand partners, local Australian makers and specialist fabricators.”
Rather than functioning as a static showcase, the headquarters provides an environment in which ZETR can continually test ideas around materials, technology and the way people occupy the space. “The team at ZETR is passionate, creative and enjoys sharing experiences, so it was important that the environment embodied our culture and brand in a meaningful way,” adds Elliott. “We wanted the space to feel more than just a workplace. It allows us to be creative outside of our products while still elevating the brand. It needed to support creativity, foster connection and create opportunities for people to come together throughout the day.”
Sustainability was an important consideration. Through its partnership with furniture dealer Living Edge and its RELIVE programme, ZETR were able to procure a vintage Herman Miller desking system that has been thoughtfully reconditioned for a second life. Custom pieces throughout the space include a charging system integrated into a bespoke stone tabletop manufactured by Aldini Australia, as well as a self-designed product display console and coffee table, both made using the same metal and stone expertise that supports ZETR’s product manufacturing.
The result is a workplace that communicates the brand’s ethos through its architecture, detailing and atmosphere, demonstrating how considered design can shape not only what a company makes but how it works.
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