Mader Group

Overview

Mader Group is an ASX-listed mining services company with over 4,500 employees globally. Its 4,200m² workplace fitout spans two levels in Applecross, WA. It was designed in three months and built in seven, on a fixed budget with zero variations.

Corian® Laguna Terrazzo features in three key areas: the benchtops and splashbacks in three fully equipped staff kitchens, the custom seating bench in the waiting area, and the front panels and benchtop of the custom reception desk. Using one colour across these zones gives the fitout a consistent, refined design language.

The Brief

The fitout was guided by The Social Heart Framework, a design concept that treats kitchen and breakout zones as the cultural heart of an organisation, drawing on the architectural idea of the piazza. The Social Heart kitchen was the centrepiece of the fitout, so its surface needed to bring warmth, character and a sense of craft to a practical workplace gathering space.

The material also needed to form large continuous benchtops and withstand daily use in high-traffic staff kitchens. A three-month design stage over the Christmas period, followed by a seven-month build, required early material decisions to support the fixed budget and tight programme.

Material Specification

Staff Kitchens, Reception Desk and Waiting Area Seating: Corian® Laguna Terrazzo

Corian® Laguna Terrazzo was chosen during the concept phase and became the anchor for the surrounding palette, joinery profiles and spatial experience. The colour reflects the three natural elements behind the design concept: earth, timber and water. These connect the material palette to Mader’s identity as an Australian company rooted in the landscape.

Its capacity to form large continuous benchtops, together with its durability, made it a practical choice for the staff kitchens and other gathering points. Using one Corian® colour across the kitchens, reception desk and waiting-area seating tied the three zones into a single design language.

Committing to the material early helped avoid late-stage changes and supported the project’s zero-variation outcome.

Design Outcome

The Ground Floor kitchen was conceived as a built-in piazza. Arched forms in ochre and rust laminate sit alongside integrated planter boxes with timber trim, white mosaic tiles with terracotta grout, rust vinyl seating rails and pendant lighting in a warm rust-copper finish.

At the centre sits the Corian® Laguna Terrazzo benchtop, a continuous surface that anchors the composition. Set against mosaic tiles, greenery and warm timber, it gives the kitchen the character of a destination rather than a standard workplace amenity.

Across the three kitchens, reception desk and waiting-area seating, Corian® Laguna Terrazzo brings warmth and a sense of craft to the workplace. The kitchen provides a place for people to gather and connect, supported by surfaces suited to daily use and straightforward maintenance.

Why It Works for Similar Projects

Workplace fitouts need gathering spaces that feel inviting while standing up to heavy daily use. This approach offers a reference for:

• Staff kitchens and breakout zones designed as the social heart of a workplace
• Commercial fitouts that connect kitchens, reception and seating through one material
• High-traffic staff kitchens requiring large continuous benchtops
• Custom reception desks and waiting-area seating
• Fixed-budget projects where early material decisions support coordination and delivery

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