Celebrating our new RMF Auckland office

20/04/2023

Before dawn, the Rayonier Matariki Forests team and their visitors assembled at the entrance to 8 Mahuhu Crescent, before being led upstairs to meet the kaumātua and representatives from central Tāmaki tangata whenua Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei for a dawn blessing of the new office space.

As the sun rose and reached across the park everyone gathered in the large open plan area for a karakia, waiata and final blessing.

RMF’s managing director, Brendan Slui, says it is the beginning of a new era and everyone is really excited about it. “The new office has been designed and fitted out to meet the needs of our people and build even greater connection and collaboration across the business,” says Brendan. “It provides a dynamic and flexible office that will create a workplace experience people want to be part of.”

Anna Pule, General Manager, People & Culture, project managed the design, fitout and move. “We wanted to create a destination for our Auckland team that embraced company values and provided a collaborative workspace which focused on our people’s physical and mental health.”

Stepping into the space that looks out into Māhuhu ki te Rangi Park the area brings the outside in and showcases the natural environment through its range of different timbers which are used as screens accompanied by mosses and plants flowing over low walls.

Desks are set up in open plan ‘neighbourhoods’ to allow for easy communication and collaboration within and between teams.

Social spaces allow for communal breaks and casual meetings while a range of meeting rooms, all with smart technology, provide for more formal meetings.

The shift to the new office has been a journey over two years in the planning and delivery. But now, with everyone having had their feet under their new desks for two months, the team are enjoying the different social and work spaces and the open plan environment. The fact that it is only 100m down the road from the old office has helped with the transition, but the new coffee machine is the real bonus.

Everyone is satisfied with what we have collectively achieved and are very much looking forward to the great things that will be accomplished together from this office over the next decade.