Pops of colour and a bar with an entrance hidden by a bookcase have been installed in a software company's office interiors, recently completed in downtown Austin by Seattle-based architecture studio Mithun.

Spanning five storeys, the 157,000-square foot (14,585 square metres) office houses diverse work and amenity spaces for Atlassian Inc, an Australian company that develops products for software developers and project managers.

Completed in 2022, the office is housed in a building shell designed by Gensler, while Mithun was responsible for the interior architecture of the workspace, collaboration areas, focus rooms, cafes and kitchen spaces, lounges and rooftop patio.

"Atlassian creates collaboration software, so at the very core of their culture is a focus on fostering collaboration," said Mithun partner Elizabeth Gordon.

According to Gordon, the team prioritized flexibility, inclusivity and sustainability.

The studio created an environment that inspired social connection with people-centred spaces for in-person and hybrid collaboration and amenities for networking as Atlassian's team re-establishes a workspace.

Rather than delineating floor space with individual workstations, the design opens the rectangular office along the glazed exterior for collaborative zones with moveable furniture, dividing curtains and integrated technology that "empower workers to curate their own day-to-day journey".

The spaces are separated by warm wooden bookshelves set into the structural grid that rounds into a ceiling detail before running down the other side of the space.

Focus rooms – provided for individual, head-down work – are arranged in rows as a transition from the open workspace to the central core with circulation and facilities.

Lit from a large skylight, a feature stair climbs through the building, connecting the workspaces to the amenities, which include a music-inspired coffee shop and "living room" with a stage for events and an indoor-outdoor happy hour area that connects to a secret, Texas-themed bar through a hidden bookcase.

"Indoor-outdoor connections throughout provide access to fresh air, support outdoor work and help promote movement throughout the day," the team said. "The variety of unique destinations serves to surprise and delight workers while fostering a sense of community."

In terms of inclusivity, the design incorporates elements that create a "safe and inviting space for all Atlassian employees" – like the installation of art and accessories from Austin-based artists of color and LGBTQIA+ creators.

Wayfinding was integrated in the form of large-scale custom murals by local artists that lend identity to each floor. Additionally, custom bottle chandeliers serve as an abstract reference to Texas bottle trees.

The office also includes single-occupant, all-gender restrooms, shower and parent suites, meditation and ablution rooms and a multi-purpose wellness studio that can hold classes from local fitness instructors.

The project is targeting a LEED Gold standard with high-performance systems and sustainable materials.

"The design for Atlassian Austin incorporates biophilic principles in many different ways – with new skylights above the stairwells that let sunlight pour in across different levels, with views in and views out, and with the use of plants and natural materials and textures," said Mithun partner Lisa Scribante

Other office projects that have recently come online in Austin include Michael Hsu's self-designed architecture studio and a renovated 110-year-old bungalow for a tech investment firm. West of West also completed a concrete office complex in one of the city's industrial neighbourhoods.

The photography is by Jasper Sanidad.

Project credits:

Interior architecture: Mithun
Core/shell: Gensler
Client: Atlassian
General contractor: Harvey Cleary Builders
Furniture dealer: CRI
Plants: Texas Tropical
Custom installations: Sarabi
Lighting design: ISP Design, Inc.
Furniture: Coalesse, Hightower, Studio TK, Keilhauer, Spacestor, Hem, Hay, Andreu World, Muuto, TON, Emeco, WCI, Blastation, Fritz Hansen, Carl Hansen & Son, Uhuru, Bend Goods, Offecct, Grand Rapids, Sossego, Herman Miller, Schiavello, Davis, Bernhardt Design, Watson, Fogia, Bludot, Kettal, Pedrali
Materials: Luum, Maharam, Kvadrat, Carnegie, Kirei, Filzfelt, Pollack, HBF Textiles, Clay Imports, Shaw Contract, Flor, Wineo, Stone Source, Caesarstone, Foresso, Daltile, Cambria, Jujupapers, Katie Kime, Wolf Gordon, Armstrong
Lighting: Rich Brilliant Willing, Schoolhouse Electric