Iglu Headquarters

A bold new headquarters for Iglu

Bates Smart has partnered with Iglu Student Accommodation for over a decade, delivering purpose-built student living projects across Melbourne and Sydney.

This long-standing collaboration continues with the design of Iglu’s new headquarters on York Street, Sydney – a 500 sqm workplace that reflects the evolution of the brand while remaining true to its core values.

Known for cool student living, Iglu’s headquarters translates this ethos into a workplace environment that champions community, wellbeing and flexibility.

The headquarters is designed as an open and light-filled workplace, incorporating a variety of working environments and zones; collaborative meeting rooms, independent workstations and quiet focus spaces. Like Iglu’s residential properties, shared amenity is central to the experience including an open kitchen and lounges to encourage connection, while an accessible rooftop garden and courtyard provide a rare retreat within the dense urban CBD.

Materiality and colour play a defining role in shaping the character of the workplace. Timber joinery and warm tonal finishes reference the surrounding heritage façades on York Street. Communal spaces are maximised to enhance liveability and workability, reinforcing a sense of comfort and belonging.

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A deeper red tone, colour-drenched throughout the headquarters, distinguishes it from the student accommodation palette – bolder, richer and more refined, expressing a heightened sense of luxury and quality. At the same time, the space retains Iglu’s core ethos: warm, inviting, supportive, energetic and fun.

The result is a headquarters that feels like home and more. A workplace that is welcoming, authentic, and ultimately cool – staying true to Iglu’s DNA.