EI Accelerates During Challenging Times | Additional options for meetings, events and hot desking.
Two years ago, the Board and Management decided that the building needed a facelift to attract the businesses that ideally aligned with the EI Vision of actively impacting 250 founders by 2025. They knew that businesses that wanted to innovate, accelerate and collaborate wanted to grow their business in a home that reflected their own modern and innovative ideas.
With the City of Monash’s support – EI embarked on the planning phase of the project in early 2019 with Peter Gionfriddo Architects. As with any construction project, there were lots of learnings and a few setbacks along the way. An early challenge was the design phase, which took quite a bit longer than anticipated due to cost restraints.
Finally, a budget and plans were set to refresh to the Tom Morrissey Building and to construct an acoustically-sound wall to create a 120-seat function space in the Jessie Tait Building.
It was a celebratory day when the Request for Quote was sent to construction contractors at the end of 2019.
Andreatta Construction Group were awarded the construction phase of the project and were scheduled to begin in March 2020. Then the pandemic hit Victoria! Construction was put on hold as Victoria experienced first restrictions. It felt like a lifetime, but in hindsight time flew and May 2020 saw the first days of construction. It felt like the hard work of the previous 2 years was worth it.
The words unforeseen and unprecedented have been used a lot in 2020 and that was also the case for the building phase of the project The Andreatta Group, Peter Gionfriddo Architects and EI all had to adopt innovative approaches to overcome issues and ensure completion without too many delays. Don’t ask any of them about the acoustic doors and seals!
To everyone’s delight, the Tom Morrissey Building Refresh project is now complete and the finishing touches are being done in the new function space in the Jessie Tait Building. Photos very soon we promise!
What does this mean for you? It means that you have a new coworking space available in the revitalised Tom Morrissey Building (one that adheres to COVID safe distancing rules). It will be available for you to book on a monthly basis from November 2020. Inquire here
The new event space will serve as a function room for businesses and their teams to hire for meetings with COVID safe measures already in place. Small teams of up to 10 for now and 25 when we are COVID normal, will have a safe space to work face-to-face to complement their work-from-home routines. Inquire by email or call Liz Small on 1300 462 822 to discuss further.
Request our meeting and events brochure.
The 10sq and 20sq offices in the Tom Morrissey building have a new look and new furniture – but be quick, there are only 7 available for rent from November onwards. Find out more about all of our spaces call 1300 482 822.
In the year the Tom Morrissey Building turns 21, the Board, Management and Team are looking forward to post-Stage 4 restrictions in Victoria to celebrate and use it. It has been a year of change for EI as it has been for many businesses globally and this project highlights the innovation that occurs at EI on a daily basis and makes it the place for startups to grow and thrive.