Our ‘why’
For people and planet
Our designs solve complex social and environmental challenges. To encourage belonging and to address inequity, we fortify community bonds and encourage positive behaviours and thoughtful interactions through better design.
When it comes to design decisions, we play the long game. We pursue the kind of project economy that addresses long-term social, economic and environmental needs, and we collaborate to find innovative solutions on projects of all scales. In this way, our designs contribute both meaningfully and responsibly to the future built environment.
Company Values
Ideas
We pride ourselves on our collegial environment at Foreground; where ideas sharing and lateral thinking overrides ego in the pursuit of socially and environmentally progressive design. We are tireless in our search for innovative solutions for complex problems. Ambitious projects that tackle the environmental and social challenges of our time are of particular interest to us, and we love to collaborate with pioneering clients and industry professionals who pursue best practice principles and progress.
Detailed research underpins our approach, and we explore rich veins of enquiry such as trauma-informed architecture and Net Zero Energy principles to arrive at innovative and responsive designs of maximum value.
Collaboration
Collaboration can be complicated but coordinating a diverse range of stakeholders on complex projects – particularly in the public sector – is one of our key strengths.
Relationships are everything. Easy to work with, we are as dedicated to the collaborative process and to project management as we are to design. We workshop and research briefs in detail with clients and consultants, testing and resolving ideas nimbly in the round. This approach has helped us to achieve compelling, empathic and highly constructible designs that maximise impact for end users.
Humanity
Uplifting, community-activating spaces should be accessible to all. At Foreground we specialise in places that cater specifically to unique community needs, and routinely administer complex architectural projects with social impact as a key measure.
Our designs bring people together; promote safety, comfort and belonging; energise, educate and rehabilitate. We consult closely with stakeholders to fully understand their requirements then assess their problems holistically, testing fundamental expectations of what is needed in a space where people and planet can thrive.
Economy
With a reputation for quality documentation, design and delivery for almost 50 years, we are known for our dependability and commercial acuity. And yet, we know that the most economical of designs must always consider longer term costs: operationally and to the broader environment.
Attending closely to detail, we love nothing more than to delight our clients and end users by delivering projects on budget and on time. We take a triple bottom line approach to the pursuit of economy, seeking flexible and innovative solutions that minimise footprint, control budgets and support viable, healthy communities.