DownUnder blog: Office life in Sydney

By Henry Sell, regional vice president, Hill International

As you already know, we have a little over a week left before the holiday season comes to an end. Australia Day (26 January) is when everyone is back at work.

Having so far blogged about fun and frivolous things, I thought that I would take this opportunity to show you around the office. Australia Day will provide me with another opportunity to show off when Sydney Harbour comes alive. It’s a public holiday when boats and yachts of all sizes and shapes will be out on the water and the Sydney Ferries hold their annual race. It’s a spectacle to behold.

In the meantime, I can tell you a little bit about what’s onshore and in particular the Rocks. The Rocks is Sydney’s “old town”. It’s quite touristy as it is where the iconic bridge starts (or stops). It also houses a number of the city’s best museums and galleries, including the Museum of Contemporary Art- which is currently showing an Annie Leibovitz retrospective.

It’s also one of the creative areas of the city where many advertising agencies, artists and other media businesses have taken over the many old warehouses. There are also great pubs and restaurants tucked away in some of the small side streets.

Our offices are also located in the Rocks. We are in the ASN building, a heritage red brick Victorian warehouse, which has been refurbished. It has high ceilings, exposed wooden beams and big old fashioned sash-windows looking out on Sydney Harbour.

This is where the 50 or so or my colleagues from various nationalities and backgrounds work offering a mix of business advisory services, contract risk services and project advisory services to wide range of clients who vary from energy and resource companies, rail authorities and other public sector entities to private property companies.

It’s a fantastic area and an even more fantastic place to work. We are the only construction consultancy located in this area of the city and it’s a plus point as this allows my colleagues to commute to work on one of the many ferries that criss-cross that harbour whilst I walk to work following the harbour’s edge passing the Opera House along the way.

It’s a very unique commute to a unique office with one of the world’s best views and on difficult days, I must say that it lifts the spirits.

And after work, there is always the Lord Nelson Pub or the Argyle for a drink or two!

Henry Sell is writing a blog for Hill International to interest UK construction professionals in the relocating to Australia. Follow his posts at www.hilldownunder.com