IA Design was engaged as a result of the amalgamation in 2015, of the Amalgamated Appeals Tribunal (AAT), the Migration Review Tribunal and the Refugee Review Tribunal (MRT-RRT), and the Social Security Appeals Tribunal (SSAT), into a single tribunal. The key drivers for this project were that this new AAT would be recognized as an accessible, expert and innovative organization that delivered administrative justice for individuals and organizations, and improved the quality of government decision-making.
IA Design engaged in an extensive briefing process, which underwent many changes as the needs of the combined organisations became clearer over time. It was to be expected that the amalgamation of several entities would result in the need for an agile design process. Additionally, the nature of the building created many challenges for both the design team and the head contractor, not least being the lack of space for any services. The nature of the Tribunal also meant that the security requirements influenced a lot of the design decisions and created the need for a high level of coordination, as did the requirements of the AV system.
The success of the project was only achieved by having a great team and client working together very closely, and it is a testament to the great effort put in by all.
