The future of the office is under debate this year, with opinions strongly divided over whether open plan and hot desking are the best way to work in 2017.

Vodafone made the call to change the game for staff in Christchurch last July, with the opening of Vodafone’s InnoV8 headquarters. The unique blend of high tech and comfort is proving immensely popular with staff.

Even before you walk through the doors of Vodafone’s InnoV8 headquarters in Christchurch, the signs are everywhere that this is an office like no other.

On the pavement there’s a giant arcade game, with an oversized console for passers-by to have a go. A massive television above shows everyone the action as you navigate potholes and traffic cones to keep ahead of some particularly pesky aliens.

Vodafone donated the office space to Gap Filler, a creative urban regeneration initiative that innovates in spaces left empty by the 2011 earthquake, with the game played more than 32,000 times since its installation in December.

It’s equally ground-breaking inside. Tucked beside the main doors is the company’s innovation lab and accelerator programme for globally ambitious tech start-ups, Vodafone xone.

xone programme leader Kevin Park said it was vital to be based in the central CBD.

“People thought and sometimes think it’s still just a rubble area. Being part of such a high-tech building is a big part of changing people’s perspective. Since we moved in, a whole innovation hub has sprung up alongside with bars, restaurants, and a gym - the whole energy has changed,” Kevin said.

Visitors to the building start to see the innovation at work as they journey towards it.

Vodafone’s Human Resources Director Antony Welton is proud of the way the Vodafone welcome starts from more than a block away.

“We have an app that gives visitors information about parking, maps and other facilities. Once they are 500 metres away, a message is automatically sent to the person they are meeting at InnoV8, so there is no need to waste time waiting at reception,” he said.

For staff the days of rummaging in your handbag to find your swipe card are gone – your phone acts as a personal passport, and automatically unlocks your automated locker closest to the pod of desks you’re working in that day.

Phones also drive any presentations you need to give in the smart meeting rooms.

“We believe physical environments play a big role in the general wellbeing of our people. InnoV8 is the most technologically advanced Vodafone workplace internationally, and we are sharing our experience with management teams around the world,” Antony said.

In the push to embrace cutting edge technology though, the building’s architects haven’t sacrificed comfort, and a feeling of community, through a series of well thought out touches.

When it’s time for relaxation, there are lunch booths like those in an American style diner, and a pool table dominates the break room.

“You run into new people all the time because of the way they’ve designed the common areas. On the benches you end up having some great conversations. Then there’s the games room where the ping pong tables make for a lot of banter and bragging rights,” Kevin said.

Themed meeting spaces are equally detailed.

The video conferencing room, kitted out with multiple screens, is set up like a modern army headquarters, with a large map of the world and six clocks set for different time zones in countries where Vodafone has an international presence.

Another is customised with floor-to-ceiling photography of Christchurch’s iconic Hagley Park, grass-inspired carpet, and picnic style tables.

The woodland theme continues into the atrium, where the smell of pine used on a massive tree-house-like centre staircase drifts on the air.

It’s just one of the details that’s gone into giving the building a 5 Green Star Design rating. The ABODO wood was harvested from sustainable forests, and transformed through an innovative heat and steaming process which uses no chemicals.

Its use in the InnoV8 building has seen it recently named as a finalist in the 2017 New Zealand Timber Design Awards.

There are also links between the old and new Christchurch. A wooden sculpture in the shape of the Vodafone logo hangs proudly on the wall, constructed out of reclaimed timber from buildings destroyed by the earthquakes.

It’s all part of paying tribute to the heritage of the City, but there’s an equal emphasis on its future.

“It’s cool being a big company in that innovation space that gives back to the community. There's a Stadium space here that’s lent out to the community for suitable events, to give back to Christchurch. Last year that saw more than a hundred kids who are aspiring astronauts meeting with NASA scientists about the Mission to Mars, and being inspired about science and space.

“There’s a real feeling that the community can flow in and out of the building, and that’s an awesome way for people who aren’t just staff to have fun in this amazing space. It’s definitely spoilt people for working back in a normal office,” Kevin said.