“Plenty of social space was key to the firm that generates best ideas through group brainstorms and lively debate. The state-of-the-art-kitchen by Aya Kitchens, features a 22 foot long island for group gatherings over food, drinks and ample amounts of caffeine, seen in the five different coffee machines available. True to their eco-friendly approach in architecture, PARTISANS encourages biking to work by offering private unisex bathrooms that feature showers and comforable change-rooms. Dogs are welcome and get the chance to relax in the PARTISANS-designed wooden bubble prototype, made originally for Pepsi

Co in a foresight mandate PARTISANS had in 2015. Original pieces of mid-century modern furniture complements the space, with areas for relaxing or deep-thinking. An open and airy feel is achieved through the light color-pallette, allowing the prototypes, sketches, and art to be at the focal point. PARTISANS stays true to the ‘practice what you preach’ saying and surround themselves with objects of art and beauty, to draw inspiration in their work. PARTISANS has continued to support the local arts scene, and the space features work by artists Kent Monkman, Curtis Santiago, Erin Armstrong, and Scott Macfarldand, to name a few, some of whom have used the space in an ad-hoc residency style offered by the studio. This stems true in their collaboration process, in which they often dive into the specific details to understand manufacturing elements that can be reworked or improved. With that, PARTISANS has offered part of the studio to Maffeis, an engineering firm out of Italy who they collaborate with.

Featured throughout the space are multiple prototypes from previous projects. The kitchen showcases PARTISANS’ Cubey System that debuted at IDS and won best in show in 2017. The intention of the open shelving system is to be transparent and ultra low impact with just 18 inch dimensions to save space. The large boardroom features an ETFE bubble wall 4 feet deep, developed as a prototype for SideWalk Labs. Other prototypes throughout the space include a sculptural mahogany wood piece, a memento to the cutting-edge Bar Raval design; the swirling design piece hanging from the ceiling is a prototype for an upcoming restaurant build; models of the Orbit masterplans, and more.”

• Location: Toronto, Canada
• Date completed: 2020
• Size: 11,000 square feet
• Design: Partisans
• Photos: Tim Melnichuk, Thomas Bollmann

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“The Foundation wanted their new office space to enable the team to collaborate, communicate and innovate to accelerate fundraising, strengthen their commitment to their mission, and serve as a platform to recruit and retain the best talent.

The space was to celebrate and bolster the Foundation’s goals and achievements while conveying a sense of hope through an uplifting range of spaces, colour and branding. To do this, the team focused on a number of key concepts throughout the design process: elements of nature, color, pattern and flow.

The color palette was carefully curated to take staff, partners and guests on a visual journey that explores wellness, creativity and movement. Careful placement of built-out spaces, offices and meeting rooms are intentionally detailed with glass to ensure natural lights shines through. Celebrating nature and life, the use of sustainable materials and biophilia are used, reflecting the energy and pace of the organization.

An additional visual feature is the interactive donor and history walls in the reception, which incorporate physical and digital elements to inspire and engage donors with the track record of research breakthroughs that have happened at the Princess Margaret Foundation, while also highlighting the most critical funding priorities in need of support from donors.

The team chose an activity-based office to promote movement and support the workforce for their variety of tasks suited for individual needs. The office is split into differing sections, or “neighborhoods”, made up of flexible workstations and provide a nice alternative to private rooms and offices. Defined pathways act as “sidewalks”, which connect the neighborhoods together, all while supporting a natural flow to the way people move throughout the space.

Each part of the office was designed with a sense of purpose, multi-use and connection. The main café is designed to be the central hub for staff to gather and interact throughout the day. The cafes, quiet zones, and meeting rooms are designed to open up into larger spaces so the Foundation can host town halls and staff celebrations.

Overall, the new workspace aligns with the Foundation’s mission to fight cancer while promoting collaboration, innovation, and communication – all needed to deliver on the Foundation’s bold new strategic plan. With enhanced navigation, an appropriate mix of spaces to support different methods of work, and tons of natural light, the office staff are fully equipped to work and feel their best,” says Figure3.

• Location: Toronto, Canada
• Date completed: 2020
• Design: Figure3

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“Located in the celebrated 17-storey Globe and Mail Centre built by First Gulf, this would be an opportunity to give back to their employees, who had been working in a space of high cubicles and siloed work. It was also an opportunity show their clients who they were at their core; a forward-thinking leader in the development of office, mixed-use, retail and industrial properties.

The rectangular floorplate of 25,000 sf was typical, but rounded corners helped create a space that opens up to its guests. A neutral palette with natural warm tones and a combination of different woods allowed for complimentary contrast to the raw stone textures and exposed ceilings. It is an alluring yet understated workplace; modern and sophisticated, warm and inviting, which is felt as soon as you walk off the elevator.

At reception, a mix of modern and traditional design details can be seen. Riveted Corinthian column references effortlessly mix with a mirrored desk which reflect the activity of the office. Very conscious of sustainability in their projects, First Gulf commissioned a custom sculptural work of art depicting the human influence of Toronto.

The conference and boardroom glazing creates a gallery-style corridor that provides uninterrupted views. Smoked glass fronts with curved corners allow the city scene to be reflected. From inside the boardroom, a custom sculpture of a bronze coiled buck is tucked in the corner of the corridor, overseeing the business deals, also symbolizing the human influence on nature.

The design allows for the office culture to be on display, with natural light flowing in and amazing views of the city acting as the backdrop. A balance of work settings, including open seating, interior offices, and non-bookable privacy rooms allows staff to not only be more visible to each other but also collaborate in more efficient and effective ways.

The lounge is a breathtaking space not typically seen in office design – curating a more hospitality-driven atmosphere. With a servery tucked away, cozy built-in dining booths, and small studies, the space offers flexibility for staff while maintaining its function, and as well for First Gulf to entertain clients and host events.”

• Location: Toronto, Canada
• Date completed: 2020
• Size: 25,000 square feet
• Design: Figure3

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“The project is the unusual merging of a loft-style interior within the context of a ‘Class A’ office building. The new office location on the 23rd floor of a tower above the landmark Toronto Eaton Centre offers panoramic views of the city skyline, City Hall, Lake Ontario and the CN Tower. Within the raw space of exposed concrete floors and a textured ceiling, the design team developed programmatic spaces as distinct volumes, optimizing circulation and views of the city, while also maximizing natural light. The sleek interiors were inspired by images of travel to exciting destinations, while also showcasing the dramatic cityscape of downtown Toronto.

The design aesthetic of the conference and lunch-room volumes alludes to modes and nodes of high-speed transport such as train stations and airports; the huddle rooms and lounge areas suggest comfortable destinations such as cabins, parks and beaches. Travelzoo’s brand colours, red for action and blue for tranquility, are combined with touches of bold contrasting colours to enliven the space.

The project’s tight budget necessitated a strategic approach to materials and design. The cabin volume uses a Japanese automotive product printed to look like wood, and the conference rooms are painted in metallic silver that creates the gleam of real metal, like a train. The clients’ desire for an exposed ceiling presented a challenge: the building’s construction was not conducive to that kind of detail, but an elegant solution was found in a metal mesh ceiling that makes the space feel more open while masking the rough texture above.

Graphic interactive elements also incorporate travel-culture motifs. To reinforce company culture Travelzoo’s employees are encouraged to experience for themselves the travel deals they offer customers; an arrivals/departures board in the kitchen helps keep track of their globe-trotting, and in the reception area an interactive world map offers another playful and colourful record. Designed as a wood peg board and constructed by local Atelier Kozak, the signature wall map has coloured wood pegs for employees to plug into the far-flung places they have been,” says Dubbeldam Architecture + Design.

• Location: Toronto, Canada
• Date completed: 2018
• Size: 4,800 square feet
• Design: Dubbeldam Architecture + Design
• Photos: Shai Gil

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“Informa’s department teams working in different sectors (real estate shows, consumer shows, Fan expo, finance department) were previously isolated from one another, and with communication and productivity decreasing it was necessary to integrate the teams into a more collaborative environment. The new layout divides the department teams into coloured quadrants which are visually identified by bold coloured accents in the Teknion workstation furniture and wall graphics.

The workstations are located around the perimeter to provide access to views and natural light. Private offices and meeting rooms have glass partitions to allow for borrowed light in adjacent interior spaces. The new office layout, reflecting the creativity and collaborative nature of their process, has dramatically improved Informa’s workflow and productivity.

In the elevator lobby a directional graphic in the company’s brand colours directs guests to the reception area where a mural by local artist Mike Parsons depicts themes from some of Informa’s exhibitions. A fresh material palette of light wood to add warmth in a corporate environment combined with deep hues of blue in the furnishings and linear carpet incorporate Informa’s brand colours and contrasts with the white walls and workstation furniture. Similarly, in the communal kitchen, splashes of colour from the furniture and light fixtures

offset the neutral grey AyA cabinetry and countertop. The result is a space that successfully communicates Informa’s brand and its transition from a disconnected and poorly lit environment to an open workspace flooded with light,” says Dubbeldam Architecture + Design.

• Location: Toronto, Canada
• Date completed: 2019
• Size: 16,000 square feet
• Design: Dubbeldam Architecture + Design
• Photos: Shai Gil

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“For their Toronto location Slack hired us to create an imaginative space that reflected their company culture and its relationship with craft and technology. Set in a former knitting and textile factory in the heart of downtown Toronto, three storeys within the interior of this mid-rise brick and beam building were redesigned to meet all the needs of a twenty-first century tech company, inspired both by the building’s heritage and the company’s work culture.

The design team drew from a “threads of communication” concept using linear geometries throughout the space, such as continuous angular light fixtures and coloured networking cables running through the length of the office on the ceiling and walls. These enliven the space in an homage to the lines of yarn that were used in the mechanized knitting process, while also referencing the communication service of the messaging application itself. In the reception area, the design team worked with long-term collaborator Kathryn Walter of Felt Studio who wrapped diagonal strips of industrial felt along the walls and ceiling, creating a warm and inviting environment as soon as you step into the office.

A feature characteristic of the interior is the bold, contrasting pops of colour that demarcate distinct areas including solitary workstations, phone booths, break-out meeting rooms, a staff lounge and sleek executive boardroom. Each zone corresponds to a single colour that comprises Slack’s branding, reinforcing company identity while also providing visual interest and relief to the otherwise yellow tones of the brick and wood interiors. Meeting rooms are uniform yet each unique, owing to their bold and varied colour scheme. Throughout, vibrantly coloured acoustic wall paneling matches textured carpeting and distinctive furniture pieces.

The angular light fixtures appear to thread through the ceiling, knitting workspaces and meeting rooms together. The large communal cafe picks up on the linear theme again with its white and wood diagonal slat finish. According to principal Heather Dubbeldam, “The interior spaces are varied enough to meet the functional requirements of 140 employees, but they also bring a sense of continuity and community to the workplace. The result is a fresh take on an old space that is serious about work while offering a playful and comfortable space for its employees to succeed”.

The elegant oak table by Vitra adds warmth to the executive boardroom. A dropped ceiling over the table conceals technical equipment for various teleconferencing functions, and provides greater acoustic performance. The same angular light fixture threads through the room as an allusion to the continuous lines found throughout the office,” says Dubbeldam Architecture + Design.

• Location: Toronto, Canada
• Date completed: 2017
• Design: Dubbeldam Architecture + Design
• Photos: Shai Gil

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“Relocating from a historic warehouse building to a new commercial office condominium, the studio desired an interior that would reflect their own visually-charged work and demonstrate a new level of professionalism while also providing their staff with an exciting and comfortable workplace.

The 6,000 sf space includes a reception area and an open kitchen meeting area that doubles as a place for casual lunches and large parties. There’s a studio with open workstations, a boardroom and other meeting rooms, editing suites, and an office for the studio’s two partners with an adjoining private ‘living room’.

Evocative of House of Cool’s namesake, Quadrangle’s big move was to insert an oversized roof structure comprised of felt acoustic paneling over the heart of the studio; under the roof peak, the kitchen island flows directly from reception, resulting in an entry area that can quickly morph from an informative interface between House of Cool and its clients into a place for staff to enjoy. Further characterizing the playful nature of House of Cool’s business, Quadrangle established a ‘brainstorming room’ with blue velvet theatrical curtains which bring a softness that immediately puts users at ease while at the same time keeping all conversations within the area completely private.

Keeping things playful while also counteracting the newness of the building, the design team left much of the building’s raw materials such as concrete floors and conduits exposed and mixed them with ‘ad hoc’ elements such as black stained chipboard walls and mismatched chairs – a striking yet cost effective visual effect. They team also drew subtle connections to the company’s branding with the occasional golden element, as seen in the kitchen cupboard framing and the studio workstation panelling.

House of Cool’s work area itself is highly functional, with ergonomic workstations that include shelving and drawers for personal items and tools. The desks are easily adapted to meet workers’ specific needs for optimal interface with their screens and adjustable lighting to eliminate glare. In working areas there are no white walls, no white furniture, and no white ceilings: everything is charcoal or yellow to ease the eyes over long hours working on a screen. The kitchen area, by contrast, provides staff with relief with its airiness, long city views and comfortable, domestic vibe.

Perhaps the most vivid characterization of House of Cool’s sense of digital cartoon playfulness, and its yin and yang between work and play, is how the two partners share an office that connects through a movable bookcase to a secret living room.”

• Location: Toronto, Canada
• Date completed: 2020
• Size: 6,000 square feet
• Design: Quadrangle
• Photos: Adrien Williams

The post Inside House of Cool’s New Toronto Office appeared first on Officelovin'.

“The entry is demarcated by its distinctive logo, rendered in a bold orange super-graphic, visible through the reception glass on axis at the end of a long corridor leading to the office. In keeping with the Canadian designers who are routinely featured in the magazine, the whimsical pendant overhead is by Molo, a Vancouver-based studio that makes furniture and lighting fixtures out of expandable paper geometries. An assemblage of five pendants are clustered like cumulus clouds and float above the reception desk whose sinuously organic wood top is crafted by the Brothers Dressler, bespoke furniture makers who are also neighbours on Sterling Road.

The reception area is flanked by a large, open-concept space that accommodates 26 workstations, a pair of private offices and a meeting room, which serve as the working environment for teams of editors, publishers, writers and advertising sales. Equipped with ergonomic desks and task chairs by Teknion, this quiet zone is conducive to professional focus, while also accommodating client meetings and collaborative sessions. To optimize structure and order, reference material and personal belongings can be stowed in integrated bookshelves and storage cubbies. The space is bathed in natural daylight from both south- and east-facing windows, increasing productivity and a sense of wellbeing for staff. On the opposite side of reception, a double-height space captivates with its volumetric expansion, with 16-foot-tall original factory windows framed in black metal providing even north light. Flexible in nature, the space is ideal for social events and recreational activities. The adjoining lunchroom and staff kitchen – fitted with Scavolini cabinets – can be closed off by a sliding translucent acrylic screen, a device used throughout the office to maintain a modicum of privacy without sacrificing light transmission.

The office’s material palette is a strategic interplay of new and old: white and pops of colour are introduced through graphics, seating and signage, in contrast to the neutral palette of the historic textured red brick walls, aged wood plank ceilings, newly installed honey-blonde maple floors, and darkened rough steel columns and beams,” says Dubbeldam Architecture + Design.

• Location: Toronto, Canada
• Date completed: 2019
• Size: 5,600 square feet
• Design: Dubbeldam Architecture + Design
• Photos: Scott Norsworthy

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“For their new office in downtown Toronto, Air Canada was looking to elevate their workplace design experience while maintaining their existing established brand standard. With one floor of 30,000 square feet, figure3 designed a bespoke and elegant workplace for Canada’s largest airline.

Working closely with the client to meet the unique needs of diverse groups, their new workplace boasts a variety of sophisticated executive boardrooms, increased client-facing areas, social spaces that can expand for town hall meetings, and an innovation hub. Air Canada’s very specific brand guidelines were met, with themes of flight referenced throughout, including structural columns crafted into art to resemble the propeller engines of jetliners.

From reception through the wide corridors, the undulating lighting fixtures create a sense of wind and motion, as staff and guests travel to the boardrooms and lunchroom. The multi-purpose innovation hub named “The Cabin” featuring wood ceilings and stone walls is an ideal cove for inspiration and creativity. The use of white, red and light wood finishes reinforces the company’s deep Canadian roots in what has quickly become Air Canada’s most popular office in the city,” says figure3.

• Location: Downtown – Toronto, Canada
• Date completed: 2020
• Size: 30,000 square feet
• Design: figure3
• Photos: Steve Tsai

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“This office was designed to provide a variety of workspaces, from open-concept, collaborative spaces, private offices, meeting rooms, and a lounge and eating area. A curved wood accent wall provides a seamless transition from the reception area to the rest of the suite and visually references the curved facade of the building’s exterior. The office has an airy, light-filled atmosphere, achieved through the use of natural, white oak wall paneling, and flooring, along with an exposed whitewashed concrete ceiling and suspended light fixtures.

Wide, suspended, circular lights softly demarcate the informal gathering space, and this light, the transparent design is carried throughout the office areas through a series of connective glass partitions, framed in black, which provide a clear border between the public and private areas,” says Studio JCI.

• Location: Toronto, Canada
• Date completed: 2020
• Size: 5,000 square feet
• Design: Studio JCI
• Photos: Scott Norsworthy

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“Mavericks VFX has a strong mission: to create a work environment and culture that is joyful, respectful to the artist, and one that fosters a sense of cooperation and excellence. This culture requires an environment that enables production, as well as relaxed and collaborative interaction.

The office space needed to inspire an open and collaborative environment as well as enable focused production all within an enjoyable, uplifting atmosphere. Conversely, the desirable conditions of the workspace were low lighting, quiet spaces and very controlled access and tight security to some areas. Rather than structuring the design around housing the specific functions, the design addressed the desired behaviours: development, collaboration, discussion, focus, presentation etc.

The client shared our appreciation for the existing industrial space – untreated concrete floors, exposed steel joists and structure. This allowed the budget conscious fit-out to focus the detail where it could provide the greatest impact for the various users and activities – shaping the design strategy to identify key areas to develop and leave the remaining areas raw.

The strategy was deliberately authentic to the level of construction and tightly focused on the direct experience of each user. A restrained palette of modest, unpretentious, everyday materials was maintained however, careful attention to the importance of the details was used to elevate the refinement of the space.

The deliberately uncomplicated floor plan structured the program with a central dividing spine. To one side: a sinewy entrance, to manage physical and visual access as well as providing alternate routes for visitors and artists/collaborators. To the other, through a controlled opening: more public areas – a screening room, break area and meeting space which visitors could access with the artists’ privacy maintained. These more public spaces were defined with both fixed panels and oversized sliding doors that could secure the space or open them us, as required. Areas with restricted access, are contained in two framed ‘boxes’ which can be closed off for more focused conversation. The framed boxes face onto two open ‘bullpens’: an open producers area and an open artists area. Between each of the areas, wide circulation spaces were doubled up for collaborative ‘pauses’, allowing for impromptu meet-ups and conversations between artists and production staff alike.

The result is a simple yet sophisticated collaborative space focused on the direct experience, deeply considerate of those who visit and use the space.”

• Location: Toronto, Canada
• Date completed: 2018
• Size: 3,200 square feet
• Design: Barbora Vokac Taylor Architects
• Photos: Scott Norsworthy

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