Best Offices Ottawa is a celebration of esthetically beautiful, functional and healthy workspaces across the National Capital Region. This year’s edition features top projects and stories from the magazine’s various supporters, including: Burovision, IDRC, Simmonds Architecture, MARANT, Fullscript, Provencher Roy and Interactive Audio Visual.
As Ottawa continues to evolve as a hub for innovation, creativity and commerce, the physical spaces where these ideas come to life play a crucial role in shaping the work culture of our city.
The workplace remains important, but its role has changed as the needle moves towards developing physical spaces that support the relationships that enable great work.
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Best Offices Ottawa is published by
PRESIDENT Michael Curran
For more than 30 years, customers have placed their trust in Burovision to guide, source and manage the build-out of progressive work environments. With the help of our trusted partners, MillerKnoll and Falkbuilt, we are an engine of insights, a wellspring of inspiration and a facilitator of ideas – working together to untap your best work.
These strong supplier partnerships combined with deep project management and installation experience guarantee we will meet your project objectives. Our earlyengagement, collaborative process supports attaining your goals for culture, well-being and ROI.
Burovision is proud to support Best Offices Ottawa, a publication that celebrates the evolving yet unwavering importance of the communal workplace as a home for culture, community, and innovation.
Looking to create your own thriving workplace? Let us be your guide to the best office experience.
THE BEST WORKPLACES HELP YOU THRIVE AS WELL AS MEET TOMORROW’S CHALLENGES –AND ARE AS UNIQUE AS YOU ARE
Amid the maze of grey, boxy office spaces in downtown Ottawa lies an oasis of good design that brings the outdoors in and creates a welcoming and flexible environment for staff. Centrally
located on Sparks Street in the Podium Building, this office space is the headquarters of Burovision Ottawa, a single-source commercial interiors partner for contract furniture, construction, project management and
installation services.
Burovision is both a showroom and an office – with features such as floorto-ceiling windows along three sides of the space and the choice to situate on the second-floor level allows employees and guests to enjoy nature and light from this tree-lined vantage point. The 9,200-square-foot environment is divided into a series of different work or hospitality points across the length of the space, intentionally flowing into one another while demonstrating a variety
of work points for individuals and teams to thrive. Burovision is proud to be the exclusive Falkbuilt branch and dealer partner for MillerKnoll in Ottawa. The company tripled the size of its office space in 2023 to accommodate the impressive collective of products and solutions offered by these key supplier partners.
Upon entering the Burovision Plaza through a striking red archway, visitors are greeted by iconic Herman Miller and Knoll pieces such as a walnut and leather Eames Lounge Chair and luxe Saarinen Womb chair, a powerful duo setting the tone for the experience about to unfold in the space. Nearby are Mies van der Rohe Barcelona chairs, a Bertoia diamond armchair and a Florence Knoll hairpin table, all works from pioneers of modernism that continue to inspire and endure in both commercial and residential spaces. “A lot of our customers want to have iconic, beautiful
BUROVISION SHOWCASES ICONIC HERMAN MILLER AND KNOLL PIECES
pieces. Our design heritage is our strength and weaving these heirlooms into a project really makes a memorable statement,” says Gillian Oxley-Harper, president of Burovision Ottawa.
As we venture farther into the space, a strong cross-section of products from the collective of 15 MillerKnoll brands has been selected for both function and style. The space delivers smart settings that improve work experiences at the
individual, group work or community level. Hospitality-oriented lounges and cafés, progressive workstations, highperformance task seating, acoustic pods and accessories and artwork deliver the full complement of designdriven products offered by Burovision. The Plaza captures the feeling of a cool outdoor café, complete with bar, library table, relaxed lounge seating, café dining and even a beautiful tree. Moving through the space we find many different locations to work, conduct research or meetings, socialize or simply
sit and think in a calming space while people-watching on Sparks Street. Throughout the space, the colour story is a palette of subdued, earthy tones such as rust, rose, sage green and oatmeal with stronger tones like marigold yellow and Japanese red to bring vibrancy. Warm woods, stone and glass enhance the organic materiality experience.
Individual work rooms with sliding glass doors or full acoustic pods offer private spaces for heads-down work or video calls. “We created a space that is progressive,” says Oxley-Harper. “The way it is designed, it gives employees the choice of where to work, and how to work to some degree, recognizing that the nature of work shifts during a day for everybody.”
Alexa Schafer, creative strategist at Burovision, reiterates that today’s workplace is a destination that needs to be people-first and supportive of individuals at every level.
“In our downtown Ottawa showroom, we have emphasized innovation and design excellence – all brought to life in a vibrant way like only the products and solutions from our trusted partners, MillerKnoll, d|vision 21 and Falkbuilt can offer,” Schafer says.
And the space is not only for Burovision employees, adds OxleyHarper, as it is available to clients who may wish to drop in to use it as an office
for the day. “The design and commercial real estate communities, as well as local project management firms, might need a space to work for couple hours if they don’t want to work from home that day or are bridging meetings, and they’re welcome to come in and work here and enjoy the space,” Oxley-Harper says.
There are plenty of amenities for the day, such as a coffee bar, varied meeting and huddle rooms, mobile whiteboards, sit-to-stand desks and state-of-theart technology for easy connectivity. For every eight people, there is a privacy pod available, ensuring there is always sufficient space for those who need a quiet moment. Meeting room technology platforms deliver equitable experiences for all participants. “With our technology choices combined with our ‘infield and outfield’ seating levels, people who are remote feel that they are part of the meeting, and that inclusivity drives great collaborative exchanges,”
says Oxley-Harper.
Food is always a great connector and the spacious open-area café with oversized quartz island doubles as a dining space or as an area for team members and clients to spread out documents or finishes in a relaxed setting. Next to the café is a bright locker room in marigold yellow, a deliberate design intention to create a welcoming feeling to start or end the workday.
Towards the back of the showroom is the Florence Knoll Study, a peaceful destination curated with vintage design artifacts that serves for meeting, quiet repose or even private dining complete with stunning Florence Knoll dining table in marble and chrome.
The space was designed by Montreal company FOR Design Planning, which leveraged Falkbuilt for all interior construction of walls and millwork. This construction method allowed for highend finishes and integrated technology, driving design and function in every setting. Smoked-glass meeting room facades, double-glazed private offices and
an ingenious Taz retractable glass wall system are proof of the state-of-the-art construction approach that is Falkbuilt. High-performing spaces require deep consideration of acoustic performance, and Burovision achieved this through wall and ceiling baffling in a beautiful crosssection of styles and finishes.
It is this attention to fine detail that reinforces the space as a flexible yet comfortable area in which to work. Intricate millwork, wood slats and panelling, light boxes with strong brand images and even a massive skylight all contribute to a welcoming yet sophisticated feeling in the space.
“We believe we show a variety of thoughtful solutions that can be used to start the discussion about how our quality products can shape the spaces where people come to work and live in Ottawa,” says Oxley-Harper. “Burovision is committed to Ottawa’s downtown core and will play an active role to encourage its evolution as a destination, with Burovision’s showroom and office as one of the focal points.”
Upon entering the International Development Research Centre’s office in downtown Ottawa, one is greeted by a display of artifacts, from a three-foot-tall fertility statue of a woman to ornate vases and framed photographs. These artifacts, gifted by clients from around the world, set the mood and tone for the IDRC’s head office. Then one might notice the soothing blues and greens and then an assortment of interwoven patterns proliferating the space that bring to mind textiles.
All of these details were selected to represent the global nature of IDRC’s work, as well as one of the elements that unifies humanity – textiles.
“IDRC is in multiple locations around the world, and when we started thinking about that, one of the very essentials in life is to clothe yourself, and every culture around the world weaves textiles to create this bare necessity. So this idea of overlapping lines that we find in woven cloth, that really was a jumping-off point for us esthetically,” says Bryan Wiens,
principal of Ottawa interior design firm LWG Architectural Interiors.
The philosophy behind the office space, Mawanzo, or “new beginnings” in Swahili, guided its creation, says Wiens. This was also used as the name of a focus group that was created, and consultations were held with a firm called Vision2Voice, headed by Andrea Greenhous.
The origin story of the new space at the World Exchange Plaza begins prepandemic, when it was clear that IDRC had outgrown its old office several
MWANZO, OR “NEW BEGINNINGS” IN SWAHILI, GUIDED THE CREATION
blocks away.
“They wanted to create a new vision for the organization and think about new ways to work. And so looking forward, the president had a vision for the new space to create a more open, collaborative space focused on bringing people together and fostering the work that they do internationally with developing countries,” Wiens says.
That process began in 2019, with IDRC’s Richard Danis coming on board. In the old, dark space, everyone had their own office, and there were few windows and even fewer meeting rooms. It became clear that a space at World Exchange was ideal, and the planning continued in earnest. This included a downsizing from 108,000 square feet to 66,000 square feet, reducing the organization’s original footprint by more than 40 per cent.
Despite the reduction, the key was to keep an open concept that focused on the user experience, Danis says. “How would the user perceive and feel going into the space? How would they use it?” Incorporating technology in a user-friendly way was also a priority, he adds. “It’s the technology that goes into the physical space and how you use a technology that is extremely important,” he says. This was done so efficiently and effectively that the IDRC’s office space has been recognized by Gartner for
enhancing inclusion through technology and workplace design.
There are 270 employees spread out over three floors, which contain a multitude of flexible spaces for any scenario that people want to work in, whether it is by themselves or in large or small groups.
The space is suited for multi-purpose use, with a prime example of that being the Rafiki Lounge, a central social area that can accommodate 15 to 20 people who want to meet or even eat lunch. In the design phase, a cross-functional group was created to collaborate and determine necessities for the new office. In the initial stages, a central meeting area was deleted from the plans, but team members objected. “They said, ‘This is part of our cultural identity, we have to have this space,’ so we designed it back into the space, and it’s wonderful now to see when you have 15 to 20 people gathering in there to have lunch and whatnot. It’s a great space. So, having that influence of the staff, and being the ambassadors for the rest of their teams to really help with the design was key to this whole experience,” Danis says.
“THERE’S A REASON FOR EVERYTHING WE PUT INTO THIS DESIGN.”
The contribution from team members was sometimes fraught with dissent, Wiens adds, but that added to the overall outcome, since every decision was justified in the end. “So we workshopped everything, like colours and finishes, the concept, the philosophy of the esthetics, the workstations, how high are the panels going to be,” he says. “We had some people that challenged us on everything, which I think is good, because design should be defendable. We should be able to say, ‘There’s a reason for everything we put into this design.’”
Danis says the configuration is working ideally for the current workflow. Employees are asked to be in office three days a week, and they have their own “landing” space, which encourages a sense of permanency.
The final product certainly lives up to the standards of functionality, from the soothing blues, greens and reds that are reflective of the tones in the IDRC logo, to the textile patterns throughout, to the 40:1 ratio of meeting space to staff members.
“Speaking to that welcoming side, because the IDRC hosts people from all over the world, when delegates and communities come into their office
space, we wanted to create a blank slate that wasn’t overly ostentatious but did represent their brand so the blues, the reds are all representative of their core branding colours,” says Olivia Carmichael, an interior designer with LWG.
In addition to the soothing atmosphere, there is also a display wall for all publications circulated by the IDRC, which highlights work that is sometimes not necessarily somebody sees all the way through, says Carmichael. “It is adjacent to the communal area where those finished products are accessible, and somebody can close the loop on their work and go and see what the final product looked like. They can bring it into the Rafiki Lounge and review the product and see where their work ended. And then it is also on display in the public area where other guests can view that information,” she adds.
This exemplifies the mindfulness that was incorporated into the design process.
“We’re trying to be less corporate in our look and focus more on the idea of
experience-based design,” says Wiens. “What is the experience of the people coming into the space? They should be having a good experience, so the colours and finishes and how the spaces are articulated has a huge impact on that. We
understand that design can only do so much, that the culture of the organization and the relationships between the people are the most important thing, but we would like to see how the design can enhance and support that.”
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN BELANGER
Walking into the offices of Ottawa Plastic Surgery, one would never suspect that the sophisticated, serene space was once a garish-looking automobile parts store.
But the Simmonds Architecturedesigned renovation has emerged as an oasis for patients frequenting one of the city’s only free-standing plastic
surgery offices.
“This was really a transformation,” says Simmonds Architecture principal Christopher Simmonds. “We had a bright-red auto-parts store. Now we have an incredibly subtle and sophisticated building in its place, which is a huge contrast,” Simmonds says. The cleanness of details and the
precision reflect two things, Simmonds adds. The first is design principal Samantha Schneider’s skills, but also the intentions of the client that the building should demonstrate their technical and professional competence, Simmonds says of the owner of Ottawa Plastic Surgery, Dr. Howard Silverman.
It has been a long journey to get to this point. In 2020, Dr. Silverman enlisted Simmonds to undertake the remarkable transformation when the plastic surgeon was looking to branch out on his own. He bought the building
backed by a 25-year career in hospitals and clinics that led him to crave his own space. A loss of business from COVID was the final push he needed.
“I always wanted a private place in which I could have my own staff, my own team, and full control over the process,” Dr. Silverman says.
The plastic surgeon had a wish list that he put to Simmonds and contractor Lundy. “I wanted a free-standing facility that was on one floor. I wanted to own the building. I wanted somewhere that was pretty accessible to the Queensway, and I wanted something with lots of parking,” he says. The location on Bank Street was ideal.
Silverman also had a vision for the look and feel of the facility, some of which proved challenging, but with the expertise and experience of Simmonds and the many contractors, he was able to realize it. On Silverman’s list was a space that was clean, attractive and comfortable that also allowed natural light and had an airy feeling, while still maintaining privacy for his patients at the same time.
In addition, Silverman had to consider the needs of the patients before and after surgery. “I also wanted absolute exclusivity, and for the operating rooms, I wanted something that somewhat restricted access, where the patients could come into surgery and leave the operating room while respecting their privacy and their comfort,” he says. Combining these two requirements was difficult, but a synthesis was achieved thanks to Simmonds, in which the office part of the building co-exists with the surgical suites while respecting privacy needs.
The 8,500-square-foot space is indeed bright and breezy but maintains a relaxing vibe for patients. It is also designed to
permit plenty of natural light, even in consulting rooms, which line a long hallway of floor-to-ceiling windows (complete with privacy screening) with small portals at the top of each room. The reception area is accented with natural wood and calming lighting, while the attention to detail like soundless door latches in the consulting rooms enhance the experience by reducing the clinical feel.
Samantha Schneider, the project lead, says a project like this was unique because of the inclusion of the medical facilities.
“It’s a lot of painstaking work to create something like this. It becomes very technically sophisticated when you build an operating suite,” she says. The design must account for sufficient HVAC and power supplies with backup, clean rooms, lighting requirements and the maintenance of patient privacy.
It was also a challenge to create an exterior design that reflected the company’s identity and the services being carried out within the building, Schneider adds. As for the interior, “We wanted something very clean, fresh and new but with a personal sensibility that was not sterile. And that is where the palette of white, oak, and accents of blue come in,” she says. “It is a modern, open, tactile, and thoughtfully detailed space.”
The building is divided into two parts, with the front housing patient consulting rooms, the reception and staff work areas, while the remainder consists of the operating and recovery rooms. For Simmonds Architecture, this project provided a new skill set and area of expertise. “I don’t know where this industry is going, but things are evolving. We enjoyed this building type and our team has built up the expertise through it that will apply to future clinics,” she says.
Dr. Silverman says he had doubts about the process, especially with the amount of work the project entailed. While the bones of the building remained, everything else was redone, including the floor, roof, plumbing, electrical, insulation, HVAC and weatherproofing.
But his doubts were extinguished along the way. “It was a red auto shack,” he says. “And I looked at this and I said, ‘I don’t know how this is going to turn into an operating room,’ but they did it. And I think they all had a good time doing it. I think it was a stretch for all of us, but it was a really unique project,” he says.
IT IS VERY TECHNICALLY SOPHISTICATED WHEN BUILDING AN OPERATING SUITE
Flexibility and wellness were the motivating factors for the Business Development Bank of Canada when it was looking to transition to office space in the west end of Ottawa.
The result is a bright, lively and airy yet also soothing setting that both enhances the work environment while also creating a space in which people want to relax.
The 2,800-square-foot space, which was acquired in 2023, is on the
10th floor of a Kanata Research Park building at 515 Legget Dr. It will house employees with the aim of optimizing hybrid working, and perhaps more importantly, encouraging a healthy environment.
“We believe this to be the rationale behind dividing the space in two to create both a lounge area and a workstation area when initially reviewing the project design,” says Matthew DiCintio, regional director of operations for MARANT Construction,
the general contractor for the project.
“It was clearly a priority to develop a floor plan that suited a variety of hybrid working styles, open and collaborative areas as well as segregated meeting spaces,” he explains.
Designed by Chmiel Architects, the space prioritized the creation of different configurations and moods, depending on what employees are looking for. It is set up for around 50 employees to work comfortably. This project is one of several that MARANT and Chmiel have partnered together on in recent years within the National Capital Region.
“Flexibility was one of the key drivers for this project to best utilize the new space and create a collaborative and functional work environment to accommodate staff members at a variety of different work points,” says Richard Chmiel, with Chmiel Architects.
As a result, the design features a mixture of enclosed focus rooms and small and large meeting rooms, including one with an operable glazed partition. There are also open workstations, mobile worktables, a wellness room with colour-changeable lighting, a small kitchenette and print room and a locker area, as well as a variety of benching and soft seating arrangements.
In addition to the physical configuration of the space, the designers sought to bring in organic elements that connect employees with nature. “We achieved this by combining curvilinear
“FLEXIBILITY WAS ONE OF THE KEY DRIVERS FOR THIS PROJECT”
design elements with biophilic design practices to act as a common thread tying the space together,” says Craig Gillier, associate architect at Chmiel.
The curved elements feature on the designs for the ceiling, flooring and lighting, while the millwork elements create a flowing space that connects the more open and collaborative environments with the more private and quiet work areas.
With the return to the office postpandemic ramping up, designers have turned to a more employee-centric approach, which focuses on wellness
and the incorporation of the natural world, or biophilic designs, as they are being referred to. For BDC, the biophilic designs include curvilinear elements and more overt notes of the environment such as maple hardwood veneers on millwork, and orientation of workspaces toward natural daylight.
“BDC’s design vision is to create the utmost employee and client wellness, and we were able to implement this vision by incorporating natural materials,” says Chmiel.
Building on the focus on wellness, the
HAVE TURNED TO A MORE EMPLOYEECENTRIC
vision also included the separation of the workspace from the communal space. To achieve this, a central feature of the design includes a raised louvre wall that creates a visual and physical barrier between the two. The louvre also creates direct and indirect access to daylight from surrounding areas, a return to the emphasis on biophilic design.
And in a departure from the usual harsh office lighting, the design incorporates integrated lighting that reflects the curvilinear language throughout the space. However, the sourcing necessary for this project was a challenge to source acoustic solutions that were conducive to curved shapes.
The resulting solution saw curved bulkheads created using an Armstrong Frameall grid with seamless acousticbuilt panels and high-performing recessed acoustic ceiling tile systems.
This strategy was also effective in the hall and lounge rooms, which transition from two separate rooms to one large meeting room that can accommodate 18 people when the operable glazed wall is open. Curved bulkheads were created using an Armstrong Frameall grid with seamless acoustic-built panels and highperforming recessed acoustic ceiling tile systems. This system remains effective whether the operable wall is open or closed so that the ceiling design appears complete in both configurations.
“Larger communal space[s] that can
be separated with folding partitions, to create separated assembly areas have been a valuable solution for businesses seeking hybrid/reconfigurable spaces,” says DiCintio.
Other elements that render this project a step above a regular office retrofit include significant focus on the millwork package and wrapped veneer portals, DiCintio adds.
Taking a step further back, he adds that the property is within an area that is conducive to the concept of the 15-minute city, where it is walkable to any amenities one would need. It also incorporates the federal government’s desire to be closer to some clients in that area, and to have more of a presence in that sector of the city, he adds.
“We’re proud to take part in the execution and delivery of this renovation. With the increasingly apparent focus on wellness and incorporation of elements and material that have the environment in mind, our collaboration with this build aligns closely with our firm’s mission and values,” DiCintio adds. “As of June 2024, MARANT has officially achieved carbon neutrality. This remarkable accomplishment marks a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability and responsible business practices,” DiCintio says.
“We’ve been working towards this goal for quite some time and through a collective effort we were able to reduce emissions, enhance energy efficiency, and support impactful carbon-offset projects. This milestone not only underscores our leadership in the industry but is also a testament to our values and our unwavering commitment to creating a sustainable future for generations to come,” he adds.
“As MARANT celebrates this achievement, our company was happy to be an integral part of utilizing our expertise to support BDC with this renovation and allow us to continually innovate and improve our sustainability practices. It was welcome that both Chmiel and BDC shared these values in the design and materials proposed. Together, we continued to make a positive impact on the environment and we hope this build inspires others in our industry to do the same,” DiCintio concludes.
THE PROPERTY IS WITHIN AN AREA CONDUCIVE TO THE 15-MINUTE CITY
When it comes to Fullscript’s employees and where they work, the company’s philosophy is deceptively simple: “Work where you work well.” Fullscript’s 250-plus Ottawa-based employees can choose where they can do their best work –whether that’s at the company’s spa-like retreat in Kanata, its lively downtown hub at Constitution Square, or in the comfort of their own home. Either way, Fullscript encourages its employees to choose what’s best for them.
The thoughtfulness behind this message was also reflected in the configuration
of the company’s office spaces and the overarching goal of fostering a culture of community and collaboration.
This setup was generated as a result of a post-pandemic re-evaluation, says Fullscript CEO Kyle Braatz.
“We’ve always been a remote-friendly company, and pre-pandemic that didn’t stop people from coming to the office more often than WFH. In fact, each Friday we celebrated the week’s wins at a town hall (meeting), a ritual to foster open and transparent communication, cross-discipline empathy and communitybuilding. Those Fridays, the office was
packed. It was the magic of human interaction that drove people to the office. Often there were so many people in the office, you didn’t have a desk, but people wanted to see their teammates, hear what they were working on, and learn.
“Post-pandemic, our goal was to create office spaces that are geared to the way people work today: a few days at home, a few days in office and most importantly as a gathering place that helps drive meaningful connections. We place a high value on informal, unstructured or unforced discussions that happen when you are together. Water-cooler chats,
lunch-room collisions or off-site side discussions … all of these connections help us identify what our teammates are working on, spark curiosity and drive impact,” explains Braatz.
For every business, there are moments when it’s really key to bring people together, concurs Heather Tyrie, vice-president of talent engagement for Fullscript.
“Our folks genuinely enjoy hanging out and working together. We knew we wanted to be hybrid, but we also knew that having gathering spaces was going to be important to us,” she says.
It is also important to provide an environment conducive to different work styles, and the two locations facilitate the differing demands.
At Constitution Square, the calming, muted sage green walls belie a busy downtown vibe where employees can work, socialize and collaborate.
Fullscript enlisted designer Clearspace and modelled the office as a vibrant “campus” with an open environment that accommodates 108 desks, and several different areas supporting how Fullscripters want to work. There is the Library, where people can work independently; the Quad, where people gather and conversation is encouraged; and the Residence, where people work side by side.
Both the kitchen (the Canteen) and the Quad serve as gathering spaces where Fullscript hosts events for team members and the external community. These spaces have become a meet-up spot for local Ruby
“WORK WHERE YOU WORK WELL”
and JavaScript developers in the evenings, as well as a location for the company’s hacka-thons and annual Fullhouse events.
The Kanata location, dubbed the “Retreat,” is a more serene environment with a completely different feel. The drive to the Kanata office takes you up a treelined driveway to an old stone home and newer office space remodelled by LWG Architectural Interiors.
The designer stayed true to the bones of the home, veering away from the look of the more traditional office space. The historic Monk House is used for connection and collaboration, while the adjoining office accommodates up to 55 people in a more classic work environment. Wild turkeys and deer may be co-workers, and there is an outdoor patio and barbecue available to spice up the workday. The space is adjacent to the Monk Environmental Park, so if anyone wants to commune with nature to clear their head and spark new ideas, it is just on their doorstep. “It is meant to feel like a spa,” says Tyrie. “The Retreat in Kanata is unique. There’s absolutely nothing like it in the tech park.”
“At Fullscript, our passion for wholeperson care is at the heart of everything we do,” says Braatz. “We’ve created office spaces that embody our values, fostering a sense of community and collaboration. Our design isn’t just about esthetics; it’s about facilitating meaningful connection and promoting health. While it might seem obvious, many workplaces overlook these elements. It’s important our team feels inspired at the office, making it a hub where ideas flourish and connections deepen.”
“WE’VE CREATED OFFICE SPACES THAT EMBODY OUR CULTURE”
As people return to work in office, many employers are focusing in earnest on creating a healthy, welcoming environment.
For CBRE, that focus was turned up a notch as the Ottawa office is close to achieving Platinum Certification from the WELL Building Standard, an international standard that is an evidence-based road map for creating spaces that advance human health and well-being.
The local office of CBRE, a global commercial real estate brokerage firm, wanted to provide a comfortable environment that enhances the health of its employees. So the firm commissioned Provencher_Roy, an award-winning Canadian architectural firm that includes a dedicated interior design studio.
CBRE Ottawa’s employees provided the road map for the office transformation, says operations manager Connie Marszowski.
“Our people wanted options so they could work in whatever way was most supportive of the task at hand,” she says. “The biggest change that is reflective of our new work environment is a significant increase in collaborative meeting space options.”
And wellness was top of mind at all points during the design process, adds Aileen Terrien, a senior graphic designer in the Ottawa office. “Our workstations are all equipped with
sit-stand desks, large monitors and everyone has access to natural light,” she says. “Because doing great work shouldn’t mean sacrificing your mind and body for results. We now have a space that inspires wellness and fosters collaboration,” she adds. “It’s an environment that nurtures mind, body and spirit and promotes a balanced approach to work and life,” says Terrien.
Anna Westlund, an interior design partner with Provencher_Roy in Ottawa, says this project is notable in that CBRE targeted the Platinum level, the highest WELL certification one can achieve.
“This is a great example of an office
that embraces the hybrid work model and offers a space that enhances people’s health and productivity. The team created a destination space that people are going to want to come to. It’s the idea of that magnetic place,” says Westlund.
The Wellness certification, which was facilitated directly by Provencher_Roy, focuses on 10 areas that are aimed at optimizing the environment, including air, water, nourishment, light, movement, thermal comfort, sound, materials, mind and community.
CBRE’s office is located at Constitution Square, which itself is one of Ottawa’s few triple-class-A-rated spaces. Upon entering the office, you are greeted by light-toned wood panelling, soft, rounded lighting and a soothing green, which was inspired by Canada’s
vast coniferous forests. The space itself is divided into various open and closed areas, including assigned workstations, says Westlund. There are also meeting rooms and phone booths for privacy if needed and a multi-purpose café area for employees and guests. And in keeping with the focus on a healthy environment, there is a wellness room with a massage chair, where people can go for some solitude or even to meditate.
“Overall the idea was to create a space that enhances employee productivity and wellness, and really puts value on that. So it shows the team that they’re important and provides facilities for them to do their best work,” Westlund says, adding that CBRE invested in the workplace to also put the best face forward for clients and visitors.
The design emphasized a front-facing area that is multi-purpose in that it provides a reception area for clients, as well as a café space for informal gatherings, coffee and lunch. There is also a main boardroom and a smaller meeting room that can be used for closing deals with clients. “All of those uses are contained in that front-of-house area,” Westlund says.
In adherence to the WELL Building standard, the perimeter of the office prioritizes natural light. “The workstations are on the perimeter so that the daylight can come in, and then the offices and the closed spaces are on the inside,” Westlund says.
The other technical aspects of the WELL Building standard include providing a certain amount of fresh airflow, maintaining specific temperatures, achieving optimal acoustics, and respecting maximum distances to fresh water. “This is definitely not fluff. It has to be backed up and has to be proven that you’ve achieved these aspects,” Westlund says, adding that CBRE’s local office is well on its way to doing so.
In addition to the more scientific measures of the environment, the design focuses on biophilic elements and those that are less tangible, such as how the office feels. Overall the office is calming and luminous, and it has that ‘wow’ factor when you walk in. “That’s not necessarily something that you can put a credit value on, but it’s something that we took into account when designing the space,” Westlund says.
That means focusing on the details, such as patterns in carpeting and woodwork, ceiling acoustics and lighting. Organic, rounded light fixtures that play on natural forms and rhythms were chosen to provide visual interest, while wood materials were chosen to connect employees and visitors to nature, which has been proven to enhance health and well-being.
“All of these things have been proven to help patients heal faster, and reduce absenteeism. So something as simple as having wood material in your space has actually been scientifically proven to lower your stress,” Westlund explains. “The fact that we’ve always been part of the natural world and that we feel better and we perform better in spaces that mimic aspects of the natural world, that is really cool,” she adds.
This unique attention to detail and focus on sustainable, healthy design is what makes Provencher_Roy stand out. The firm’s expertise includes not only architectural services, but interior design, landscape architecture and urban design, which simplifies the process for clients seeking to elevate their spaces inside and out.
A SPACE THAT ENHANCES EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY AND WELLNESS
Before the intervention of Interactive Audio Visual (IAV), the operations centre for Ottawa Paramedic Service had screens that were dark and inaccessible for dispatchers coordinating responses.
Employees found it difficult to read the screens on which emergency calls were displayed because the monitors were dark and dingy. It was also hard to see from different angles of the office space. And perhaps most alarmingly, the reliability of the old system was not as dependable as it should have been. When dealing with urgent and potentially life-saving calls, this is not an ideal situation.
So two years ago, the OPS decided to call on IAV to upgrade its 911 dispatch co-ordination visualization system.
With these challenges in mind, IAV optimized a setup with solutions that addressed each issue with a 28-foot, DirectView LED video wall.
For those people who were finding the dark screens a problem, IAV provided a customized screen for which the brightness levels can be adjusted. “The screen is actually easy to see and read with the lights in the room at a brighter level, which is very helpful for people that are working long shifts, with reduced eye strain,” says Ryan Armitage, the account manager for this project.
In order to accommodate a variety of vantage points, IAV realized the video wall itself necessitated a very specific placement, Armitage says. As a result, preset layouts were programmed to accommodate varying locations. The
size and brightness of the video wall was optimized for highest impact.
The video wall is also easy to view from all angles for those working in the space. Creation of multiple customizable layouts allows fast switching from one to another, and makes it easy to see different operator computers and video sources on demand.
“They can segment the wall and show information the way they want, and then with a button push, they can change the layout to something different. You have many different computer workstations, and any of them can be displayed anywhere on the video wall on demand,” Armitage says.
The screens are also equipped to showcase footage from 10 security cameras if necessary, as well as
streamed video sources for City of Ottawa traffic cameras, Armitage adds. This function was enabled by IAV’s installation of a quantum video wall processor. “So you set up different layouts that show different computers side-by-side, and they can adapt it over time, and the users can control which layouts are required and then control various video sources via a control touch panel in the room,” Armitage says.
Most importantly, the system could never fail, and to date, it has not. Nevertheless, in order to maintain 100 per cent uptime, IAV provides service-level agreements for fast response times should something go down as well as spare kits that can be swapped out in an emergency.
“It is high-performance, with 24-7 reliability, and it hasn’t given any troubles since it went in,” Armitage says.
While IAV has done projects like this in the past, this one had a unique set of circumstances. This has led to a significantly improved overall experience for employees, and ultimately an improved service for Ottawa residents, and the OPS has been singing the praises of the new system, says IAV president Ian Smith. “It is highperformance, with 24-7 reliability, and it hasn’t given any troubles since it went
in,” he says.
“We put in a high-quality, direct-view LED with an imaging processor that lets them present things the way they want, and they can just switch between different types of content to whatever they want,” Smith says.
The 28-foot video wall’s DirectView LED differentiates it from other screens as it is seamless, an important factor for the OPS, since a seam on a flat screen can sometimes prove distracting.
The successful installation of the video wall for Ottawa Paramedic Service is emblematic of IAV’s service, which is to embrace a holistic approach. “My approach is on three pillars, which we do intentionally,” Smith says. There is the environment, the technology and the people, and the people are always in the middle, he says. “It’s a matter of balancing the technology and the environment to get the best user experiences through a more holistic approach.”
Smith always considers the general context of office space, which includes the environment. For example, how bright is it? Are things illuminated sufficiently? How distracting the space is must also be considered, as well as the acoustics. Can employees hear well enough, or is it too loud? Can content be read and
understood by all users in the space?
Samantha Dougall, IAV’s account manager for the interior design market vertical, says the company is not there to design office space, but rather to collaborate with project stakeholders to optimize the technology for the area to improve the user’s experience.
“We help enhance their design by adding in the AV for a better user experience, so that’s where the marriage is, between the designer’s look and feel of the office space, and we just add to that and to ensure that it works with the touch of a button when they walk in without detracting from what the designers have intended and accomplished for the space,” Dougall says.
IAV, which was started more than two decades ago by Smith, provides clients with experts who take the time to listen to their needs. IAV provides integrated technology solutions such as systems design, turnkey sales and integration of professional level presentation on conferencing, network-streaming and command-and-control environments. IAV has provided integrated solutions for clients in private industry, government, education, health care, entertainment, front-line emergency services and the wider community.
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