A NEW DYNAMIC

The transformation of Manulife’s head office in Waterloo, Ontario offers a blueprint for the kind of workplace that many employees now expect.

�CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: INSIDE THE LOBBY. PHOTO BY ARASH MOALLMI; UNASSIGNED SEATING POPULATES THE COMPLEX. PHOTO BY STEVE TSAI; THE IPE WOOD WALKWAY AND A GATHERING POD. PHOTO BY RILEY SNELLING; PRIVATE WORKSTATIONS ARE ONE OF MANY DESTINATIONS ACROSS THE OFFICE. PHOTO BY ARASH MOALLMI.

Overhauling Manulife’s Canadian head office in Waterloo, Ontario during the pandemic, while consolidating teams from nearby Kitchener, morphed into an even more significant project than previously intended in 2018 when plans initially began.

In 2020, just as office-goers were settling into the first newly designed floors, COVID-19 hit and everyone shuffled to remote work. But as it turns out, the overall vision for the office was the crystal ball of workplace transformations. “The timing could not have been worse, but it could not have been better,” says Jennifer Tinson, Creative Director of Workplace at Figure3, the design firm helming the interior renovation.

“When employees came back, the whole project was realized. In some ways, it was the perfect unveiling for something brand new and done at a time when people were expecting and needing a complete change.”

Upon entering the 330,000-squarefoot building on King Street, choice and flexibility are embedded throughout the activity-based workplace—a model that was more cutting-edge pre-pandemic and bodes well with newfound hopes for hybrid arrangements, which many of the 3,400 employees now enjoy.

As Figure3 Principal Eric Yorath explains, the model facilitates an office where people will want to return to because they have control over how they work, able to choose from a variety of spaces, whether that be collaborative

or heads-down. An essential part of the project was achieving a campus-like destination with abundant amenity offerings within the complex so people can feel part of a larger community.

A focus on employees was an evolving theme from the get go. Michael Miceli, Managing Director at Manulife, calls the project a collaborative effort, one in which everyone could feel heard. Ultimately, a hybrid work schedule was established. People work on site Tuesdays and Wednesdays, which are intended for casual collisions, more socialization, learning opportunities, and to rekindle relationships and focus on creativity. “It was a huge opportunistic play for us and for the employees—to create an environment for them to be more productive, to have more collisions, to be able to interact with each other in a more positive way, bringing in more natural light — so many factors,” says Miceli.

Indeed, daylight fills the lobby and carries through the space where expansive windows offer views to the natural surrounding landscape outdoors. Walls of greenery boost emotional wellbeing, alongside a mix of quiet and social areas that become destination points for workers to choose from as they travel along intuitive pathways across the five 65,000-square-foot floors.

As Tinson explains, much thought was given to what resonates with people as soon as they enter the doors and as they move through the space. “We talked a great deal about feeling like you would be part of a bigger whole, part of something important

�FROM LEFT: GATHERS, THE WORK CAFE. PHOTO BY ARASH MOALLMI; A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE TERRACE AND OUTDOOR WALKWAY. PHOTO BY RILEY SNELLING.

and recognized as a person who had a valuable contribution to make,” she says. “We tried to be aware of what it felt like to be that individual; it didn’t matter where you sat or how your day unfolded—there would be a place for you to go to conduct your business or personal issues within a framework that made sense to you.”

Depending on where people land during the day, they have a choice to be as exposed or private as they wish.

The conference centre can be an event lounge, while three 24-person meeting rooms with retractable ceiling partitions allow for theatre-style seating for around 200 people.

A wellness centre, with lockers and shower facilities, features multipurpose and reflection rooms, a refreshment lounge, and bike storage. In the cafe,

“The timing could not have been worse, but it could not have been better.”

are lunch, snack, and after-hours dining options, with direct outdoor access to a terrace that is ideal for socializing, dining or other staff activities.

From the terrace, a walkway meanders to three gathering pods and a larger trail system. Local architecture firm Martin Simmons Sweers brought in Ipe wood decking for a warm, tactile experience and curved wood screens for the pods to allow for private, shaded moments. Out front, a new staff drop-off area brings revamped parking, sidewalks and a new driveway.

THE WOW FACTOR

Renovating the building wasn’t without challenges. “There were lots of players at the table. Everyone wanted something out of this, understandably,” says Tinson. “They wanted the best for their people and their own initiatives under the umbrella of Manulife and we had to be very sensitive to that.”

Throughout the process, platforms and presentations came with regular updates that responded to questions and concerns from all parties, including the business.

The project also began with a restricted budget, so it took some grasping to realize a captivating and effective design without a tremendous financial footprint, adds Yorath. When contemplating the “quintessential wow factor” executives decided the new dynamic of the office, with its different design approach, was enough of a buzz to get people talking without the huge investment.

DESIGNING FOR EVOLUTION

Getting people back to the office remains a universal challenge among players in corporate real estate. C-suites are facing tough decisions when contemplating perfect workplace solutions. “COVID has become a global disrupter,” says Miceli. “What it has created for leadership, in addition to running their business, is their mindset is not as deliberate and strategic because there’s a lot of emotion.”

“We’re all trying to revisit and rethink, and I’d say that what resonates loud and clear is that activity-based work is here to stay.”

Emotional intelligence must play a more prominent role post-COVID, adds Tinson. “It’s forcing leaders to always be sitting in the shoes of people who have to experience the decisions they make. You can alienate a lot of people if you’re not thinking clearly about the message you’re sending and the example you’re setting.”

Within the workplace of tomorrow, hospitality-like strategies also play a large role, says Yorath. “Try to understand that we are still in the midst of the largest workplace strategy pilot ever conceived for mankind and recognize that you are in a position to learn so much about what your specific culture needs in order to work,” he further advises.

Going forward, the idea of space design being efficient for the term of a 10 to 15-year lease is an antiquated outlook compared to more evergreen models, he adds. “We’re in a world where the office will need to continue to flex and morph with the shifting appetite of the culture that it’s facilitating. We need to design spaces for evolution.” | CFM&D

All hether your building is new or old, offi ce or residential, high-rise or warehouse, there is no getting around the need to respond swiftly and responsibly in the event of an emergency. When a fi re happens, the occupants and the building itself are immediately put at risk. The extent of a fi re’s growth and spread will vary from incident to incident, but the way your building’s safety systems respond and protect will play a major role in determining how severe a fi re might be. The original systems will have been intended to provide a measure of protection, but what if your building’s design has changed? Or, what if a new system has been added that’s not compatible with an older system? Unfortunately, this is a regular occurrence as technology evolves and buildings undergo renovations, design changes, and conversions. The solution? Assess the safety features in your facility and conduct an Integrated Systems Test. It’s the only way to ensure your building’s protection features are operating as they should…with no gaps. “IST is a test method or process used in buildings to verify and SYSTEMS GO VV document that all fi re and life safety document that all fi re and life safety system interconnections work—and system interconnections work—and Integrated Systems work correctly in conformance with work correctly in conformance with Testing (IST) helps their design criteria,” explains Matthew Hopley, Alberta Branch Manager at their design criteria,” explains Matthew Hopley, Alberta Branch Manager at ensure your building’s LRI Engineering Inc. “This includes the more obvious systems like sprinklers LRI Engineering Inc. “This includes the more obvious systems like sprinklers fi re and life safety and fi re alarms, but it also includes and fi re alarms, but it also includes systems are operating interconnections between less obvious things like door release hardware, interconnections between less obvious things like door release hardware, as they should elevators, audio/visual systems and specialized smoke control systems.” elevators, audio/visual systems and specialized smoke control systems.” Gone are the days when individual Gone are the days when individual fi re protection and life safety fi re protection and life safety systems were installed and tested systems were installed and tested in isolation; today, it’s about testing in isolation; today, it’s about testing interconnections and ensuring all interconnections and ensuring all protection features are working as a protection features are working as a collective whole. “Unlike the way things used to be “Unlike the way things used to be done, when individual systems were done, when individual systems were commissioned from various trades and commissioned from various trades and designers and not necessarily evaluated designers and not necessarily evaluated in concert, IST mitigates the risk that there in concert, IST mitigates the risk that there will be gaps in your systems,” Hopley will be gaps in your systems,” Hopley says. “A good comparison is that you can says. “A good comparison is that you can tune up an instrument individually and it tune up an instrument individually and it may sound right, but once you try and may sound right, but once you try and have an orchestra play a song together, the conductor needs to make sure everyone sounds good as a group.”

Changing Codes & Building Designs IST is highly recommended in cases where older buildings have been upgraded to meet new Building Codes, or when the tenancy has changed requiring a complete re-evaluation of the building’s protection features. The consequences of not implementing a thorough systems test could result in ineff ective fi re protection, exposing the owner to signifi cant risk.

“If the interconnections between various protection features fail to operate as designed, the result could be catastrophic,” Hopley says.

For example, as the nature or amount of combustibles changes or the nature of the occupants requiring protection changes, the need for eff ective fi re suppression and compartmentalization can change as well. Increases in combustible loading can result in a fi re suppression system which no longer discharges

or when the tenancy has changed requiring a complete re-evaluation of the building’s protection features. The consequences of not implementing a thorough systems test could result in ineff ective fi re protection, exposing the owner to signifi cant risk.

“If the interconnections between various protection features fail to operate as designed, the result could be catastrophic,” Hopley says.

For example, as the nature or amount of combustibles changes or the nature of the occupants requiring protection changes, the need for eff ective fi re suppression and compartmentalization can change as well. Increases in combustible loading can result in a fi re suppression system which no longer discharges

suffi cient water which may result in the sprinkler system being unable to control or suppress the fi re. At the same time, diff erent, unaware, or more vulnerable occupants in that same building will need to evacuate. If the passive fi re protection systems do not hold back fi re and smoke from the overwhelmed sprinkler system which can’t control the fi re, then there is signifi cant risk to both the occupants and fi rst responders.

IST can be used as a tool to ensure that the relevant systems function together properly. Combined with solid advice on the ongoing adequacy of those fi re and life safety systems can close the loop and help a building owner or manager understand that their building is up to the challenge. understand that their building is up to the challenge.

In other words, for aging buildings and those that have In other words, for aging buildings and those that have undergone renovations or a change in tenancy, there’s a undergone renovations or a change in tenancy, there’s a real need for property managers and owners to consider real need for property managers and owners to consider the impact these changes may have on the adequacy the impact these changes may have on the adequacy and functionality of the fi re and life safety systems, either and functionality of the fi re and life safety systems, either through IST or more fulsome design or hazard reviews. through IST or more fulsome design or hazard reviews. Additional consideration should be given to how these Additional consideration should be given to how these systems are intended to function during an emergency, and systems are intended to function during an emergency, and not just if they work at all. not just if they work at all.

“During the test, it’s good to have a knowledgeable “During the test, it’s good to have a knowledgeable person helping judge whether or not the systems will still person helping judge whether or not the systems will still protect occupants and assets to an appropriate degree,” he protect occupants and assets to an appropriate degree,” he says. “This helps ensure each system is doing the job it was says. “This helps ensure each system is doing the job it was intended to do to keep tenants safe, and that organizations intended to do to keep tenants safe, and that organizations don’t take on unacceptable risk.” don’t take on unacceptable risk.” Timeline & Process The current standard for when to conduct an IST is prior to fi rst occupancy in new buildings, with the second iteration required one year after that. Subsequent rounds of testing are needed at intervals not exceeding fi ve years.

In terms of process, IST involves three stages beginning with a preliminary planning phase. “This is when the integrated testing coordinator works with the design professionals to develop an integrated testing plan,” Hopley says. “Following that, there is the implementation phase during which the test plan is executed. This is when the systems are tested and documented by the coordinator with the relevant stakeholders involved. The fi nal phase is the documentation phase when the coordinator develops and issues the requisite documentation to record the completion of the test plan and the accompanying data and results.”

Getting the right advice and conducting the right inspections and testing, including IST, is key to maintaining a safe, compliant building, and minimizing risks to your assets.

For more information, contact the Fire and Building Code Engineers at LRI – www.lirfire.com