FlightHub, an online travel agency serving more than 5 million air passengers per year, is planning an expansion and has therefore decided to completely renovate their head office in Montreal, the entire 6th floor (12,800 sq. Ft.) In a building of existing offices.
To help bring the essence of the business to life, the project concept is derived from FlightHub's three key elements: technology, travel and tribes. These 3 Ts has been bridged to create a layout and materiality that reflects both the digital world and the interstitial space of travel.
The planning strategy for the project derives from the octagonal shape of the existing building. The most efficient layout in such a space required that all common areas envelop the central core and that all open space workstations be placed along the perimeter of the building. The challenge of bringing natural light into the central common areas while creating an acoustic and visual buffer became the driving opportunity for the design of the project.
Light is filtered from the outside to the inner core, evoking the feeling of being in nature without allowing a direct view of workstations and desks. The new configuration of the space strategically reconciles existing forms with a new design that functionally addresses the daily needs of employees, such as controlling noise levels, clear organization of programming and separate team movements, within the three-layered concept. The team had a vision to create an environment for FlightHub that has a captivating atmosphere, stimulating movement and fostering interaction, while using ephemeral materials that diffuse and reflect natural light in ways often invisible in offices.