The new Sodexo Montreal office presents our vision for the workspace of the future. Based on common values between designers and clients, the project puts forward the concept of Quality of Life Spaces. This design concept is based on wellness, flexibility, innovation, and the importance of the human and social character of our workplaces. It emphasizes a dynamic organization of spaces and working environments, a minimalist and warm design, as well as special attention to the comfort and health of users. Entirely realized in 2020, the concept is proving particularly resilient to face the challenges revealed by the pandemic.
The project occupies a large space within the Dompark complex, an industrial building built in 1908 directly on the edge of the Lachine Canal in Montreal. The proposed layout highlights the intrinsic qualities of the century-old construction. The open plan takes advantage of the high ceilings and large openings. The offices are set up on the window side, while all meeting rooms still benefit from the generous supply of natural light. The surface treatment reveals the original brick walls, mill floor and wood structure. The choice of furniture, light and neutral, complements the richness of the wood. The closed rooms, lined with felt, rugs and curtains in warmer and darker colors, provide an environment conducive to concentration. The sober yet warm design gives the project a human and professional signature.
The spaces of the Sodexo project are declined as a series of modules offering moments to work, collaborate, concentrate, socialize, cook, meditate and learn. The open concept design encourages equality, sharing and movement. Boxed volumes for meeting rooms and focus pods punctuate the space and increase the opportunities for different working environments. Fundamental to the project, flexibility is facilitated by the implementation of plug-and-play ports throughout the office. This flexibility and enhanced comfort for the users are supported by technology as to generate a dynamic environment. Movement is encouraged between height-adjustable workstations, various size of video-conference rooms, or quiet spots with direct network connection, such as a desk facing the large windows overlooking the canal. At the heart of the project, the large dining room and the professional kitchen serve as a multifunctional space that can be transformed during multimedia events. Areas equipped with light furniture also provide space for future staff growth. A network of sensors is installed to collect real-time data on the use of spaces and allow its optimization over time.
The innovative design of Sodexo Montreal offices follows standards of excellence for the health and wellness of users. The rigorous work of the design-build team puts forward the quality of air, water, light, sound and materials to create a healthy and sustainable environment. The spaces promote movement and the spirit of community. The importance of nourishment, Sodexo's primary activity, is highlighted by the show kitchen accessible to both chefs and office staff. The principles of biophilia ensure a human and natural character to workspaces. The abundance of plants and daylight, the views to the outside, wood and natural colors are the basis of the design and create the distinctive portrait of the project. This approach demonstrates the company's commitment to its community and is fundamental to the concept of Quality of Life Spaces.
The project was carried out following the design-build approach of L’Abri and Modulor, in close collaboration with Vives-St-Laurent. This approach made it possible to deliver a high-quality turnkey project, on budget and on schedule, despite the challenges brought by the pandemic that started at the same time as construction. An integrated design working method, in close collaboration with customers and a team of local suppliers, also facilitated the integration of the principles of health and well-being, as well as adaptation during the project to the new realities of the health crisis.
This collaboration enabled integrated solutions that put forward individual and collective experiences while reaching a design resolution that is contemporary, unique and human scale. The team aimed for the creation of timeless spaces where the texture and feel of every surface participates to the mood of the space. Close attention to air, light and water quality was crucial to create interior environments where people spend an underestimated amount of time. This also reflects the team’s continuous ambition to be at the forefront of health and sustainability industry standards.
The design of the Sodexo offices has been centered around the user from the first drafts. It has been imagined as not only a working space, but also a living and social one. Beyond pure functionalism, multiple principles guided the team to generate a design that adapts to individuals and the company’s needs on the short and long term. To name a few, flexibility, innovation, wellness and biophilia were considered in every aspect of the project.
The new Sodexo Montreal office and its unique concept of Quality of Life Spaces show with demonstrated example the benefits of a design combining quality, aesthetics and sensitivity for the principles of user health and wellness. This concept based on flexibility and generosity of space has proven to be particularly resilient in the face of the unexpected challenges brought by the pandemic. As such, the project represents for its designers an excellent case study for the workspace of the future. A future more human, healthy, efficient and sustainable, which reintroduces into our corporate spaces the importance of social character combined with the comfort and simplicity of the home.