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Autodesk
By : Provencher_Roy
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 16th edition
Discipline : Interior Design
Categories : Office / Office: Creative & New Tech Firms : Gold Certification
Formerly a marine boiler repair plant built in 1857, this revamped office space consisting of 4 floors and a basement level is located on the western extremity of Old Montréal, on the banks of the Lachine Canal.
This mandate constitutes a harmonious collaboration between Autodesk and Provencher_Roy, in the form of an incredible transformation, rehabilitation, and repurposing of an old building into a modern contemporary concept perfectly attuned to the company it houses, designer of cutting-edge digital tools. Due to its original vocation, the building is characterized by completely unusual elements for an office space, such as high ceilings, grandiose architecture, and spectacular volumetry. Originally conceived to repair marine boilers and manufacture steel pieces for the hulls of ships, some spaces measure as many as 3 times the height of traditional office spaces. The design and layout challenges were therefore numerous, but fascinating, exemplifying how a successful design can revive initial splendour and ensure the longevity of a building, its value, and resilience.
An industrial past anchored in a resolutely modern present
This mandate consisted of revamping 44,000 ft² of office spaces to fulfill new collaborative work models favouring immersive activities and remote work. Mainly organized in an open layout with some closed spaces, the building is also comprised of a large number of meeting rooms (accommodating 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 people).
The revamping and new furniture enables users to pivot their stations 90 degrees on one side or the other, offering them greater flexibility and freedom in their work organization. Electrical services and digital data are housed in a vertical technical column enabling users to select the orientation of their stations. The addition of collaborative spaces, even within main circulation areas, presented an interesting solution for the client, who prioritizes transparency in the creative process. Such spaces have created opportunities for creative “collisions”.
The different creation and collaboration hubs were enhanced with many sofas and streamlined coloured lounge chairs. This furniture contrasts with the building’s architectural language, featuring aluminum air ventilation, and visible metal beams and red-stone walls.
The material palette is heavily influenced by the architectural elements already present in the original building, and adds touches of wood, white lacquer wooden cabinetry, and black paint.
Specific lighting to palliate natural lighting
The context of this building is completely different from that of a traditional office tower in which the slab stone to ceiling heights are similar. In this case, the heights beneath the ceiling vary from one space to another, reaching 21 feet in some spaces. For example, an addition of meeting rooms was carried out in a triple-height space, a particularly audacious challenge when the objective is to add ventilation without installing too many pipes, or to favour good acoustics without creating a closed box. It was also impossible to prevent luminaires from swaying in the installation of linear lighting suspended above workspaces.
In spaces with little height beneath the ceiling, it was imperative to involve lighting consultants to measure the adequate photometry required to prevent blinding and create tailor-made lighting with less powerful luminaires. Conversely, in more vast spaces, the objective was to enlarge light diffusion in order to best reproduce natural lighting.
The concept of biophilia is also very present in this project, working in perfect harmony with the notions of creation and well-being that are so dear to the mandate. In addition to bringing a splash of colour into a relatively neutral environment, the various “islands” of vegetation, including a large plant wall, offer workspaces that are especially warm and inviting.
Collaboration
Interior Designer : Provencher_Roy
Photographer : Stéphane Brügger
General Contractor : Anjinnov Construction
