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Sayona Inc.
By : Mc Design
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 17th edition
Discipline : Interior Design
Categories : Other categories in interior design / Common area
Categories : Other categories in interior design / Concept in interior design : Bronze Certification
Categories : Special Awards / Interior Design + Lighting
Categories : Special Awards / Interior Design + Stairs
Categories : Special Awards / Renovation (Before & After)
SAYONA The Lithium Complex North America
The Lithium Complex North America is expanding thanks to a recent investment of between $60 and $70 million, which has enabled Sayona to optimize production and carry out an environmental upgrade. In March 2023, the complex began production of spodumene to meet the growing demand for batteries in North America.
Sayona is a company dedicated to the exploration and development of lithium deposits, the raw material used in the manufacture of electric batteries. The company is developing various projects, all of which are located in Quebec. In particular, it owns the Lithium North America complex, which went into production in the spring of 2023. The complex will become a centerpiece of the lithium cluster it hopes to establish in Abitibi-Témiscamingue.
In Sayona’s development projects, the project to acquire an old wood mill to turn it into a new infrastructure for the 2nd transformation of lithium spodumen into electric batteries has been put forward.
The designer’s first mandate was to fabricate the cohesion of a living space in a building that will be gradually inhabited, and to position the company’s brand image in this new space. The first two motivations: to receive investors and hold press conferences in an official location with global positioning! And the ultimate goal being the 2th transformation plant in the making annexed to the offices to enable Sayona’s positioning as a leader, notably through the creation of jobs and investments that will stimulate the development of Quebec’s clean energy sector, from mining to the production of electric vehicles.
Initially, the mission was to provide a reception area and a conference room. Obviously, when you’re working on a project of global positioning and capital importance, it directs the seriousness of the overall fit-out and invites the company to position itself as a market leader. To this end, the reception area on the first floor had to be linked to the conference room upstairs, so the stairwell, upstairs corridor, washrooms and all functionalities were scrutinized to offer a true experience for employees and investors.
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Starting with a building founded in 1982 with a surface area of 20,000 m2 with an office portion and a factory portion to be transformed, the challenges were numerous to create a place of belonging and positioning as a creative company of the future while integrating the premises gradually. Considering that for this initial phase and for the first year of occupancy, only the common areas for receiving guests will be used on an ad hoc basis, and therefore no full-time employees will remain on site. To receive guests properly and solidly, it took a simple reception area to make guests wait before going upstairs.
The reception area alone presented several challenges, since this zone was the meeting point of 4 corridors, so rather a place to pass through on the way to the exit. To create a distinct zone, we closed the doors to the 4 adjacent corridors, removed the suspended ceiling in the reception area and added 4′ of extra height to create a space with an industrial look. The entire design was brought to the fore by the choice of sleek, modern, high-tech materials and by reflecting the company’s image as the energy of the future!
The stairwell being the first passageway that invites people to head upstairs, this place had to be exceptional. At 23′-0 » high, the idea of creating a customer experience in the image of a mine was put forward! Like a mining shaft or a well, sobriety and dark colors dominated this place of passage. Strategically inserted directional light points have the functionality of safely directing people. On the central landing, a huge canvas backlit with a mineral, serves as the main source of illumination like an exhibition in a museum!
A black stretched canvas on the ceiling with an LED surround follows the integrity of the concept to lose the perception of landmarks and thus feel in an exclusive environment! What’s more, the continuous lines of the LEDs are in keeping with the company’s common thread concept represented by their logo and slogan!
The upstairs corridor….an obligatory passageway on the way to the conference room. A refreshment was needed, and a few minor structural modifications to adapt a water station space was necessary for the functional side. Marketing identification is at the forefront of turning long, boring corridors into a place for positioning. The company’s brainding has been represented by a timeline, so that you can clearly see the sequence of events in a given period and see where the company is going! The flexible floor covering, featuring stone crystals, is patterned in 2 colors to create direction and naturally invite people towards the conference room.
The washroom…formerly an outdated space consisting of a toilet, shower and checkroom area, a transformation was needed to adapt the environment!
Distinguished guests and company executives alike will be able to use this neat, functional space to extend the experience that reflects the Sayona mindset! To achieve this, the choice of modern, maintenance-free materials has been finely selected in a layout befitting the company.
The conference room…THE OFFICIAL PLACE to receive…investors, collaborators, journalists, distinguished guests and meeting place for the company’s executives, this one had to be proudly represented.
Although the space was modest in size, the organizational challenges were obvious! We started by enlarging the ceiling height to an additional 4′. A carefully organized, industrial-look ceiling painted black, accompanied by acoustic tiles to manage noise reverberation. The entrance door was also designed to be majestic, going from a standard opening to the maximum that could be achieved, i.e. 42 » on a ceiling/floor height! Fitted with a 36 » straight handle, it marks the prestige of entering the room.
A small station with a
A small station with counter to receive and offer coffee and other beverages accompanied by a small fridge, built-in wastebasket and storage cabinet have been harmoniously and discreetly set up! An air-conditioning unit was provided to offer comfort to occupants, given the abundant fenestration on 2 exterior walls. From the view through the front facade, 3 flagpoles stand proudly with the 3 flags representative of the company’s positioning, namely Canada, Quebec and Sayona!
Distinctive furniture with maintenance-free, durable materials in a sleek, modern look act as the centerpiece occupying almost the entire space. This room, which can accommodate up to 14 people, is equipped with 2 giant televisions and all the technological equipment needed to connect remotely and meet with collaborators from all over the world.
A bespoke piece of furniture for the Sayona!
A bespoke piece of furniture was designed with integrated LED lighting to showcase the geological cores that are the soul of the mines, and to display and provide a visual for investors. This furniture also provides a place to place promotional items to offer guests.
Finally, for the sake of presentations, retractable, superimposed world maps that can be moved around, raised and lowered as desired with the help of glass writing boards will provide all the necessary tools at hand for presentations and development at the height of the company.
The design, choice of materials, layout, functionality according to specific needs, acoustic, visual, thermal and non-allergenic material comfort, position and comfort at chair levels…all these elements have been selected with global brand positioning in mind! AND to complete the modern, industrial look, green plants have been planted on the concrete columns for contact with nature, the organic and green energy. A link between people, nature and the future!
Considering the scope of the project, the scale of the investment and the environmental challenges for the 2th processing plant, the project was postponed in order to continue the development of annual production of tons of spodumene concentrate.
The development of the North American Lithium Complex is here and now
Lithium from here, to charge the future
By creating quality jobs throughout Quebec
In compliance with the strictest environmental standards
By being a player in the energy transition
By raising the province’s profile
Developing a collective wealth
By creating quality jobs throughout Quebec
Collaboration
