GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN: Celebrating Design Excellence in Montreal

Northleaf Capital Partners Canadian Headquarters

SDI Design is honoured to be recognized at the 18th edition of the GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN Awards, receiving distinctions across multiple categories for our work on the Northleaf Capital Partners Canadian Headquarters in Toronto. This achievement reflects our team’s commitment to thoughtful, high-impact design that integrates strategy, culture, and human experience.

Awards Received

• Interior Design — Grand Winner

• Office / 5,400 – 54,000 sq. ft. — Gold Certification

• Office / Professional & Financial Service Firms — Gold Certification

Where Strategy Meets Soul

The Toronto headquarters for Northleaf Capital Partners reimagines the financial workplace as both a strategic asset and a sensory experience, elevating performance while nurturing well-being. Designed across 40,018 sq. ft., the project blends hospitality cues, workplace strategy, Canadian identity, and future-ready sustainability in one cohesive environment.

Inspired by the natural textures and quiet strength of the Canadian landscape, the space is grounded in a palette of rift-cut oak, bronze, felt, and Canadian limestone. These materials express permanence, warmth, and authenticity—reinforcing the firm’s global stature while honouring its roots.

A Spatial Journey Rooted in Canadian Identity

The workplace unfolds as a sequence of experiences, from expansive, light-filled work zones to intimate, crafted moments of pause. A refined planning strategy anchors the design:

• A central spine organizes key departmental neighbourhoods.

• Branching pathways lead to meeting rooms, pods, lounges, and support spaces.

• Circulation routes double as gallery corridors, showcasing Canadian art and materiality.

• Modular wall systems offer long-term adaptability and reduce waste.

This strategic layout ensures seamless transitions between focused work, collaborative interaction, and restorative retreat.

A Sculptural Stair as the Social Heart

At the core of the design is a sculptural wood stair — a warm, curved gesture that unites the workplace vertically and socially. With integrated handrails and precise detailing, the stair anchors key communal zones such as the café and lounge, encouraging movement, connection, and informal exchange.

Hospitality-inspired seating, library-style lounges, and residentially influenced meeting spaces create a workplace that feels calm yet elevated. The café, with its blend of banquette and bistro seating, serves as a central hub — a place where colleagues gather, reset, and recharge.

Light, Comfort, and Performance

Natural light plays a central role. Slim vertical fins and reeded glass channel daylight deep into the plan, promoting openness and visual comfort across all levels. A layered lighting strategy balances ambient, task, and accent illumination, aligning with both WELL and LEED design principles.

Sustainability and material transparency guided every specification. Low-emission finishes, recyclable materials, and locally sourced limestone contribute to reduced embodied carbon and long-term performance. The result is an environment as responsible as it is refined.

A Workplace of Quiet Confidence

From the sculptural stone reception desk to crafted lounge spaces, the Northleaf headquarters challenges the conventions of a traditional financial office. It supports a slower, more intentional pace — one that values clarity, well-being, culture, and human connection.

This project reflects SDI Design’s belief that the workplace is more than a place of work. It is a platform for identity, community, and purpose.

We are proud to celebrate this achievement and extend our gratitude to the Northleaf team, our partners, and the GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN jury for recognizing the vision behind this transformative project.

Explore this project in more detail on our Portfolio page: Northleaf Capital Partners

Collaboration

Interior designer : SDI Design

Engineering : Smith + Anderson

Engineering : Quinn Dressel

Other : Demetriou Art Group

Project manager : Cresa

General contractor : The Jesslin Group