A Denmark-based global pharmaceutical company. This project, their new Canadian Headquarters, entailed the relocation to a new building in suburban Toronto. The space totals 31,000 sf on 1.5 floors and houses 170 staff in facilities that successfully meet the client’s objectives for functionality & culture.

Three typical work cluster arrangements with varying degrees of focus-orientation were developed to support team work styles. Encouraging collaboration, the clusters are connected by a continuous circulation pathway sprinkled with a variety of focus/privacy and smaller meeting spaces, including 2 person and 5-6 person rooms, 1 on 1 alcoves, and ample lounge seating lining perimeter windows. The idea was to encourage a culture of collaboration and activity based working through the use of these breakout spaces.

Nodding to Danish design and mythology as well as Canadian culture, the concept was inspired by the idea of a vibrant tree whereby the light filled upper floor is where growth takes place, the ground level forest floor is where roots are nourished and the staircase is the connecting trunk between the two. An iconic Canadian ‘boathouse’ overlooks a lake (café) and little “Troll-houses” 1 on 1 spaces enjoy aboriginal Canadian art. These labels helped the client inform their own culture within the company. In one example, they were inspired by our idea of the ground floor as a place of nourishment and decided to introduce daily hot catered lunch to bolster culture and foster interaction between the staff.