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Stay updated with our latest Ottawa architecture insights and projects in our News section. Engaging blogs await!

News From Award Winning Architects - Linebox Studio

In someone else's words.

News

With winter approaching, many businesses are changing their service models

“It’s pretty motivating when you meet these chef-owners who put their heart and soul into food, and who are as passionate and dedicated to their craft as I am to mine,” said Reeves, who’s of the opinion that many restaurants in our region have risen to the top of their game. “I think the Ottawa food scene, for the past three or four years, has been the best in Canada.”

Ottawa's top restauranteurs charge ahead with expansion plans

Ottawa's Top Restauranteurs charge ahead withe expansion plans

Article by Andrew Reeves, Ottawa Magazine

As a home for a family of four, the house I designed for myself is my pride and joy. But now, as a home office, its inadequacies have become glaringly apparent. For a phone call, the acoustics aren’t ideal; voices collide with the daily cacophony of kids. The lighting  for video calls could be more flattering. Electrical sockets are suddenly not in the right place. From these less-than-ideal headquarters, I continue to lead Linebox Studio as senior architect. But actually, I’m grateful for the chance to review and renew lessons about the true nature of a workplace.

One day, many of us will return to our offices. Some will continue to work from home. For those returning, it won’t be the same old office. And for those who continue to work from home, adjustments will have to be made. What defines an “office” now? How has it changed? Is every place a workplace? Working from home during the pandemic has taught us all more about what suits us best personally. What we’ve learned will inform the office we want to go back to. Beyond the health and safety protocols, masses of questions have been raised from our collective stints as at-home workers. What is a desk? Do we need one?

One tenet that has been central to our design philosophy will never change: comfort and character are key. Comfort allows us to do our best work, while character connects us to the space. That comfort comes in a variety of forms.

A balance of spaces and opportunities for the needs of both introverts and extroverts will be important. Flexible spaces that can adapt to myriad needs will determine success. Staff can take harbour in one spot; at the same time, there are many spaces that encourage socialization and all-important chance encounters.

This idea is perfectly exemplified in our design of Ottawa’s Shopify Laurier office. The wall nook is unique but purpose-driven, offering quiet and solitude. The chosen materials mellow the acoustics perfectly for folks who want to tuck away. Careful attention to lighting creates mood, maintains alertness, and defines each space. The net result is a space that recalls the most appropriate elements of home.

On the flip side, some people need to work in the presence of others. For Element AI in Montreal, we designed an espresso and kombucha bar that embodies the spirit of the local coffee shop. After all, work isn’t performed in a vacuum nor simply just when you’re at the keyboard. Everywhere is a workspace. Here, it isn’t just the bar but also the seating in and around the space. People want to come to the office to see one another.

Also at Element is the popular library: also referred to as “the church,” it’s housed — very literally — in a peak-roofed volume with built-in bookcases; it is a nod to the “church of knowledge” and also reflects the flavour of their Mile End neighbourhood, where about a dozen churches are visible from the office views. Here, the office becomes a continuum of its surroundings and a reminder of the roots of the brand.

For Klipfolio, we designed the kitchen to invite broad interaction. Staff aren’t squeezed into a small space — a prerequisite for the post-COVID pandemic office. The elements of home are all visible — plants, nice furniture, and natural light. It’s a clean-lined office space with pops of colour that add energy. People want to be there.

Pre-COVID, we designed an enviable home office. Natural light comes in through deliberate window placement. Office supplies are hidden by clever storage. There’s a whiteboard, which is actually the back of a Murphy bed.

Houses, condos, and rental units will, without doubt, need to respond to the future of working from home. This might be the “new space” that never really got the attention it deserved. Flexibility is important, since square footage is at a premium for most. Rugs, high ceilings, and natural materials assume acoustic qualities.

At its essence, an office has to invoke a feeling of ownership. The greatest function of a building is how it allows us to inter- act with one another. This is a luxury that just a short time ago, we took for granted.

The New office Space: Architect Andrew Reeves on post-pandemic workspaces

Article by Jason Shinder, The Ottawa Business Journal

“An office tower on the western edge of downtown Ottawa will soon be gutted and undergo a facelift to prepare the building’s units for residential tenants”.

InterRent REIT to convert Albert Street office building to apartments- Linebox Studio to design

Deputy Mayor Laura Dudas recognized Ottawa’s best in urban design at the 2019 

. The awards, handed out every two years, celebrate projects built in Ottawa that achieve excellence in urban design. In this eighth instalment of the program, the awards honoured exceptional projects completed between September 1, 2017 and September 1, 2019.

A jury of three independent experts assessed submissions in six categories and bestowed eight Awards of Excellence. In addition, the jury selected projects in each category to receive an Award of Merit. This year, 18 projects were recognized across the six different categories.

Award of Merit – Public Places & Civic Spaces

City recognizes Ottawa’s best in urban design

At the time that this office was built, Shopify had this to say about it:

“Unlike some other companies that are setting up in Toronto we are not a satellite office,” said Thibodeau. 

“We are not an office that just does a little piece like marketing or operations, we are an office where we’re really building cross-functional teams that can take an idea to designing it, researching it, launching it, and continuing to iterate on it. That investment in building fully scaled product teams here is a really big focus for us.”

Office Tour of Shopify’s Newly Renovated Toronto Location

Article by Matthew Hague, The Globe and Mail

“It was a 1970s, suburban cut and paste bungalow,” says Andrew Reeves, Ms. Martel’s architect and the founder of Linebox. 

“At one point we talked about just trying to reuse the foundations, but they were not well constructed enough so we had to strip them out. We did, however, go to extremes to re-use and donate as much as possible from the original house to eliminate unnecessary waste.”

Ottawa's top restauranteurs charge ahead with expansion plans

The New office Space: Architect Andrew Reeves on post-pandemic workspaces

InterRent REIT to convert Albert Street office building to apartments- Linebox Studio to design

City recognizes Ottawa’s best in urban design

Office Tour of Shopify’s Newly Renovated Toronto Location

This beautiful Ottawa home has impressive sustainability stats