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Your workplace. It’s changed. Sure, you don’t work where you used to. If you do, it’s wildly different. There are fewer people. More rules. Stifled interaction. But over the course of the pandemic, all 561 days of it – 13,464 hours of it – we’ve learned that the expected conventions of work are not so static as we thought. Certain comforts have crept in, there are schedules that are more freeing, methods that actually enable more concentration, and ways to manage the work-life balancing act that stray far from the boilerplate developed over the last half century. Maybe the term work-life balance is entirely missing the point. Work is part of our lives. An integral part. The restrictions that a global pandemic thrust upon us have raised a critical question. Why do we insist on dividing work from the rest of our existence rather than striving to create ways to include it? Strangely, a set of intense restrictions have opened up an enormous host of possibilities.

It’s an exceedingly exciting time in workplace architecture and one that promises a lot of truly positive change. We need to learn from what we’ve been through and adapt.

When lockdown measures fractured our norms, we made offices out of our bedrooms, our kitchens, even our closets. Some have resorted to the self-containment of a shed in the backyard. All have their benefits. And their detractions.

Plant-life and touches of home are a definite plus. There are scores of others: a kitchen an arm’s length away, opening a window for fresh air, a dog with its head resting amicably on our feet. A home office has given us the convenience of interacting with our immediate surroundings, our neighbourhoods. Aligning ourselves with the environment around us is key to capturing some of the benefits we’ve found in this altered work world. Business leaders must remember that the pandemic has allowed workers to bring a laptop outside or take a call while counting our 10,000 steps.

Our new, isolated work silos have stolen the accidental face-to-face interactions with our coworkers that we need in order to create a sense of connection, of common purpose and to spark ideas that seem to arise from the ether. These are so difficult to generate from a two-dimensional office; the screen is a wonderful tool, but its limits are marked by its intangibility.

The future of work is not about simply abandoning the out-of-home office. It is about finding the elixir that blends some of the freedoms and inspiration we’ve discovered with the structures that motivate, focus and drive collective work ambitions.

Businesses that retained their leases can still participate equally in fostering an inclusive approach to their community. Element AI, cutting-edge Quebec-based artificial intelligence experts, understand the need for a connection to a sense of place. My architectural firm, Linebox, designed their Montreal offices before anyone had heard the term COVID-19. Still, there was a collaborative sense that the city – and specifically, the Mile End neighbourhood around them – had to be brought into the building. Strategically placed windows showcase views of the myriad nearby church steeples. But the flavour of the neighbourhood is brought inside, too. The office library is housed in a cabin-like structure featuring a dramatic vaulted roof and slatted windows looking out to the lobby. It resonates with visual cues to those same churches. An on-site espresso bar incorporates the character of a couple of the local coffee shops.

The “new office” isn’t going to be delineated by one single vision. Those in charge need to implement as many changes as possible to remain competitive in the field of creating liveable workplaces. Using natural materials anchors us. Designing a mixture of spaces for casual as well as structured meetings gives staff a variety of settings to approach the results businesses seek. Diversity is key.

There is all the evidence in the world to suggest that creative brains are stimulated by active bodies. We’ve learned that we want to be moving, but not by car. We’ve also discovered that movement need not end when you reach the office. Work can be combined with activity. The pandemic-scape has sprinkled the side streets and parks with distanced meetings. People amble, walk and jog, earbuds ensconced, speaking animatedly into their phones everywhere you look. Yet so many offices of the past are set up to hold us in a sedentary state for eight hours a day.

GSoft is a company with the prescience to imagine how integral the idea of movement is in a workplace. Linebox designed their new office spaces mid-pandemic. GSoft recognized the value of a space that allowed both interaction and mobility. Skateboarding is inextricable from the fabric of the tech brand’s culture. Every office and every meeting space is designed to be ‘rideable’. Ramps, banks, and paths pave the way to allow skateboards, scooters, or just fun, active movement from one place to the next. It’s worth noting that this is a company that creates software to enable smarter workplaces, yet they’re still heavily invested in the physical setting of their own workplace.

Okay. So maybe every office isn’t destined to be ‘rideable’. But there is a lesson from this time away from the office that we need to embrace. An active life need not be reduced to the gym. Gyms, too, should be incorporated into more and more workspaces - but designs that encourage walking and momentum are essential for the workplace that invites a progressive future.

It’s true, some staff may never return. Many have moved away – to the countryside or to another province. Others have changed their lifestyles in a manner that will prevent an easy re-entry. The future office-scape has to anticipate what this looks like and offer a path to include these permanent remote workers. As videoconferencing has become commonplace and verbs like Zoom have entered the vernacular, there is a need to create or adapt spaces that allow a more fluid interaction between those who are physically present and those who are not. Video booths, or rooms designed with sound-abatement must afford privacy when required, and the power to induce lively discussion amongst multiple participants at other times.

This new work lifestyle is re-emerging into a landscape that hasn’t yet had the chance to evolve. A successful workplace return means resisting the human inclination to fall back into old habits. People have built new ones. While technology and the power of the internet have certainly changed the way we work over the past couple of decades, its effect on our physical spaces has been subtle. Now is the time to realize the vast scope of how the advantages of the advent of widespread virtual work can really meld with the tried-and-true benefits of on-site efficiencies.

Andrew Reeves is Principal Partner and Senior Architect of Ottawa-based Linebox Studio.

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Architizer A+ Awards Finalist (en anglais uniquement)

The Gsoft office designed by Linebox Studio has been selected as an A+ Awards Finalist in the Architecture +Workspace category! It is recognized as one of the world's best projects this year. From over 5,000 entries across 100+ countries.

Linebox Shortlisted Among The World's Top 5 In Office Design

Linebox Shortlisted Among The World's Top 5 Office Design

Le Grand Prix du Design 2021 (en anglais uniquement)

Linebox has been shortlisted again by Le Grand Prix du Design 2021, for 

Once again, we are very proud and grateful to everyone involved in this amazing project !

Gsoft Wins Le Grand Prix du Design 2021

Le Grand Prix du Design 2021 (en anglais uniquement) 

A second award by Le Grand Prix du Design 2021 for Linebox !

Kirchoffer is our most award winning residential project. At Linebox we are doing great design when it's about your work space and even better when it's about your home

Kirchoffer Wins Le Grand Prix du Design 2021

Article by Quinn Halman, Interior Design (en anglais uniquement)

Nestled between the Lachine Canal and the St. Lawrence River, Montréal’s urban Pointe-Sainte-Charles neighborhood reflects the city’s industrial past while housing modern businesses, such as GSoft, a locally founded software development company now situated in the historic Nordélec building. 

Linebox Transforms Historic Montréal Building into a Modern Office

Linebox Transforms Historic Montréal Building Into A Modern Office

With winter approaching, many businesses are changing their service models (en anglais uniquement)

“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 (en anglais uniquement) 

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 (en anglais uniquement)

“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”.