www.officeinteriors.ca
(902) 422-4011
2 Ralston Ave #200, Dartmouth, NS B3B 1H7
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Objective
Project Profile
Office Interiors & Cabco Office and Showroom
Dartmouth, NS
Office Interiors made the strategic decision to acquire the adjacent vacant land and construct a new building, allowing us to expand our prime ground-level location in Burnside, Dartmouth. Designed by a strong team of in-house workspace planners and designers at FBM Architecture , the 29,730-square-feet showroom gives clients a first-hand look at how an eclectic mix of best-in-class products can create informal collaborative spaces that appeal to a multigenerational workforce.
Understand, Experiment, & Evolve
As a working showroom, the space was called upon to embody an aspirational workplace with various work settings, including open-plan workstations, private offices, meeting rooms, huddle rooms and social lounge areas. The sum effect of these settings would also display the dealer's range of products while realistically meeting the team's practical needs. To successfully meet these needs, FBM Architecture and the company’s workspace planners focused on well-planned spatial adjacencies. "It was all in the planning," said an FBM Architecture representative.
Before the relocation to the new office space, one of Office Interiors's main challenges was the dispersion of associates within the office. People who would typically benefit from working together sat on opposite sides of the office. Collaboration, company cohesion and general workplace efficiency suffered because of the prior layout. In addition to uniting teams across the office, both companies prioritized flexibility to facilitate a new range of work styles.
An added objective was to accommodate more members as the company grew. The design had to be flexible and scalable, allowing for easy reconfiguration and expansion. Overall, Office Interiors aimed to create a space that supported well-being and exemplified creative, forward-thinking design.
Private Offices and WorkStations
Social Spaces and Collaborative Areas
Meeting Rooms
Adding the
element of joy
Results
The new space has successfully met both Office Interiors’ original objectives: to support its team in an improved and ergonomic workspace and showcase its talents to prospective and existing clients. The space has since prompted client conversations and sparked project ideas, particularly in the dealer's unique blending of products, its use of materials and its display of Haworth furniture. In its new location in Burnside, FBM Architecture also reports an invigorated sense of connection to the local design community.
solution
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Private Offices and Workstations
Solution
FBM and Office Interiors designed a central core of workstations on the third floor, closing the gap between individuals and teams while increasing information exchange. Each desking solution offers a configuration ideal for a particular work style.
The generously sized open workstations are no less thoughtfully planned -
When it came to the Administration Team workstations, Office Interiors used a few space-delineating strategies to create a sense of privacy in this open plan area, including Enclose walls and operable Compose panels for an ad-hoc enclosure. Because these vertical structural elements can support storage, technology display, tack boards and writing surfaces , the strategic placement of Humanscale MFlex monitor arms also dovetailed with the team’s needs.
In the Technology Sales and Marketing Team areas, Office Interiors sought to demonstrate its expertise in blending Haworth products in
user-tailored solutions. The ergonomic Haworth Compose workstations are equipped with height-adjustable desks, privacy panels, and discreet storage. At the core of these workstations are the MFlex monitor arms by Humanscale, paired with keyboard trays to enhance comfort and productivity.
The Furniture Sales Team's workstations also have Haworth's Compose desking, providing a flexible and personalized workspace setup. Attention to comfort, ergonomics, and technological support carries over to these workstations with low privacy Compose Light Connections panels, where employees sit on an array of task seating, including Fern, Soji and Zody.
To define zones of use within the open plan, FBM employed a warm orange and teal material palette on the panels, coordinating with the official company colours.
In the interior of the space on the third floor, Office Interiors incorporated six private offices. Notably, Office Interiors’ decision to place the private offices in the space’s interior is quite uncommon. This design choice allows unobstructed natural light to flow freely throughout the floor. All offices convey an elevated look and feel with a combination of Groupe Lacasse’s Nex, Quad, Concept 300, Concept 400, and AIS Calibrate desks inside. Haworth’s Enclose Movable Office Walls come together seamlessly to make the private offices movable and help capitalize on space without sacrificing comfort, storage, or privacy.
On the second floor, the line-up of private offices extends to accommodate the CEO and a select few other senior-level executives. Office Interiors leveraged Haworth Masters Series in applying the right aesthetic that suits the organization’s move from traditional to progressive. Haworth's Fern seating adds fluidity to the space with its light aesthetic and open weave-back suspension fabric. Haworth Masters overhead storage elements and guest seating featuring items like the Krug Dorso, Haworth Poltrona frau ginger ale, and Haworth Poppy create these office spaces as inviting and luxurious as they are logical and efficient.
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Adding The Element of Joy
Solution
In a shift from Office Interior’s previous office, we located the more public congregation areas—Jim’s Bar and the Resource Library—at the heart of the floor plan, creating a social hub. This move not only organizes louder activities in one zone, but it also works to attract people from across departments and work areas, encouraging a friendly and open culture.
From Happy Hours on Fridays to regular lunches and celebrations, Jim’s Bar was furnished with the idea of bringing team members together to foster internal connections. The overhead BuzziBell lighting steals the show at this bar.
The Resource Library is a few steps away, featuring an intelligent combination of Haworth X-Series and Groupe Lacasse Harmonia storage options that enable easy access to fabric samples and swatches during client meetings.
A long Groupe Lacasse Nex counter-height table and SOI Mika Bar Stools with 15 degrees of flex facilitate chats over snacks in the lunchroom. The Via Meteor, Lacasse Hip Hop, Surface Works and SOI Uni side tables are among these items.
When furnishing this new space, Office Interiors wanted to include amenities that promoted employee wellness. The ‘Dream Room’ is one such space that reflects this commitment. Haworth’s Cabana sofa, paired with the fully dimmable Contour lighting and moody BuzziSkin wallpaper, makes this room the ultimate space to relax and recharge with a refreshing power nap or take personal calls.
Finally, the rooftop patio was a strong contender for bringing joy to the new office space. The teak wood picnic tables and moveable bar height seats offer several meeting options with various configurations. This sprawling outdoor space offers team members plenty of room for sitting and catching up. The patio also has a barbecue area – another amenity that allows the team to socialize, network and spend quality time together. Plus, the building faces the Bedford Basin, making it the perfect spot to enjoy the refreshing breeze and views during the summer.
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Social Spaces and Collaborative Areas
Solution
There is plenty of social areas spread out throughout the office space. Living-room-style vignettes invite employees to sink into soft upholstered seating—including Haworth’s Riverbend, Openest, Haworth Chicks and SitOnIt Mavic —and encourage impromptu social interaction as casual meeting experiences. The Openest privacy panels and Buzzi pendant lightings create an understated yet welcoming sophistication.
For Office Interiors, one element used throughout the space to support high-focus work with restorative activities was a biophilic design - incorporating nature to reduce stress. Several plants are seen throughout the office, used as decorative elements and for functional purposes, such as for more privacy on the second floor.
Cabco Collaborative
Area
Surfaceworks Coffee table
SitOnIt Mavic Side chairs BuzziShade Pendant Light
Open
Collaborative
Area
Haworth Riverbend Couch
Haworth Chick Poufs
Haworth (Cappellini) Bong Table
