• Photo credit: Stéphane Brugger

    Photo credit: Stéphane Brugger

  • Photo credit: Stéphane Brugger

    Photo credit: Stéphane Brugger

  • Photo credit: Stéphane Brugger

    Photo credit: Stéphane Brugger

  • Photo credit: Stéphane Brugger

    Photo credit: Stéphane Brugger

  • Photo credit: Stéphane Brugger

    Photo credit: Stéphane Brugger

  • Photo credit: Stéphane Brugger

    Photo credit: Stéphane Brugger

  • Photo credit: Stéphane Brugger

    Photo credit: Stéphane Brugger

  • Photo credit: Stéphane Brugger

    Photo credit: Stéphane Brugger

  • Photo credit: Stéphane Brugger

    Photo credit: Stéphane Brugger

  • Photo credit: Stéphane Brugger

    Photo credit: Stéphane Brugger

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Live the Genetec experience

Genetec is a Montreal-based company that specializes in unified IP physical security technology for corporate and public safety applications, such as airports, stadiums, and cities. After a rapid expansion of the company, the number of Quebec employees passed 600 in 2015. This lead to restructuring of the company’s management, spaces and use of organization.

by Katie Henry 12 November 2019

The senior management team was open to the notion of taking an alternative approach to the project as they were already working with the KANBAN production-chain optimization method that was equipped with a corporate culture focused on innovation and entrepreneurship. 

To begin with, FOR. undertook an in-depth analysis of the company’s operations and organization chart and worked with Genetec to transform the organization, as well as its operations, work practices and approach to collaboration. Many aspects of the company was affected in the process including workflows, branding, materials management, furnishings, general traffic, space management and the elimination of silos. It created opportunities not only to design spaces but to develop a meaningful place for those using it. 

The collaborative efforts of Genetec and FOR led to the integration of Innovation Circles into the new spaces, designed as ultra-functional 12-person groups with rotation membership according to the project. This resulted in the planning of the space and its new furniture to be directly influenced by the work processes, such as the inclusion of a Microsoft Surface Hub in each Innovation Circle so as to facilitate discussion and scrum meetings. The walls are made of whiteboards and glass which allows employees to write on 100 percent of the walls. 

The redeveloped reception area now features a café space, and a lounge with video games is placed at the entrance to each floor which aims to create cross-pollination, informal collaboration and fast problem-solving. Additionally FOR. added more meeting rooms with different configurations as well as transforming the bistro into an everyday social-event space. Improvements in productivity, processes and the overall company product have come directly from the preparatory approach to the new interior design. The Experience Center is used to showcase the product, in which clients are invited to the headquarters to live the Genetec experience through a presentation of the company’s technology and innovations. The Experience Center was created from a collaboration with Francis Turgeon of Capricorne Studio. 

FOR. worked to adapt the artistic approach from the different cities where the company has a presence, based on the interior design concept inspired by the Montreal headquarters. Features of this adaption came in the design of furniture, lighting, finishes and materials based on local distributors, as well as reflecting the particular characteristics of each site. Offices in Paris, Singapore, Secaucus, London, Bruges, Quebec City and Sherbrooke have all been designed with this concept, totalling to over 130,000 sq. ft. of space worldwide.

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