Going through the reception area, employees and guests enter into a bright space with abundant access to daylight and exposed ceilings. The flexible office is fitted with collaborative work areas and meeting and breakout rooms to form “workplace neighbourhoods.” The intention was to create transparency and accessibility, similar to a “living organism,” thereby tying the design theme back to healthcare and the company’s dedication to wellbeing.
A must-have feature for the renovation was the staircase, conceptualised in collaboration with Big D Metals, to physically and metaphorically represent connectivity throughout the firm. The staircase promotes access to the executive team, while the tiered wood platform at the foot of the staircase serves as additional seating space, enabling large town hall meetings.
There is a standout community floor on the 7th floor that is solely dedicated to employees, which provides them with a space to gather, eat and relax.
Wayfinding elements such as paint graphics were applied onto the walls that extend to the sealed concrete in exit stairs and elevator lobbies, providing colour throughout the building. Beyond the vibrant graphics, shades of grey with splashes of copper, orange, and blues were selected in order to complement Signify Health’s new branding. The design team used pendant lighting to brighten the office further and arranged these pieces in sculptural groups to add a sense of whimsy to the space.
The finished materials selected for the project were vetted through Perkins&Will’s material health program, committed to reducing and eliminating any substances of concern in the built environment linked to negative impacts on human health. The materials and products selected prioritized those that do not contain substances on the firm’s Precautionary List, including low volatile organic compound (VOC) materials.
Eco-friendly and energy-efficient products such as low flow plumbing fixtures and motion sensor dimmable LED light fixtures were also used in the office, as well as durable and environmentally responsible sealed concrete floors that define each floor’s core spaces’ main circulation path.