BNP Paribas – Montréal
Attributed the International Gold WELLv2 Building Institute’s seal, a first in Canada, BNP Paribas Montreal offices transformed the well-being of employees. On six floors, the mandate consisted in designing mostly open-plan facilities reflecting a new working approach. An approach based particularly on the flexibility of spaces, the occupant’s mobility, and collaboration. Many orientations that lead, in the following months, to the development of a workplace where the main open spaces were divided into several zones alternating those intended for work, collaboration and relaxation. With no assigned workstations, the employees can now place themselves anywhere they want. This practice of hot desking also offers BNP Paribas the flexibility to reconfigure its spaces according to its needs over the years.
Photography
David Boyer
Contractor
Avicor Construction
Achievement period
2019
Interior design
Provencher_Roy
Lighting
Lumigroup
Certification
Gold WELL V.2
Furniture
Abi Montréal / Burovision / Haworth / Humanscale
Country
Canada
City
Montréal
Client
BNP Paribas
Surface Area
40,000 p² (3,716 m²) - 9th and 14th floors
Year
2019
An organized chaos of lightning
With a low ceiling, lightening the space was a challenge. To counter the circumstances and energize the space, an arrangement of lighting and office furniture was chosen. In terms of artificial lighting, were integrated high-performance luminaires into the design, adapted to the different areas’ functions. For workspaces, was used a device that comes in several sizes and can fit into a suspended ceiling. The WELL certification encourages the concept of circadian lighting, based on the biological rhythm of humans depending on day and night, to create natural light conditions in the building and are more suitable for users. The challenge was to find luminaires that could perform enough to meet this requirement, while offering an interesting aesthetic appearance and give space more personality. Rather than aligning with the existing grid, was used different formats of illumination to create a game of deconstructed lighting, not without ensuring that was comfortable and well spread over all open spaces.
The streamline contemporary style inspires a strong sense of community for the occupants, creating an animated workplace. The project generated and melded ideas while also improving life.
Promoting well-being
If the creation of such areas to promote the comfort of employees, the fact remains that the optimization of their well-being is the result of conceptual strategies. As an example, the integration of nearly twenty green walls, spread over the four corners of the floors in relaxation areas. Living walls which, equipped with an automatic irrigation system, imbue these spaces with a biophilic design. Another example with the promotion of healthy lifestyles, through the installation of a signage, by encouraging the use of stairs rather than the elevator to move from one floor to another.
All spaces are laid out as an engaging work tool, supporting the well-being of employees. The creativity and authenticity of the new spaces has sparked a wave of warmth, interest, and pride among its workers.
