Photographer: Phil Bernard

DKA’s new headquarters are located on the 6th floor of a building where meeting rooms are shared with the building's community, the firm took advantage of this mutualization to reduce its square footage requirements and devote more space to team members.

Throughout the design process, the vision for the new head office remained the same: to create an environment that promotes harmonious collaboration and facilitates interactions. The notion of comfort quickly became a predominant element of the design.

Rather than a conventional reception desk, the initial approach overlooks a panoramic view of Montreal and the surrounding region, and then onto a vast kitchen. This common area, conducive to meetings and exchanges, invites users to socialize and chat informally throughout the day. Its versatility enables it to host a variety of activities that enrich daily social life: all-staff meetings, team dinners, board game evenings, meetings with suppliers. Creating spaces favorable to encounters and exchanges between colleagues called for leaving enough free space rather than maximizing the number of workstations.

The thoughtful programming of the spaces allows everyone to benefit from the best views. The main circulation is organized around the central core, which houses the bathrooms, cloakroom and access, leaving the periphery free for the various work areas.

The traditional open space office, typical of layout practices, is here redesigned to guarantee acoustic, thermal and lighting comfort. A large storage wall, located in the northern section of the central corridor, separates the workshops from the rest of the open space, creating areas that can be enclosed to provide a more intimate and flexible atmosphere. At the same time, the remaining open area is subdivided by constrictions to separate the southern and western workshops, ensuring their acoustic comfort. Thermal comfort was also taken into account, by optimizing natural lighting, moving workstations away from direct sunlight and controlling the effects of heat near curtain walls.

All closed offices are sized to accommodate various uses and scenarios, without fixed desk assignments, allowing each employee to use them according to their needs. This organization promotes a dynamic where each team member can choose the work environment that suits them best. Flexibility is present through the variety of workspaces: open or closed workshops, adjustable workstations, with or without a view, for teamwork or solo work.

Materials with natural tones, residential-inspired furniture, the presence of plants, and access to a fully equipped kitchen enhance the welcoming atmosphere and evoke the comfort of home. The layout reflects the unifying spirit of the company, fostering a warm and human-scale environment conducive to professional and personal interactions.

The firm has created optimal conditions for working efficiently and comfortably in an environment where it is pleasant to coexist on a daily basis. Consequently, DKA has been able to offer a wise balance between professional needs and the well-being of its team.