{"id":212213,"date":"2023-06-02T15:42:03","date_gmt":"2023-06-02T19:42:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/?post_type=id_project&p=212213"},"modified":"2023-06-27T17:13:01","modified_gmt":"2023-06-27T21:13:01","slug":"hok-boston-consulting-group-canadian-headquarters","status":"publish","type":"id_project","link":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/projects\/hok-boston-consulting-group-canadian-headquarters\/","title":{"rendered":"HOK Designs Boston Consulting Group’s Canadian Headquarters"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Part of the caf\u00e9 is double-height, and it\u2019s where Emilio Nanni\u2019s Spy chairs line custom oak tables and the floor tile is encaustic cement.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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June 2, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n

Words: <\/span>Jane Margolies<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photography: <\/span>Joel Klassen<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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HOK Designs Boston Consulting Group’s Canadian Headquarters<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Long before the pandemic, Boston Consulting Group had embraced hybrid work, giving employees the freedom to come to the office\u2014which total more than 100 across the globe\u2014meet with clients at their workplaces, or complete certain tasks from home. Whichever made the most sense for the business at hand. That said, collaboration is at the heart of how the management consultancy, often referred to as BCG, operates: Staffers form teams to tackle knotty problems clients are facing and puzzle through the issues to arrive at solutions. And this sort of teamwork, BCG felt, is best carried out face-to-face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back in 2017, when the company tapped HOK<\/a> for its new Canadian headquarters on three floors\u201446, 47, and 48\u2014of a tower rising in Toronto\u2019s financial district, BCG sought an office that would be dazzling enough to draw employees to the workplace, that would provide a variety of bespoke settings so that teams could be as productive as possible while on-site. All of which is to say that when the pandemic hit in 2020\u2014sending companies around the world scrambling to, first, figure out how to work remotely during lockdowns and, then, how to lure employees back to the office after they\u2019d become accustomed to doing their jobs from home\u2014BCG<\/a> was way ahead of the game. Sure, there were tweaks to HOK\u2019s concept for the 100,000- square-foot BCG project because of the pandemic\u2014designers had to make sure work- stations were 6 feet apart, for example, and they loaded up meeting rooms with video- conferencing and audiovisual equipment for staffers participating remotely\u2014but the changes amounted to fine-tuning a good plan that was already in place. And the result is this spectacular, ultra-sophisticated space that serves as a showplace for the company and a magnet for a workforce now numbering more than 400. \u201cOn the busiest days, we\u2019re approaching pre-pandemic attendance levels,\u201d Nina Abdelmessih, BCG\u2019s chief of operations and external relations in Canada, says. \u201cEverybody is coming in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HOK Designs a Hybrid Office for Boston Consulting Group<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Beyond the custom steel sconces attached to columns, city and Lake Ontario views fill the two-story atrium of Boston Consulting Group\u2019s three-level Canadian headquarters in Toronto by HOK.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The plan\u2019s success started with carving out an atrium near the window wall on the two lower floors\u2014one advantage of coming to the project while the building was under construction was that this could be done before the floor plates were in place. Working with the developer, HOK specified an opening measuring a generous 20 by 80 feet, envisioning it as the \u201cheart of the organization,\u201d Caitlin Turner, HOK director of interiors in Canada and the project lead, notes. The atrium fills with light and opens up views of the city and Lake Ontario. Rooms situated off it are sided in glass so everyone shares in the sunshine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A beckoning staircase steps up through the atrium to the top floor. It encourages employees to walk up and down\u2014healthier for them than taking the elevators\u2014and results in serendipitous encounters that add to the general esprit de corps. \u201cThere\u2019s this buzz,\u201d Turner enthuses. As for the seating areas in the base of the atrium, in the caf\u00e9, she adds: \u201cAt lunchtime, it\u2019s like a high-school cafeteria.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Flanking the atrium are two unusual work areas: raised glass-enclosed meeting rooms reached by small flights of stairs. These little getaways for groups are just one example of the variety of bookable spaces found on all three floors of the HQ. \u201cThere\u2019s a saying around HOK,\u201d Turner continues. \u201cOne size misfits all.\u201d Thus, she and her team gave BCG gathering options that would suit just about anyone\u2019s personal work style\u2014or the missions they might have. \u201cIf reaching consensus is the goal, there are rooms with round tables,\u201d Turner explains. \u201cIf it\u2019s sharing information, there\u2019s stadium seating.\u201d Even within some rooms, there\u2019s a mix of seating: Employees can go from sprawling on lounge chairs for brainstorming sessions to sitting at a desk to tap away at a laptop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The materials palette helps tie it all together. HOK selected leathers, linens, wools, stone, and wood\u2014 most sourced in Canada\u2014to give the office more of a luxe hospitality feel than a no-nonsense corporate one. The firm, after all, not only ranks fifth amid our 100 Giants<\/a> but also 81st on the Giants Hospitality<\/a> list (as well as 10th and 45th for Healthcare<\/a> and Sustainability Giants<\/a>, respectively). Hand-troweled plaster adds texture to a wall near reception on the top floor. Fine oak millwork appoints the library. Touches of brass gleam throughout, from pendant fixtures over banquettes in the caf\u00e9 to the vertical panels on a timeline of BCG\u2019s history, also near reception. HOK also commissioned Canadian artists for paintings and artisans for tables with wood or marble tops.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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CN Tower views are seen from a nook furnished with Kateryna Sokolova\u2019s Capsule chair and Patricia Urquiola\u2019s Burin table.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

But serendipity also played a part: Turner tracked down a black-stained oak credenza she spotted on Instagram for use in a touch- down room, where it joins an oversize pendant fixture by Marcel Wanders and sinuous Italian armchairs. It\u2019s just a sampling of the international, contemporary aesthetic permeating this buzzing workplace\u2014one that is clearly not cookie-cutter but has helped become something of a model for other BCG offices in the throes of relocation and renovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Behind the Design of Boston Consulting Group’s Canadian Headquarters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Visitors arrive at reception on the top floor, then descend to the atrium via a staircase backed\nby a hand-troweled plaster wall. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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In the caf\u00e9, Leeway chairs by Keiji Takeuchi stand before custom moveable iron screens, while a Parlez bench by Eoos near the window overlooks the lake. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Part of the caf\u00e9 is double-height, and it\u2019s where Emilio Nanni\u2019s Spy chairs line custom oak tables and the floor tile is encaustic cement.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The birdlike Perch pendants in the library are by Umut Yamac.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Paola Navone\u2019s Brass pendant fixtures suspend over Umami booths; photography: Karl Hipolito.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Felt pendants by Iskos-Berlin and carpet tile help control acoustics in an office area. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Studio 7.5\u2019s Cosm chairs and Stitch in Time carpet tile bring energy to a digital meeting room.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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In a touch-down room off reception, the shape of Marcel Wanders Studio\u2019s Skygarden pendant is echoed in the wallcovering pattern by Domenica Brockman. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Upholstered Strike chairs, Allied Maker\u2019s Arc pendants, and Cerchio mosaic tile lend a hospitality vibe to the coffee bar.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Near reception, flooring is wood-look vinyl tile and the company timeline incorporates digital screens looping BCG-related videos. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Custom light fixtures drape across the ceiling in the boardroom, where the commissioned painting is by Toronto artist Kim Dorland.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Glass encloses much of a raised meeting room, but wool-felt paneling covers its back wall. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
PROJECT TEAM<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n
HOK<\/span><\/a>: PAUL GOGAN; BRITTANY TOD; KRISTINA KAMENAR; CALEB SOLOMONS; SALLY SHI; FARIBA SAJADI; ROWENA AUYEUNG; BETHANY FOSS; DANIEL MEEKER<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
RJC ENGINEERS<\/span><\/a>: STRUCTURAL ENGINEER<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
MITCHELL PARTNERSHIP<\/span><\/a>: MECHANICAL ENGINEER<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
MULVEY & BANANI LIGHTING<\/span><\/a>: LIGHTING DESIGNER<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
MCM<\/span><\/a>: CUSTOM FURNITURE WORKSHOP<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
Opus Art Projects<\/span><\/a>: Art Consultant<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
PRODUCT SOURCES<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n
FROM FRONT<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n
VISO<\/span><\/a>: CUSTOM SCONCES (ATRIUM), CUSTOM CEILING FIXTURES (BOARDROOM)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
geiger<\/span><\/a>: WOOD CHAIRS (CAF\u00c9)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
PENGELLY IRON WORKS<\/span><\/a>: CUSTOM SCREENS<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
KEIL\u00adHAUER<\/span><\/a>: BENCH<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
EUREKA LIGHTING<\/span><\/a>: RING PENDANT FIX\u00adTURES<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
STEELACASE<\/span><\/a>: BOOTHS<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
gervasoni<\/span><\/a>: BRASS PEN\u00adDANT FIXTURES<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
BILLIANI<\/span><\/a>: GRAY CHAIRS<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
TRIBU<\/span><\/a>: BROWN\/WHITE CHAIRS<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
CEMENT TILE SHOP<\/span><\/a>: FLOOR TILE<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
muuto<\/span><\/a>: PENDANT FIXTURES (OFFICE AREA)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
STUDIO OTHER<\/span><\/a>: WORK\u00ad STATIONS<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
knoll<\/span><\/a>: CHAIRS (OFFICE AREA, LIBRARY)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
SHAW INDUSTRIES GROUP<\/span><\/a>: CARPET TILE (OFFICE AREA, NOOK)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
herman miller<\/span><\/a>: CHAIRS (DIGITAL ROOM)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
HALCON FUR\u00adNITURE<\/span><\/a>: TABLES<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
flos<\/span><\/a>: CEILING FIXTURES<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
Interface<\/span><\/a>: CARPET TILE<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
nienkamper<\/span><\/a>: TABLES (TOUCH\u00adDOWN, COFFEE BAR)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
GALLOTTI&RADICE<\/span><\/a>: CHAIRS (TOUCH\u00adDOWN)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
POIAT<\/span><\/a>: CREDENZA<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
AREA ENVIRONMENTS<\/span><\/a>: WALLCOVERING<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
flos<\/span><\/a>: PENDANT FIXTURE<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
CASALA<\/span><\/a>: CHAIR (NOOK)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
cappellini<\/span><\/a>: CHAIRS (BOARDROOM)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
PRISMATIQUE<\/span><\/a>: CUSTOM TABLE<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
CREATIVE MATTERS<\/span><\/a>: CUSTOM RUG<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
Davis Furniture<\/span><\/a>: BENCH<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
filzfelt<\/span><\/a>: PANELING (MEETING ROOM)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
Haworth<\/span><\/a>: DEMOUNTABLE WALLS<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
Allied Maker<\/span><\/a>: PENDANT FIXTURES (COFFEE BAR)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
ARRMET<\/span><\/a>: CHAIRS<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
MOSA\u00cfQUE SURFACE<\/span><\/a>: WALL TILE<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
THROUGHOUT<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n
STONETILE<\/span><\/a>: VINYL FLOOR TILE<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
BENJAMIN MOORE & CO.; SHERWIN\u00ad WILLIAMS<\/span><\/a>: PAINT<\/span><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n