When Dr. Kelvin Mah decided he needed a new office for his dental practice, he knew he wanted, through an intimately designed space, “to create an experience for my patients that was, at once, unique, and yet very patient-centred.”

The result is an inviting, organic, incredibly warm space with a contemporary edge.  As one moves through the office, one can’t help but notice the way the space bends and flows: From the 40-foot ceilings, to the use of natural cedar posts and curved furnishings, to the whimsical, floating mobiles, and evocative lighting, which patients of all ages are sure to appreciate and enjoy.  This is an office that will attract patients with its inherent ability to calm, relax, and nurture.

Dr. Mah worked collaboratively with SSDG’s design team: “Throughout the design process there was constant dialogue about my personal philosophies and vision.  The attention to detail I was looking for was also present, and any questions or concerns were immediately addressed. The result has surpassed my expectations. This space has allowed my patients to connect with me, [and] I feel my vision emanates from every corner…which is exactly what I was looking for. ”

When asked what advice, if any, he might give to fellow practitioners looking for new office space (or to revamp an existing one), Dr. Mah offers:  “Align yourself with a design team that is truly motivated in understanding your needs. Also be aware that good design is good investment. I wanted to build this office for my patients. Thank you, SSDG, for helping me to realize my vision.”

Dr. Mah’s practice is located in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The interior of this office was designed to foster collaboration and to showcase the client’s innovative technology. The space was separated into two areas: the executive offices and the software design open workstation area. The manner in which the executive and software designers function is quite different, but the design creates an integrated team environment. Bridging these two areas is a large social café and lounge space. During the discovery phase, the design team identified the Café + Lounge as a critical element to the project, it is a place for the entire team to collaborate, communicate, socialize, and relax.

The entry to the office is a blue stained pine (pine beetle wood) surround with the client’s logo front and center. Directly opposite is a collage seamlessly applied to the wall complete with the client’s corporate message.  Strips of blue stained pine frame reception and seating areas that continues curving up the wall and onto the ceiling, creating texture and contrast.

A curving white terrazzo floor leads people to the Café + Lounge beyond the reception to the spectacular waterfront view. The criteria for the Café + Lounge were for it to have the comfort of a home and function like a high tech studio. Three LCD panels are flush mounted within the column cladding, fully integrated and can be accessed from multiple locations within the Café + Lounge. The custom table supported by the column houses a touch screen computer which is a place to test new capabilities, demonstrate software to clients and most importantly, play games. A variety of seating spaces in this area create the perfect environment for meetings and social gatherings.

Beyond the lounge, the boardroom is visually linked to the heart of the office through its frameless glass face. The boardroom table is wired and a touch panel screen transforms the room from meetings, to video conferencing and presentations at the press of a button.

The executive office area is faced with a glass and aluminum wall system and sliding doors creating an open and approachable environment. The walnut and metal desks have clean modern lines and can be moved into a number of configurations to suit a variety of occupants. The software design area is adjacent to the Café + Lounge, accessible through an archway and bordered with a custom marble planter. Low panel workstations with customizable graphic panels offer clear waterfront views.

The office is modern in form and colour with a combination of natural and hi-tech materials providing interest and excitement throughout the space, described by one team member as “when I walked in, it felt like a breath of fresh air”.

Regina customers can be a little more varied than most. A local farmer wearing work boots and needing a replacement phone needs to feel like he is being taken care of in a much different way than teenagers who “are technology savvy and demand so much as consumers”, offers Jacquie Scarlett, Business Development Manager. Jump.ca’s customer concierge is quick to the door, either talking with a customer and leading them through their purchase, or letting the store display lead them in to play and learn on their own.

Creating a shopping experience that is both fun and exciting for shoppers, and also provides a way of sorting and displaying a vast amount of cellular options was delivered through people-friendly interactive touch-screen technology. Curious customers are met with a Microsoft Surface display that doubles as a game-centre and a cell phone technology reader. iQmetrix—a sister company of Jump’s and a leader in retail management software systems—provided the technology infrastructure.

Touch-screens allow customers to lead their own way and self-educate through Jump’s digital, Internet and home security offerings of products and services, connected to their remotely-controlled digital network.

Taking centre stage is a multi-faceted, sinuous ‘Discovery Wall’, SSDG’s concept for this flagship store. This parametric surface snakes around the store and shows off Jump’s trademark green on a grand scale. SSDG sought out Eventscape Inc. to detail and fabricate a complex system of 100 individually sized acrylic panels on a steel skeleton, acting as a the body for pre-printed fabric-wrapped skins. Jump.ca’ has the capability of changing out the skins with new graphics over time as their needs change. On each panel, 4 live devices are digitally connected to an interactive screen above it, giving the shopper instant information on that device’s product, plan packages and accessories, also connected to Jump’s digital network.

Eventscape’s know-how also translated well in the detailing and fabrication of SSDG’s custom accessory wall, made from movable back-painted glass panels. This grid system allows Jump.ca’s team to create any display system of shelves and pegs by turning glass modules on a 90 degree angle, accommodating many merchandising arrangements.

Custom concrete flooring acts as a neutral foil for the graphics and technology, and white ceilings and millwork offer a friendly background to a potentially ‘tekkie’ feel from rows of computer monitors. Programmable lighting settings allow Jump.ca staff to create a lowered evening level, enticing younger shoppers to spend more time in the store.

“ SSDG has been able to effectively transform our vision of changing the wireless retail shopping experience in a design that is not only so unique to retail, but one that offers a functional use of our latest technology”, says   Gerald Buchko, VP Sales and Marketing.

Release those concerns if you have them. This hasn’t been our experience. In fact, the opposite is true. Giving employees a chance to blow off steam, socialize, and incorporate healthy breaks into their day is far more likely to increase productivity, creativity and staff retention. It could also be a strong hiring advantage when the employee market is tight.

The culture of your workplace and your brand itself is influenced profoundly by how the management team views ‘fun’ (i.e. ‘okay, but only in small doses’, or ‘where’s the party?!’ or ‘fun is just a normal part of our everyday life’).

If you would say that ‘innovation’ or ‘balance’ or ‘creativity’ are important brand values for your company, ask yourself if those are truly a part of your employee experience today.

Here are some thoughts for you to consider:

•    Think of your workplace as a community. Then ask yourself: how can I make this community function in the most healthy, productive way?
•    We advise: allow for fun. People are social beings. Productivity is not best delivered in a regimented environment.
•    Create spaces that encourage informal discussions and interaction. Really. Some genius business ideas occur over a latte.

Crossroads Dental supports holistic and environmentally friendly dental practices. The project is located in a LEED Silver Certified building.  The majority of finishes were low V.O.C., furniture was either re-used or contains recycled material, and the demountable glass walls allow light to flow between the spaces, and can be re-configured.

We love to create unique spaces, and people sometimes wonder how it’s possible to continually come up with fresh ideas and new perspectives. The answer is simple. We are inspired by the story that each client has to tell. Interior design needs to reflect each clients specific target market, competitive advantage, market position, not to mention style and personality.

That’s why we take the time to really understand what our clients do. We immerse ourselves in their brand and culture. We get to know their team. We examine the marketplace, and study their ideal customers. We nail down (in specific detail) how the client will define success. Then, we endeavour to tell their story through design. Spaces that tell stories, define brands, evoke emotions and create amazing experiences. Here’s a quick breakdown of our process for getting to know a client’s story:

The People: Who are we designing for?
We get to understand the people that will live, work or play in the space. This information is the foundation of the story

The Culture: How do things get done?
The culture reveals the beliefs and values within a company that influence the way things get done, how decisions are made and how people interact.

The Brand: What is the message?
The desired market perception of the brand is the start of creating an intuitive brand experience.

The Dynamics: Does your space support the way you work?
We need to understand how people work and how the space can support them. This is key to designing spaces that really perform.

The Measures of Success: What makes the design a success?
Understanding baseline, mid-level and pie-in-the-sky expectations at the beginning of the design process is critical to the success of every project.

Six years ago we re-envisioned our own workspace when we moved here to our digs here at 1111 Melville Street. A move to a new location is a chance to reinvent and refresh, and we wanted to fully embrace that. Now that our space is lived in, we thought we would reflect on what we set out to achieve with the space, and how it’s working out for us.
In a creative business like ours, people are everything. The designers we hire are not just the heart and soul of the business. They are the business. So we had the challenge of devising a space to serve these highly creative and innovative people. A place where they can find both calm and intellectual stimulation. A place where there are wide-open spaces for storyboarding and brainstorming, and where there’s a logical workflow throughout. We wanted to instantly convey who we are and what we do to anyone that first entered our office.
Here are a few of the design elements that really make the space work for us:
•    The space communicates who we are. For example, there are multiple layers of glass with inspirational messages that lead to the peaceful exterior vista
•    There is not one enclosed office in the entire space. All members of the design team are located in open workstations. We wanted to promote communication and teamwork.
•    Multiple meeting rooms and breakout areas allow for privacy in project meetings
•    Major millwork units are mobile and easily relocated. This allows us to use our space in many ways and gives us tons of space for our Annual Soiree.
•    To reduce our environmental footprint, we made use of custom cabinetry from the previous tenant. With some re-configuring and refinishing this storage now suits our specific needs. Minimal walls were constructed and only to enclose meeting rooms.

Our client says “in 23 years in business the Pub has never sold such items as Martinis, high end wines by the bottle, high end vodkas or liquors, desserts, fresh seafood, high end steaks, etc. – now with this amazing re-brand we are finding new clients that prefer to spend a little more for a quality meal and much more contemporary environment. It’s very interesting to see the surprised look on everyone’s face once they walk through the doors. Our average bill has gone from $18 per person to about $38 per person…”

The Fin is buzzing. The martinis and beers are flowing. The new menu is a hit. It’s the place to be.

For more information on The Fin, visit our website.

Crossroads Dental was awarded Bronze Awards of Excellence in the Healthcare and Personal Services Category. Here’s what the judges had to say:

“This is healthcare at the upper end of the spectrum. It is a happy space with interesting textures and comforting feel. This is a wonderful design, very nicely done!”

Terminal City Club was awarded Gold Awards of Excellence in the Hospitality Category. Here’s what the judges had to say:

“This is a really good combination of traditional layering of very contemporary design. Really love this – this is lovely. The restaurant is wrapped in beautiful finishes. The glass on the bar is phenomenal. It is way beyond a masculine space.”

Moral of the story: if you’ve been feeling squeezed out of your present space, you may not need to move. You might just need a fresh look at how to use that space better.

A couple of tips:

• When you’re ordering furniture or working with a designer, ask for furniture with moveable components. But…make sure you maintain some control with non-moving anchor elements

• Consider workspaces that provide options for easy changes in how your team works together day-to-day (i.e. can independent workspaces be easily changed into comfy meeting spaces?)