Article by Michelle Heslop. Photos by Jody Beck.
Office furniture has advanced at a blistering pace over the last decade. Gone are the days of being restricted to unwieldy metal desks with equally as uncomfortable and unsightly vinyl seating. And forget about moving offices — it could take weeks of back breaking labour to reconfigure the cumbersome furnishings. So when Trillium Communities, boutique living for seniors, was looking to transform two separate office areas into one larger open plan, they turned to Monk Office for their innovative DIRTT Wall System.
This modular wall system minimizes construction waste, provides embedded technology and is easily reconfigurable. The clean, modern aesthetic of the DIRTT wall system was the initial appeal for Trillium, but they were also drawn to the system’s reconfiguration ability. To add or remove offices or transform two offices into a boardroom without a lot of downtime or construction mess was a significant draw.
“The most notable benefit of the DIRTT Wall System starts with the design process. DIRTT uses 3-D software to create an interactive walk-through so clients are able to get a feel for the layout and make any changes prior to construction. Rather than relying on 2-D plans to show layouts and elevations, we are able to make adjustments and additions to the layout based on the client’s feedback after virtually walking through the space,” says Kirsten Cluett, Interior Designer at Monk Office.
To ensure privacy, it was important to the client to have the individual offices somewhat separate from the open office area. To further enhance confidentiality, acoustic ceiling tiles were added to the space and an extra layer of DIRTT’s recycled denim insulation was added to all solid walls. To keep the offices bright and airy, glass doors and fronts were added to the offices to maximize natural light.
Global Furniture’s Zira boardroom table in a woodgrain finish paired with a matching credenza brings warmth to the otherwise cool space. Power and data are run through the table to avoid the clutter of cords from laptops and conference phones. Herman Miller’s Setu chairs were chosen for their modern aesthetic as well as their unparalleled ergonomics. They passively adjust and support your weight as you sit without having to adjust any mechanisms. The LED lights above are both energy efficient and easy on eyes.
The streamlined aesthetic of Herman Miller’s Canvas Office Landscape line was the perfect fit for both the private offices and the open workstations. The woodgrain adds an inviting warmth to the monochromatic palette and the open support leg on the desks keeps the space feeling visually light. Each workstation has a Herman Miller Mirra 2 task chair which boasts high-performance comfort as well as a sleek look and feel.
Warm grey tones in the soft seating from Global Furniture’s Wind Linear line complement the green accent wall and offer a welcoming reception in the waiting area.
To keep ultra-organized, DIRTT’s overhead cabinets keep clutter off workstations and each private office has a whiteboard integrated into the walls. Cluett adds that they used DIRTT’s modular power which means all the panels came pre-wired and pretested with hardwired data from DIRTT’s factory in Calgary. Should the layout of the office change in the future, this feature ensures the power can be relocated easily, saving on both labour and construction time.
