This is the pilot Innovation Room, the first of sixteen which are to be constructed throughout the country.

We created a space that lives within a fairly rigid corporate structure, yet allows for all these requirements in a compact, flexible form, reshaping itself to meet the user’s needs. In doing so we took the client request for an innovation space which felt different from the rest of the office, many steps further.

The primary intent was to provide the ability to reframe spaces and interactions within the existing volume, while still allowing for simultaneous conversations.

So we created quiet nooks for reading and research, open partitions for storage and display, flexible seating at three levels for casual conversations and fixed seating for dedicated functions. Lots of scribble walls for collaboration, hidden storage and multifunctional walls for play were built in as well. A continuous pelmet edge holding the plastic braided rope ceiling and custom handwritten lettering unites all these seemingly disparate areas.

Our material and design vocabulary was defined and inspired by the many raw products the client makes. We wanted to showcase their variety and extent, so we used as many finished forms as possible - ceilings, carpets, fabrics, coverings, etc. We also wanted the users to have a sense of ownership, so we created graphics and posters with artwork created by the employees.

The entrance signage too reflects the humble beginnings of the company, which, with the strategic use of materials, has been translated into the company it has grown into and where they want to go.