Dominion Funds Ltd. wanted to create a leading-edge office facility to meet human needs by way of accommodation, recreation, and leisure activities; foster interdepartmental communication; break down corporate hierarchical structures; and provide casual meeting and gathering areas to stimulate innovative thinking.

Architect JASMAX Limited worked closely with the management team to bring new ideas to a traditional environment, and says that a key to the project's success was the partnering approach adopted by all parties. The approach was even formalized through a project charter under which design concepts were researched, developed, and tested. The new long and lean, one-story multiuse facility accommodates a 24/7 call center, software development operation, and information technology infrastructure. The flexible work space accommodates a staff that varies between 350 and 515 people.

The project team conducted a post-occupancy evaluation of the facility. The increase of informal communication within and across departments—achieved through provision of informal meeting spaces where people run into each other and exchange ideas—shows up as a 30-percent decrease in interoffice email. Open offices, transparent walls, and open walkways and staircases also reduce the need to pass on ideas or messages electronically. The evaluation also shows that staff turnover in the company has been reduced by 50 percent.

The jury described the center as a "low-profile structure that flattens the hierarchy of the organization and creates an atmosphere of respect among the workers. They caught the spirit of the place, people enjoying where they work."

Copyright 2002 The American Institute of Architects. All rights reserved.