Client Bennett Mechanical Installations Size 6,500 sq. ft. (604 sq. m.)

An office building located on the existing Bennett Mechanical Installations property in Millgrove Ontario. Breaking from the traditional office typology, this new facility incorporates an innovative mix of programming including both communal and private spaces. The strategic perimeter organization of the building’s office space allows each individual the same access to natural light and exterior views. The space created at the center is used as a communal core, which includes a shared kitchen, generous lounge area, meeting booths and washroom. The central location of this shared programming allows equitable access for all employees and encourages communication.

The architecture takes cues from the surrounding rural context as inspiration for generating a more contemporary design. The traditional symmetrical pitched roof has been transformed to create a more dynamic composition. The low-lying character of the roof helps transition from the building to the surrounding site. 

Inspiration from the existing site, along with Bennett Mechanical products, helped inspire the building’s form and finishes. A rugged, industrial material palette was chosen, including corten steel, charred cedar siding, standing seam metal roofing, concrete, along with raw metal detailing throughout. Exterior design cues such as the scupper rain chain and oversized corten entry ‘pipe’ also provide a subtle acknowledgement of the client’s own business. Industrial elements are also incorporated within the interior finishes including oversized pipe wrenches used as door pulls, and kitchen millwork composed of prefinished steel tool cabinets. Removing the necessity for drywall, the mechanical services and interior structural elements are intentionally left exposed, and all office partitions constructed from plywood and cement board. The decision to use rubber tile flooring improves maintenance and increases acoustic dampening.