Mining and Resource Head Office

space

Rising metal prices have led to the revival of the mining industry in BC. Edit is currently working with one such client on their expansion into four floors into the downtown core. This new HQ makes up 40,000 sq.ft over four floors. In the mining industry, it is common for larger companies to mentor and guide junior companies through the various stages of development. The functional design of the space will allow our client the ability to bring partners into their space, and to share the space collaboratively as they work through various projects. Think of it as a co-working model for mining. The middle floor behaves as a common amenity including a shared kitchen, shared meeting rooms in various shapes and sizes and a shared reception zone for all the various companies. To increase collaboration and communication, coffee bars are located at each landing of the 4-story stairwell to increase vertical circulation, collaboration, and chance interactions between floors.

design inspiration

The design process began with a creative session where we uncovered several themes that became prominent throughout the design:

Celebrate what the earth provides in the materiality we choose in our space
Showcase examples of what we do through storytelling in our space
Design an environment rich with plant life and warmth to encourage staff back to work

The space features rammed earth walls that bring a natural warmth into the space. Terrazzo Flooring is used in the flooring which blends real rock and cement. Sand infused plaster is used as a consistent texture throughout the space, drawing upon the central concept of using the qualities of the earth to inform our palette. Raw basalt skins are used on the reception desk and main feature walls anchoring the light, airy palette.

storytelling

Together with our clients marketing department, we all geeked out to create stories that can be told around the office that are unique to them. Digging into their archives, sketches of historical charts were taken and abstracted into a series of linework that became the patterning for all our meeting room acoustical walls. Examples of the different occurrences showed up in processes like hydrothermal occurrences and sulfide schematics. Custom metal planter boxes denote the entry to offices and meeting rooms serving two functions. One, as a smart spot for plant life and two, as a unique signage opportunity to identify different meeting rooms with the elements from the periodic table.

interconnection

With an increasing focus on renewable energies, it was important to our client that copper be featured as a central element throughout the design. This renewable resource became the muse and material used on the curvilinear stairwell . As you circulate up and down the levels, a showcase of core drill samples and unique rock formations are on display. Woven between the various specimen is a life size green wall, modelled after the geological chart. Copper lighting is used in feature areas throughout the floors and over meeting room tables both as a figurative and literal gesture of metal conducting energy.

post pandemic plant mania

When the pandemic turned our homes into all things work, school, play, and life, people all overturned to plants to beautify their spaces. This trend is overflowing into the workplaces. With science now supporting the overwhelming benefits of plants to people, it was no surprise that this client wanted to find any opportunity to bring life into the office. Plants can contribute to reducing stress, anxiety, increase creativity and productivity an improve people’s cognition and memory. During a global pandemic that has affected every area of our lives, the plants we care for could very well be the relief we are looking for and our client is capitalizing on this.

Contact Us