May 15, 2006

HOK CANADA

The Toronto office of HOK Canada is pushing the LEED certification building concept to a new level from the interior perspective.

HOK CANADA

When HOK Canada found a new home, it spent five months redesigning the space into an award-winning sustainable workplace.

HOK raising bar on green interior spaces

Employee comfort, sustainability earns office LEED interior gold

DAN O’REILLY

correspondent

With the design and construction of LEED-certification building rapidly gaining momentum, the Toronto office of HOK Canada is pushing that movement to a new level from the interior perspective.

Earlier this year, the multi-discipline design firm’s King Street West office and studio received Gold Certification in the LEED for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) from the U.S. Green Building Council.

HOK’s renovated Canadian headquarters is only one of two projects in Canada to receive certification and the first to do so east of the Rockies. Interior certification is not yet available from the Canada Green Building Council.

Certification officially recognizes the firm’s initiatives, including orienting the bulk of its studio space to the north-facing windows to receive direct sunlight, the use of Greenguard-certified furniture and isolating copiers and other chemical-use machines in enclosed rooms with separate air exhaust ducts.

“As far as possible, everything we do is to design with sustainability as the goal,” says Richard Williams, practice leader, architecture, in describing the philosophies of the firm, comprised of architects, urban planners, landscape architects, interior designers and graphic artists.

Long based in the Queen’s Quay Terminal in Toronto’s Harbourfront area, HOK made a temporary move to another location a few years ago.

With the need for a permanent home a major priority, the firm began looking for space that would meet its sustainable ideals. “We wanted a building very much connected to transit. That was partly for the convenience of our employees, as well as being sustainable.”

Ultimately, the firm settled in an old industrial building in Toronto’s King/Bathurst street area that was being transformed into office suites.

What followed was an intensive design and consultation process, followed by five months of renovation work in late 2004. Led by HOK’s interior design group, the design exercise examined what could and couldn’t be done with the rental space.

“We had to assemble the right team of consultants who would share our vision and work in a collaborative manner, given all the constraints,” says Williams, noting the mechanical system was part of the base building structure and designers had to work with the existing floor plate.

Other structural elements, however, could be controlled, including ceiling space. “There are no false ceilings; we kept the original ceiling. It allows the heat to rise and creates a feeling of more space.”

Rather than accept the fixed glazing windows the developer was going to install as part of the overall building renovation, HOK offered to pay an upgrade fee for operable north-facing windows. The developer agreed.

With most of its studios adjacent the double-glazed energy-efficient windows, the majority of employees have direct sunlight without the harsh glare west-facing windows produce. On cloudy days, sensors turn perimeter lighting on.

Another feature is a materials library with a sliding wall which, when recessed, transforms the library and an adjacent lunch room into large venue space, reducing or eliminating the need to rent space for special events.

“It’s loose fit, long life,” says Williams, citing the term architects used to describe rooms and buildings with long-term adaptable use.

A crucial player in the renovation was Rae Brothers Ltd., a Toronto-based general contractor. The firm acted as a ‘policeman’, ensuring subcontractors adhered to the strict sustainable construction measures planned beforehand.

Only low VOC paints, adhesives, sealants and carpets were installed and more than 30 per cent of the construction materials contained recycled content, with more than 45 per cent manufactured locally, he says.

Selecting the right contractor is one of the most important steps firms considering similar projects need to take.

Other measures include long-term planning and selecting the right materials, which are not always readily available, he adds.

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