HarperCollins Office Relocation & Consolidation

When HarperCollins was looking for innovative workplace solutions in its three existing Toronto office locations in Canada, the publisher commissioned ENV New York and NORR to implement the workplace standards which were originally developed by ENV New York for the publishers’ NY headquarters in 2014. Rather than investing in multiple locations, plans were prepared to amalgamate the existing operations into a single new office which could address the consolidation and streamlining of operations, reduction in spatial requirements by achieving efficiencies, increase densities, while incorporating the new design concept into the office.

NORR and ENV New York worked together on the implementation of the space, which spans 68,000 square feet over 2.5 floors of the Bay Adelaide Centre, a AAA LEED Platinum certified building located in the downtown core of Toronto.  The planning strategy for this design was to support a flexible environment made up of a wide variety of different functional settings.  Similar to the NY office, in addition to the open the new office spaces, the Toronto office was planned with a conference center, focus rooms, café and lounge, and breakout areas allowing work to be done from anywhere in the office.

The design features three large meeting rooms which are separated by Skyfold walls – an acoustical, retractable vertical folding wall which stores in the ceiling to optimize floor space for multi-function activities. The potential use of the three rooms individually or in combination was considered in furniture layouts with a different layout developed to plan for the power/data/AV feeds required to support different settings for the rooms. The results of the design and implementation are a rejuvenated workplace that has incorporates a series of new client delivery tools and settings to reinforce HCP’s position as one of the leading publishing companies.  The renovation pays tribute to the original NY design intent, while increasing the consistency of the finishes and the functionality of the spaces.