Jalon is an NPO with the mission to encourage and support innovation and practice changes to make mobility more sustainable. As a young company working in collective mobility, urban logistics and planning, the theme of mobility had to be expressed in the development of workspaces. The conceptual approach focused on an environment adapted to the many realities of their office space needs, promoting a versatile and dynamic environment.
The organization was looking for a hybrid approach. Therefore, Quebec-based STGM Design (IDEA) considered the following activities to guide their concept: socialization, concentration, collaboration, learning and relaxation. Thus, open spaces have been set up to create workplaces that allow different functions such as informal meetings, collaborative work, and the possibility of retreating to a recessed space to make a call or focus on a file. The phone booths and the famous orange cocoon offer unique rest areas while the dark purple stage, set in the heart of an open and dynamic office area, expresses the company’s spirit of unity and uniqueness.
Located in a heritage building, the space for Jalon’s future offices was initially rather dark, even boring, far from the modern character sought by the client. At the customer’s request, some original aspects were incorporated into the design – such as brick and exposed stone – adding warmth to the concept while allowing the inclusion of modern furniture and technology and honoring the heritage character of the building. Similarly, the intention was to seek as much height as possible to clear and highlight the curved windows, while working around the mechanical constraints on the ceiling. The objective was to integrate them into the new concept, rather than to move anything.
The organization of Jalon’s offices has been designed with the well-being of its occupant in mind. At the heart of the space, a unifying area allows for special events, training sessions and informal meetings to take place. Around it, the floor is divided into a mix of open and collaborative work areas to accommodate various functions. A photometric study was also carried out to ensure the right level of lighting, adapting to various functions and desired atmosphere, while considering energy saving.
Custom-made furniture was designed to add functionality to the space, for example:
- a telephone booth
- a trendy bistro-style cuisine
- a platform for training sessions and informal exchanges, with removable seats to accommodate extra storage spaces underneath.
Naturally, imagining the offices for a local company is an opportunity to feature Quebec products. It is therefore in this spirit that companies such as Luminaire Authentik, EDP and Artopex, to name a few, took part in the project.
Considering Jalon’s human-centric approach, it was equally important to create a space that would contribute to the employees’ sense of belonging and commitment. Inspired by the brand’s visual identity, graphics are integrated throughout the space. The orange line, punctuated by pictograms and drawn elements, reveals a visual coherence while acting as a common thread throughout the floor, and offering essential information on the function of designated spaces.
