{"id":251340,"date":"2025-03-21T16:44:23","date_gmt":"2025-03-21T20:44:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/?post_type=canvasflow&p=251340"},"modified":"2025-03-21T16:44:26","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T20:44:26","slug":"co-operators-headquarters-by-hok-ontario","status":"publish","type":"id_project","link":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/projects\/co-operators-headquarters-by-hok-ontario\/","title":{"rendered":"HOK Crafts A Breathtaking Nature-Inspired Headquarters In Ontario"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The library\u2019s 17-by-34-foot green wall, composed of 3,000 live plants organized into the chevron logo, backdrops Naoto Fukasawa\u2019s Saiba chairs, custom walnut tables, and Peter Bristol\u2019s Thin task lamps. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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March 21, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n

Words: <\/span>Dan Howarth<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photography: <\/span>Eric Laignel<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

HOK Crafts A Breathtaking Nature-Inspired Headquarters In Ontario<\/h1>\n\n\n

Eighty years ago, Albert Savage, a cofounder of Co-operators\u2014a Canadian insurance and financial-services cooperative\u2014described the endeavor as \u201can acorn that will grow into one of the greatest oak trees of the cooperative movement.\u201d This idea stuck with the HOK<\/a> team responsible for the interiors at the company\u2019s new headquarters, a state-of-the-art facility in Guelph, Ontario, which brings together all its operations and over 1,200 employees under one roof. The quote influenced many of the visual cues and material selections for the project, which aimed to reflect the principles of the cooperative movement in the workspaces. The words are even inscribed on a prominent wall as a literal reminder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCo-operators\u2019s values, culture, and mission are different from those of traditional organizations, and that really inspired us,\u201d says Caitlin Turner, senior principal and director of design, interiors, at the Toronto studio of HOK, which, with its 26 offices across three continents and expertise in workplace and sustainability, ranks sixth among the Interior Design<\/em> Top 100 Giants<\/a>, up from seven last year. HOK has been carbon neutral since 2022, a distinction it shares with Co-operators, which achieved that status in 2020 and saw this move as an opportunity to embrace even more ambitious environmental goals. By pursuing zero-carbon, WELL Platinum, and LEED Gold certifications, the headquarters would become \u201cthe first of its kind in Canada,\u201d says Shawn Fitzgerald, vice president of real estate and workplace at Co-operators. \u201cThe vision was to be a catalyst for sustainable construction and design.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HOK Infuses Nature Into Co-Operators’s HQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The second-level library with live green wall and sustainable white-oak flooring overlooks the triple-height central atrium at the HOK-designed, 225,000-square-foot headquarters of Co-operators, an environmentally conscious insurance and financial services cooperative in Guelph, Canada.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Set within a campus of meadow gardens, walking trails, and outdoor exercise stations, the three-story, 225,000-square-foot building features an atrium  around which the spaces are organized\u2014many embodying the \u201cacorn-to-oak\u201d metaphor. On the ground floor, curved, walnut-paneled walls physically represent the tree\u2019s roots. Nearby, a hallway displays a series of framed historical advertisements as a timeline symbolizing the company\u2019s organic growth. And on the top floor, the ceiling of a collaborative area, clad in rippling stainless-steel panels and dotted with circular recessed downlights, recreates the dappled effect of a leafy canopy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A key client directive was to celebrate Co-operators\u2019s six decades in the city of Guelph, which is located in south\u00adwestern Ontario. \u201cWe really wanted to maintain our presence within this community that we absolutely love and ensure that we continue this long history,\u201d Fitzgerald notes. Thus, the context informs several elements, such as a pitched steel-and-wood frame\u2014modeled after one of Canada\u2019s oldest surviving covered bridges\u2014that shelters a focused-work area beneath a skylight on the third floor, as well as a vibrant custom rug in the lobby, its swirling multicolor pattern based on an aerial topographic view of the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vibrant Patterns Help Create An Engaging Workplace<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Reception features a custom rug, its pattern based on an aerial topographic view of the city.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Several pieces of lore from the company\u2019s past were also translated into visual form. For instance, felt panels emblazoned with tractor-tire tracks across some meeting-room walls nod to the founding meeting with farmers, while recurring imagery of apples and wheat serves as a reminder that co-op members once used those crops as payment. \u201cThese are moments in the rich history of the cooperative movement, which is really about supporting the people who are part of the organization,\u201d Turner observes. Co-operators\u2019s distinctive chevron logo, applied throughout as a wayfinding tool, reaches its apotheosis in the library, where it is replicated using 3,000 plants in a green wall measuring more than 34 feet wide and 17 tall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a social and cultural hub for the company, the layout of the headquarters encourages what Turner describes as \u201cserendipitous collisions\u201d between employees from different departments. On the ground floor, the coffee shop features soft banquette seating and an adjacent nook with a suspended fireplace, creating a cozy setting for conversations over lattes. In the balcony library immediately above, long custom walnut tables\u2014lit by the atrium skylight during the day and by integrated desk lamps at night\u2014serve as magnets for collaborative work. Connecting the library to the top level, a cantilevered steel staircase with warm wood treads provides another site for chance encounters while also serving as a striking sculptural focal point in the atrium. \u201cIt\u2019s a path of travel,\u201d Turner continues, \u201cbut also a beacon of place where people come to congregate and socialize.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lush Greenery Sparks Collaboration in This Dynamic Office<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The library\u2019s 17-by-34-foot green wall, composed of 3,000 live plants organized into the chevron logo, backdrops Naoto Fukasawa\u2019s Saiba chairs, custom walnut tables, and Peter Bristol\u2019s Thin task lamps. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Employee health and wellness, particularly in the wake of the pandemic, was another primary driver. Circulation through the building is intentionally conceived to promote activity, ensuring that, along with the outdoor trails and an on-site gym, staffers can easily meet their daily exercise goals. Workspaces designed for neurodiverse individuals feature specially tailored flexible lighting, quiet areas, muted colors, and sensory-friendly textures\u2014just some of the many accessibility and inclusion elements that go beyond standard code requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Co-operators aims to achieve full net-zero status by 2040, and this building represents a significant milestone on that path. It prioritizes environmental targets by specifying Canadian-made, low-carbon materials, intelligent LED lighting, automatic-tinting windows, and furniture made of sustainable materials. Any successful headquarters reflects the company it houses in multiple ways\u2014showcasing its past achievements, present values and culture, and future vision to both employees and visitors. This one fondly looks back and boldly dreams forward, as the growth of the Co-operators \u201coak tree\u201d continues, benefitting both people and planet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

See How This Office By HOK Embraces Sustainability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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A fireplace nook with an Eoos Reframe wingback chair adjoins the ground-floor coffee shop, its walnut Mava chairs by Stephanie Jasny.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The library also overlooks the reception area, which has access to the coffee shop below.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Acoustic felt and oak slats back a banquette in the atrium.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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A cantilevered blackened-steel stair connects the library to the third floor.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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A walnut-paneled hallway gallery of historic advertisements provides a timeline of the 80-year-old company\u2019s growth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Andrea Pramuk\u2019s Memory Space wallcovering backdrops Andrew Neyer\u2019s Crane sconces in a cafeteria booth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Explore An Office With A Focus On Health + Wellness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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A custom rendering of the company logo in mirror glass adorns the wall next to a small lounge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Custom wayfinding signage enlivens the ground-floor fitness center.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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An open office incorporates modular room-within-a-room systems along with Lollygagger rocking chairs by Loll Designs, Engesvik and Daniel Rybakken\u2019s Arbour sofas, and Around coffee tables by Thomas Bentzen, all on Beg\u00fcm Cana \u00d6zg\u00fcr\u2019s Haze rug.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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BassamFellows Bevel sofas encircle ficus trees in the atrium, which is surrounded with open balcony spaces.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Under the atrium skylight, a custom pergola based on one of Canada\u2019s oldest covered bridges shelters Ward Bennet\u2019s Crosshatch lounge chairs and NaughtOne\u2019s Rhyme modular seating.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Live plants join custom botanical wallcovering in the cafeteria.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Emulating a forest canopy, stainless-steel ceiling panels dotted with downlights dapple John Edwards Endzone counter tables in a collaborative area.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
PROJECt team<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n

HOK: <\/strong>KRISTINA KAMENAR; HAYLEY LAVIGNE; PIA GREEN; KIMIA MOSTAFAEI; CRYSTAL VONG. NEO ARCHITECTURE:<\/strong> ARCHITECT OF RECORD. SHOUFANY CUSTOM WOODWORKING:<\/strong> MILLWORK. HH ANGUS & ASSOCIATES:<\/strong> LIGHTING CONSULTANT; MEP. DORLAN ENGINEERING:<\/strong> STRUCTURAL ENGINEER. COOPER CONSTRUCTION:<\/strong> GENERAL CONTRACTOR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

product sources<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n

FROM FRONT JUNIPER DESIGN GROUP:<\/strong> DESK LAMPS (LIBRARY), PICTURE LIGHTS (GALLERY). SVEND NIELSEN:<\/strong> CUSTOM TABLES (LIBRARY), CUSTOM SHELVING (CAFETERIA), CUSTOM PERGOLA (BRIDGE). HAY:<\/strong> SECTIONALS (LIBRARY), SIDE CHAIRS (ATRIUM), SOFA (OPEN OFFICE). HERMAN MILLER:<\/strong> SIDE CHAIRS, LOUNGE CHAIRS (LIBRARY), TABLES, CIRCULAR SOFAS (ATRIUM), LOUNGE CHAIR (LOUNGE), SIDE TABLE (OPEN OFFICE), MODULAR SEATING (BRIDGE), BARSTOOLS, TABLE LAMPS (CANOPY). MUUTO:<\/strong> SIDE TABLES (LIBRARY), COFFEE TABLES (LOUNGE, OPEN OFFICE). CREATIVE MATTERS:<\/strong> CUSTOM RUG (RECEPTION). ELLISON STUDIOS:<\/strong> COFFEE TABLES. KEILHAUER:<\/strong> SOFAS (RECEPTION), BENCH (FITNESS CENTER). GLOBAL FURNITURE GROUP:<\/strong> BANQUETTE (COFFEE SHOP). PUNT MOBLES:<\/strong> WOOD CHAIRS. ARMSTRONG:<\/strong> WOOD CEILING. JUNO:<\/strong> TRACK LIGHTING. TEKNION: <\/strong>TABLE (COFFEE SHOP), MODULAR FRAMEWORK (OPEN OFFICE), GLASS PARTITIONING (CANOPY). MAXXIT:<\/strong> PANELING (COFFEE SHOP), CEILING PANELS (CANOPY). CF + D:<\/strong> FIREPLACE (FIRE NOOK). GUS MODERN:<\/strong> SIDE TABLE. RH CONTRACT:<\/strong> PICTURE LIGHTS. RUGGABLE:<\/strong> RUGS (FIRE NOOK, LOUNGE). GEIGER:<\/strong> WINGBACK CHAIR (FIRE NOOK), CANE CHAIRS (ATRIUM), LOUNGE CHAIRS (BRIDGE). MOMENTUM TEXTILES & WALLCOVERING:<\/strong> ACOUSTIC FELT (ATRIUM). KIMBALL INTERNATIONAL:<\/strong> BANQUETTE (ATRIUM), BOOTH SEATING (CAFETERIA). KOROSEAL:<\/strong> WOOD-VENEER WALLCOVERING (GALLERY, LOUNGE). STUFF BY ANDREW NEYER:<\/strong> SCONCES (CAFETERIA). DECO TILE:<\/strong> TERRAZZO FLOORING. AREA ENVIRONMENTS:<\/strong> BOOTH WALLCOVERING. STUDIO TK:<\/strong> LOUNGE CHAIRS, SIDE TABLES (CAFETERIA), SOFAS (LOUNGE), BARSTOOLS (OPEN OFFICE). SPEC FURN\u00adITURE:<\/strong> BOOTH TABLES (CAFETERIA), COUNTER TABLES (CANOPY). PABLO DESIGN:<\/strong> PENDANT FIXTURE (LOUNGE). EUROPTIMUM:<\/strong> CUSTOM LOGO (LOUNGE), CUSTOM SIGNAGE (FITNESS CENTER), CUSTOM WALL\u00adCOVERING (CAFETERIA). HOLLIS+MORRIS:<\/strong> LINEAR PENDANT FIXTURES (ATRIUM). LOLL DESIGNS:<\/strong> ROCKING CHAIRS (OPEN OFFICE). NANIMARQUINA:<\/strong> RUG. BUZZISPACE:<\/strong> LARGE PENDANT FIXTURES (BRIDGE). THROUGHOUT NYDREE FLOORING:<\/strong> WOOD FLOORING. SHERWIN-WILLIAMS COMPANY:<\/strong> PAINT.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n