Planting a new foundation
Taking root among the green rooftops and tree-lined streets of Brossard’s Solar Uniquartier neighbourhood, Nortera’s (formerly Bonduelle) new head office—named Station B, a nod to its proximity to the REM—is a reflection of a storied company that anchors its identity in plant life, and its ambitions in being a Canadian leader in vegetable processing.
The strategic relocation of these Quebec headquarters presented an opportunity to design for the company’s new realities and ambitions. The result is a people-centric design grounded in deep analyses by Lemay and the crowdsourced involvement of Nortera’s employees expressing their needs: Spread out over 4 levels, each level has its own centralized space for relaxation and collaboration while adapting to different work styles and increasing performance, breaking down silos and creating synergies between once geographically dispersed teams.
Guided by the metaphor of a tree and the interconnected system it represents, Station B finds its roots in its ground floor cafeteria, a natural gathering place humming with activity, dialogues, and nourishment of both body and mind. This anchoring space stretches up through the trunk of a broad and generous staircase topped with growing vegetation, and out into branching private work areas that line peripheries of windows and recall greenhouses through their glass partitions.
Just as Station B represents the tree, the people within are what makes up its lifeblood, supported and sustained through design intricacies big and small. Comforts begin with the use of natural materials like wood for a warm atmosphere and optimized ventilation systems for a steady flow of fresh air, and deepen through details: Greenery intermingles throughout the space, lighting and furniture are curated to promote well-being, and even carpets conjure bird’s-eye views of fields.
