Informed

A strategic design approach aligns how you work with your objectives and real estate. It ensures the most efficient use of space to best support how you will work now and into the future. Furniture, technology, budget, scheduling, location all plays a critical role in the overall success. Strategic design drives your project forward with clear goals before you sign a lease.

Connected

Your workspace is an extension of your mission, values, and culture. It connects your people to your place. SGH brings incredible value through years of experience, research, and strategy. We look at all the critical details to ensure the end result provides you and your people the very best experience. As workplaces continue to evolve, design continues to be a catalyst for great opportunities.

Trusted

SGH understands real estate is an important and expensive business transition. We also have a deep understanding of how space impacts the health and well-being of people. Building a foundation of trust early on provides a seamless transition into implementation. As your trusted advisor, we drive the design forward on your behalf, ensuring your goals are realized. Is the difference between something that is just okay or something that is truly magnificent.

Have a question about how SGH can help you in the pre-lease stage. Contact us today!

Since 2022 is coming to an end, we thought it would be fun to look back at some of what we got up to this year across our three locations in Canada. Looking back at accomplishments, SGH socials and industry events that took place over the course of the year. It’s hard to believe at the beginning of 2022 we were still working entirely remote, and now back in the office with a hybrid model.

Let’s take a look back.

 

January

DesignTO

In January, SGH was working remotely, staying connected via our teams calls and weekly meetings. The DesignTO Festival took place with “distanced and digital” programming that showcased 91 different events, exhibitions, and installations. This online and in person event is an annual Design Festival that celebrates design every January.

 

February

Biggest Interior Design Firms Metro Vancouver
In February SGH Design Partners was listed on the Biggest Interior Design firms in Metro Vancouver for 2022! A great success for SGH! You can see the full list here

 

March

Painting Class
In March of this year SGH’s virtual social was an online paint class. A fun opportunity to get creative and unleash your inner artist while enjoying and connecting with coworkers across all three of our studios. There was be a professional artist who guided us through completing our own version of a featured image, step by-step. Hosted by Fresh Paint Studio, a Toronto-based art studio that connects the community through art and encourages individuals to create art fearlessly.

 

April

Colin Moves to Halifax
In April, we celebrated with Colin as he made the decision to move to Halifax and transition from our Toronto office to Halifax office.

Vancouver Real Estate Forum
We also attended the Vancouver Real Estate Forum hosted by Informa, where our team listed to speakers discuss key trends in office, industrial, multi-residential and retail in Vancouver and Lower Mainland markets. This conference offered great insight into what was expected in the coming year with the Vancouver Market and how SGH can contribute to the current state of the market.

 

May

NAIOP
In May SGH attended the NAIOP Toronto’s Cocktail Party where we were able to network and connect with others in the industry. The event was a great success and it is so nice to be back in person with so many great people and smiling faces!

 

June

NeoCon
SGH took on NeoCon! Three of our designers attended NeoCon 2022 in July. Such an incredible event in Chicago, that is an annual designer staple in the industry. Did you catch our Day 1 and Day 2 videos we posted about what we got up to on our socials?

Pottery Class
Our Vancouver office took up a pottery class, creating unique bowls by hand and then followed by lunch in a local park. Such a perfect summer day!

 

July

Sailing in Halifax and Toronto
When you’re on the ocean, what better afternoon is there then getting out on a sailboat and soaking up the summer sunshine! In July our team in Halifax did exactly that, enjoying an afternoon on a sailboat.

Even though Toronto isn’t on the ocean, the Toronto team does have a beautiful waterfront they took advantage of too, with a boat cruise on Lake Ontario.

 

August

CREW Annual Golf Tournament
Summer is meant for golfing, and this August was the CREW Annual Golf Tournament. Alexis from our Vancouver office attended this year’s tournament, it was a beautiful day and a great day to golf!

 

September

In September, we had a big month of events!

Eva’s 2022 Golf Classic
SGH was happy to be a part of Eva’s 2022 Golf Classic! Monika and Erin from SGH Toronto joined Judith from Raymond James and Tina from RBC for an incredible day of golf supporting Eva’s Initiatives. The event raised more than $11,000 onsite and in total, helped Eva’s raise $241,000 to provide youth with a safe place to sleep, nutritious food, access to medical and mental health supports, employment and life skills, recreational activities, and housing support. Congratulations to everyone involved!

Heritage + Steelcase WorkBetter Lab
Our Vancouver office checked out the Heritage + Steelcase Work Better Lab Pop-Up, and attended the IDIBC Shine Award and the Interior Design Show West Trade Show! All the events were an incredible time, and so nice to connect with so many in the industry!

 

October

Tarot Card Readings
For SGH’s October social our Office Manager brought in a Tarot Card reader for our team in Toronto. Every few months we try to get together as a team and do an activity to connect us all outside of work. It was a great evening spent with the team and a fun idea for the spooky season!

 

November

November was another big month for the SGH team!

The Building Show
Our Director of Workplace Strategy, Susan Jefferson presented at The Building Show. Speaking on Workplaces: Design to Succeed! Susan discussed SGH’s envision strategy process and findings developed over two intense years of disruption. It was an incredible success, and she is looking forward to her next speaking event at IDS in January!

Grand Opening
SGH attended the grand opening for the Toronto Board of Trade. We are proud to have been a part of such an incredible team who came together to make this project one to remember! The event was such an incredible evening and a huge success!

Remmy Awards
SGH’s project with Spotify was nominated for a Remmy Award! This extremely successful project was such a joy to develop. Our team is incredibly proud to have been a part of such an incredible event!

 

December

Holiday Season
And finally, December, the final month of this year. In December each office had their annual holiday dinner/party to celebrate this incredible time of year and successes over the course of 2022. Truly amazing looking back at all the fun, we got up to over the course of 2022. These are just a few of the highlights that took place this year, there are too many to include in one post.

Wishing you all a healthy, happy and safe holiday season. We are looking forward to seeing what 2023 has to come!

What We Love in Toronto

Winter Village at the Distillery District

A classic holiday tradition in the city! We love to go and shop the holiday market, enjoy hot cider, food and beverages while taking in the holiday lights! This has become a staple holiday outing for many all-around Toronto.

Skating at the Nathan Phillips Square

What is more classic Canadian winter then putting on a pair of skates and skating at city hall? You can rent skates or bring your own and skate surrounded by the vibrant city life and can even pop into the Eaton Center next door for some holiday shopping after.

Seeing the Bay holiday display at the Eaton Center

Every year the Bay on Queen Street unveils their holiday window display. It is a site to be seen and this year they have even added a digital aspect. Around for over 100 years, the holiday window display has become a part of the Toronto holiday season.

Our Favorites in Vancouver

The Vancouver Christmas Market

An outdoor market where everything festive comes to life! Lights, music, food, and drinks bring the holiday spirit alive for the Vancouver Christmas Market. A holiday favourite for our Vancouver Team!

VanDusen Garden Festival of Lights

There is something so magical about the VanDusen Garden Festival of lights, especially during the holidays. With over one million lights that spread across 15 acres of their gardens, this is a beautiful holiday activity to get you in the holiday spirit.

Skiing at Cypress Mountain

Whether you love downhill, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, or snow tubing, Cypress Mountain is a great place to go and enjoy winter sports. It is a great spot to get outside with some fresh air and enjoy the mountains!

Halifax Traditions

Boston Christmas Tree Send Off

Every year Nova Scotia sends the city of Boston a Christmas tree to thank them for the help they provided after the Halifax Explosion which is then displayed on the Boston Common. It is a great send off, and beautiful to watch.

Wreath Making

We love family traditions, and one of our Halifax team members does annual wreath making in the city with her family at a flower shop. Making a fresh wreath to hang on your door always puts a smile on our faces.

Sledding at Citadel Hill

Who doesn’t love sledding in the winter? Citadel Hill is a popular spot in Halifax to bring your sled with some friends, pack a hot chocolate and have some fun for a few hours outside soaking up that cool winter air.

What are some of your favourite traditions to do around the holidays?

When a business is considering renovating their office, there is typically a series of contributing factors as to why they are looking for change. These factors can come from a variety of places. Their current space may be dark and closed off and they are seeking a more bright and vibrant space with more access to natural light. Maybe there is a lack of collaborative or hybrid workspaces within their office, and they need more space for their team to work together, or maybe the opposite, the client requires more quiet spaces for their staff to have meetings and have heads down focus workspaces.

Our goal as designers is to problem solve with our clients to ensure your objectives are met. We are a part of your process of growth and shifting to new ways of working or updating old ways of working to help guide and generate what the future holds for your new space. This process includes working alongside our clients, helping to develop spaces that promote employee satisfaction, efficient work settings, comfortable space for staff, and creating a unique look or feel catered to your individual culture and people. Throughout this blog we will look at 2 examples of previous client’s office spaces, pre and post design, and discuss how their goals were met.

Munich Re

SGH Design Partners was retained to design a fresh solution for the 36,000 square foot office at the Munich Re, Toronto Office. Philipp Wassenberg, the former Chairman of Munich Re sat down with SGH to discuss the renovation process, objectives, and success of the project. During our interview, Philipp discussed how the old space was closed off by cubicles and filling cabinets. It was a space that focused on individual privacy over everything else. To ensure a seamless process, carefully selected ambassadors from each team were a part of in-depth visioning sessions throughout the project. This unique connection between client and our Design Team provided for clear understanding of each team’s objectives and needs.

Philipp had a goal of an open concept space that would incorporate a “living room feeling” while keeping a modern design. Access to natural sun light was an important feature, which paired well with the light color selection and lots of Scandinavian design influence. The offices that required privacy had floor to ceiling glass walls which kept the private spaces connected with the rest of the team.

Workstations were selected to cater to flexibility, with an open concept, yet had enough structure that allowed employees to pin up pictures or place personal items on their desk to make them feel more at home. A true transformation from closed office to a welcoming and dynamic space that set the standard for future work with the firm.

When asked about what the space has achieved, Philipp stated that their new space has achieved a far higher level of collaboration, transparency, with people moving around throughout the space and interacting with one another. The space is flexible, which has led to staff becoming more innovative and creative, having a lot more fun in the space than previously. Employees are encouraged to explore the three floors. Unique spaces on each floor include: 21st floor, a multi-purpose training space; 22nd floor, boardroom complex; and 23rd floor, Games/Social lounge. All spaces were designed with the ambassador’s input and inspiration.

By aligning the workplace more closely to the Global brand we achieved strategic objectives for innovation and talent attraction. Previously, the office was set up as individual workspaces and segregated departments which forced people to work independently. The new space encourages sharing of knowledge and information between teams. Work areas visually connect employees and are well balanced with a variety of collaboration and social zones.

Wildeboer Dellelce LLP

Wildeboer Dellelce LLP is one of Canada’s leading standalone corporate finance law firms. This 23,000 square foot office space over three full floors underwent extensive renovations that modernized the office into a playful yet sophisticated space.

SGH started off working as a consultant for Wildeboer Dellelce LLP, helping decide which real estate would best suit their needs. Working as a trusted advisor for the Client during the real estate review process is how it was determined that the decision would be made to stay in their current office space and renovate.

The full three floors overwent extensive renovations that modernized the office into a playful yet sophisticated space. The 8th floor is client-facing, dedicated to meetings and events, and designed to make a lasting impression. When arriving on the reception floor, guests are greeted by a bright open space filled with light and texture that has been created by the sharp angles of the reception desk which contrast the soft colour palette.

Dark finishes and little collaborative space that represents a typical law firm was transformed into a modern layout with a colourful palette. Designed for efficiency, each of the three floors serve multiple purposes while creating seamless traffic flow and connections between lawyers and clients. A variety of furniture solutions were planned for each floor to encourage employees to move to different working environments throughout their day.

A bright, functionally efficient office that would resonate with their client base and employees while maintaining a strong design identity was imminent. The new design would meet all functional requirements and maintain a ‘wow factor’ all while staying on budget. This space needed to support a seamless connection between lawyers and clients across the three floors of their space. This law office is transformed into a bright open space filled with light and texture consistent with a radiant and transparent look and feel.

After completing the project SGH interviewed Kevin Dane, COO from Wildeboer, to discuss his opinion on the renovation. Kevin Dane, COO from Wildeboer, spoke about the importance of a well-designed office space, through the benefits he saw at his new space. Kevin stated the new office space is more efficient, collaborative, lively, and employee friendly.

At SGH we believe the office is more than a box we assimilate to complete a day’s work, it is somewhere that ideas are created, people interact, business is conducted, and where we live for many hours a week. Quite often clients will come to SGH, knowing they want to renovate their space, but don’t know where to start, our job as designers is to understand how your business works, the in’s and out’s and help solution and guide our clients to determine what strategy we can take to reach your goals. We do not take a one size fits all approach but customize the design process to align with your individual needs and desires for your new space.