Creating Dynamic Functional Lighting for an Architectural Firm

September 6, 2017

Vigilant Global, a Montreal-based research, development and information technology company, mandated Provencher Roy to redesign its offices in Montreal. LumiGroup, a key collaborator in lighting for the project assisted the interior designers in enhancing each room with lighting adapted for a refined, modern and dynamic environment.

The lighting design for the project was complex. With so many spaces supporting different tasks, the goal was to create different moods with the different lighting schemes, rather than a uniform distribution with the same lighting levels throughout.

Vigilant wanted a new office space that was modern, “cool’’ and refined. They wanted to ensure it felt like a tech office but also warm and inviting. To achieve all of these goals, the concept included strong black lines, careful use of patterning, wood features throughout, and a refined palette of accent colours. The result includes elements of fun but they were carefully introduced so the final effect remains mature.

“As designers, we were fortunate to work with a client that put so much focus on employee well-being and the quality of the finished space. Design was a priority alongside significant electromechanical, IT, and AV requirements and the result is a space that we and the client are very proud of,” explains Anna Westlund, partner and interior designer at Provencher Roy.

The office is used only by employees, so the interior needed to be impressive and appealing to potential new recruits and support the health and productivity of staff. A balance between areas for focused work, collaboration and break times was a priority as well as flexibility. The new layout promotes all these aspects with elegance and modernity.

Wood, warmth and refinement 

Before crossing the threshold of the door, coming out of the elevator, the natural colour of the wood juxtaposed to the black steel sets the tone. The changes of ceiling level are the canvas of a laser cut pattern of several small dots reminiscent of the printed circuit boards of the technological universe. The lighting is cleverly concealed, embellishing this space. There are striking contrasts: light and matter, black and white, empty and full.

The wood continues its path in many areas. On the floor, walls and ceilings, smooth or rough, pale or dark, the wood appears continually, adding comfort to the space. A set of thin slats of wood elegantly dresses ceilings in the conference rooms and office spaces. A.light’s lighting, integrated with the same linearity, contrasts and energizes the space.

This warmth is also noticeable through Luceplan’s, Anglepoise’s and Absolux’s decorative lighting, in common areas such as the kitchen, the bar area, the lounge, the cafeteria, and the game room.

Design and corporate culture: collaborative spaces

The new spaces reflect Vigilant’s company culture. Encouraging communication among employees, the workspaces are multifunctional and stimulate creativity. Rest areas, collaborative spaces and entertainment venues are set up in several locations, allowing for a different way of working. Modular rooms also host one-off or recurring events.

The open and closed spaces were designed using moveable walls, moveable furniture, and sit-stand workstations, allowing reconfiguration for various open and closed spaces for employees to get together or work alone. Every floor includes spaces that support these different modes of being in the office. With employee health a priority for Vigilant, access to natural light was ensured for all workers using glass partitions that can be easily dismantled and reassembled. Acoustic treatments were implemented in open areas to manage noise levels. 

Dynamic, ambient and functional lighting

The design was achieved through careful fixture selection to support the function and concept in each zone and adjustments based on a detailed lighting model. The lighting reads as dynamic and purposeful, with a mixture of decorative fixtures for café and lounge spaces and streamlined ambient and task lighting for office and lab spaces. Lighting was also carefully considered to complement audio-visual requirements in meeting rooms, videoconference rooms and multi-purpose spaces. LumiGroup was able to offer a variety of modern and specialized lighting systems, in Vigilant Global’s style.

Project specs

Location: 1360 René-Lévesque Blvd W #1700, Montreal, QC H3G 2W6
Interior designer: Provencher Roy

Project Manager: Anna Westlund
Design team: Vincent Hauspy, Lauren Goldenburg, Hani Diab, Normand Evers, Jérémy Grenier

Lighting design: Provencher Roy in collaboration with LumiGroup (lighting agent) and other lighting manufacturers

Featured lighting:

• MP Lighting — recessed floor lights (accent lighting) for corridors and recessed ceiling lights in conference rooms and offices
• Luminis — general lighting of the corridor
• Osram — indirect lighting in the open area
• Luceplan (decorative) — suspended lamp at the reception desk
• Anglepoise (decorative) — giant lamp in the game room
• A.light — linear general lighting
• Absolux (decorative) — bar/lounge and cafeteria

About Provencher Roy

Provencher Roy, a dominant player in the urban architecture in Canada, is a multidisciplinary firm offering services in architecture, architectural planning, urban design and urban planning, landscape, interior design, industrial design and sustainable development. The firm brings together more than 200 professionals working in all areas of the environment built in Canada and abroad. 

About LumiGroup

LumiGroup, founded in 1995, is Quebec’s largest lighting agency. It represents a vast number of lighting manufacturers from Quebec and around the world, exhibited in a 10,000 square foot showroom in the heart of Montreal’s Mile End artistic district. LumiGroup creates, in collaboration with industry specialists, the right lighting solution, including fixtures and controls. Its mission is to creatively transform space in terms of functionality and ergonomics, to stimulate and motivate the end user.

Photo credit: Alexi Hobbs