Take A Tour Of WPP Group’s Waterfront Offices By BDG architecture + design

WPP Group’s building is part of the largest urban revitalization project in North America, bringing together new businesses, restaurants, and transport connections.

BDG architecture + design recently completed the design of WPP’s 250,000 square foot Toronto Campus. The new space brings together 28 of WPP’s operating companies that had been living across 10 locations in Toronto to the top seven floors of the Waterfront Innovation Centre at the iconic Sugar Beach. This new creative hub unites 2,000 people across multiple WPP agencies.

The building is part of the largest urban revitalization project in North America; the site contrasts nature and industry bringing together new businesses, restaurants, and transport connections. The real estate strategy was to house all the groups under one roof to bring operating synergies and share and develop creative opportunities cohesively.

Process and Program

The BDG architecture + design team held workshops to establish the campus principles: Membership not Ownership, Inclusive not Exclusive, High Impact and Future Proof, Flexible and Connected, and Healthy and Active. The workshops, focus groups and surveys allowed many voices to contribute to designing the new space, one result being an increase of “we spaces,” which are now 55% of the plan. Compared with the previous offices, the new design is more efficient, with 550 fewer workstations. Significant collaboration spaces are planned on all four corners of the floor plan (from floors 6-9). These areas have high-top tables, benches, and lounge furniture with AV-ready collaboration walls. Meeting areas and booths are also sprinkled throughout the floors for quick collaborations and touch points. These spaces can increase the overall capacity allowing for 18% expansion if the companies grow.

Waterfront Location

The location emerged as a defining element for the design team. Being directly on the water informs the project’s materiality – it changes from concrete, exposed steel and dark materials to light woods, light fabrics, copper, and light leathers. Additionally maximizing views to the lake meant planning shared and client-facing spaces, including reception, the café, war rooms and training rooms on the upper floors. Client-facing meeting rooms use glass blocks to maximize the amount of light inside while keeping client conflict and confidentiality in mind. This choice of material vs a regular glass partition with film also creates a sense of belonging to the site location’s fabric.

Sustainability

The building is LEED Platinum certified and WPP’s space targets LEED Gold certification.
Some of the important features include:

• Radiant heat flooring. The raised floor was sealed and left in its natural state, saving on 100k sf of flooring that did not need to be produced. Radiant flooring provides a better tenant experience, increased energy efficiency, cleaner air, better temperature control, and improved air distribution throughout the space. Each diffuser, either with manual or automated control, allows occupants to adjust air flow to suit their needs and comfort. In other buildings this model has resulted in 20-30% energy reductions.
• Full height perimeter windows; the layouts and furniture selections provide direct views for over 90% of occupants.
• There are occupancy and vacancy controls on 100% of the lighting to respond to activity and rest.
• Ventilation control is provided for over 50% of individuals and 100% of group user spaces, allowing occupants to have control of their thermal comfort.
• Water fixtures in the scope (kitchen and wellness faucets) promote a 54.34% reduction from baseline.
• Furniture from 10 existing WPP offices was re-used in the new office. A comprehensive furniture audit was conducted and reviewed to assess product condition, quality, specification, and quantity available. Re-used pieces can be seen in the main work floors, breakout areas, meeting rooms, café, and arrival areas. Four hundred pieces of furniture are now being reused at the new location. Like all re-use, that reduces the amount of new product being manufactured and keeps the furniture out of landfill and the trash stream.
• The construction team approached all material and equipment selection through the lens of sustainability and localization to ensure minimal carbon impact. They also developed a plan that minimized construction waste and ensured packaging and excess materials be returned to the suppliers for reuse and recycling. The team comfortably achieved its goal of staying below a total waste per square foot amount for the duration of the construction.

Project Planning

As of early 2019, the designers reached out to all WPP operating companies residing on this new campus. They did initial surveys of many buildings in the city, researched the neighborhood and access to it, and carefully considered building amenities, LEED/WELL certifications and quality of the space.

Following the strategic vision for campus programs for WPP (which BDG architecture + design co-authored), they engaged with WPP’s work groups at many levels, from new hires to executives. Ultimately BDG architecture + design generated a program that continuously evolved as the designers kept learning more via many additional workshops on Agility, Technology, Identity, Branding, Facilities and Experience. The initial key findings were adjusted and modified after each workshop, then informed the program and design.

Project Details

The WPP space is integrated with WELL design principals and features including interconnected stairs that allow for active movement, landscaped outdoor patios enabled with WIFI and lounge settings, a large atrium and café in the central lobby, a wellness room and a prayer room. Nourishment stations stocked with healthy snacks and premium coffee encourage staff to take breaks from their desks, to refuel and connect with colleagues.

Lastly, the art program is curated and incorporates the work of many Canadian artists, most from diverse minorities; a “Salon Wall” with artwork from Canadian indigenous artists stands tall in the Cafe. Bold graphics and quirky branding layered throughout the space are a nod to Toronto’s dynamic art scene. The main café is a bustling place that employees and guest can gather, share food and drink, and build social capital. This café was critical to bringing teams under the WPP umbrella together.

Products

Overall Project Results

Opening a project during global pandemic proved to be complex. The team was always aware that there would be “teething” issues when moving to a new place; think having a new roommate after living alone for a long time. That said, the novelty of a new home draws people back, and the numbers of staff working on site are growing weekly. Initially, there was an occupancy of 5-7%.

WPP agencies are fundamentally creative services, and the staff’s requirement – and desire for – collaboration has led to much higher numbers, now approximately 50% to 60%. Certainly, the new workplace is part of the draw. The designers were part of an extensive communication and change management program that began before the project was completed by explaining the benefits of the new space, and how to use it. Designated “Change Champions” also informed the program, art program and look and feel of the buildout.

Project Summary

The Toronto WPP campus is part of a multi-year, global initiative to consolidate real estate for all WPP agencies. BDG architecture + design’s London office, with contribution by BDG’s Chief Creative Officer Colin Macgadie particularly, has been an integral partner in re-envisioning more modern, efficient and collaborative workplaces for WPP employees throughout Europe and North America. The New York BDG studio is led by Creative Director Jorge Mendez-Caceres, and is responsible for new offices in Detroit, Toronto, Atlanta, Washington DC and many more.

As noted above, the new offices, and especially Toronto’s, directly on the waterfront, bring excitement, convenience, and relevance to the work of the WPP agencies, and in bringing people together the new spaces convene talent in a way that was previously impossible. In their meticulous planning and programming; integration of culturally appropriate art and design; responsiveness to employee’s high standards; and thoughtful adherence to principles of sustainability, wellness and resilience, the Toronto offices meet and exceed every criterion for WPP’s successful future.

Consultants

• Acrylicize – Branding, Art Program and Wayfinding
• Marant – Construction
• CBRE – PM
• Davella – Food Consultant
• Burovision – Furniture
• HOK – AOR
• Truephonic – Acoustical Consultant
• HHAngus – MEP
• MBII – Lighting Consultant

Photography Credit

Justin Maconochie and Phil Hutchinson