A place of creativity, a place of research, a place to live, a place to meet and a place to exchange, such are the multiple identities of the Ubisoft space. A small, dynamic, young, audacious fortress, from which emerges through a world of vortexes many imaginary universes, universes that are part of the past, the present and the future. The challenge in the development of such a place is multiple, it addresses several questions on the function, on the place, on its past but mainly on the relationship between the space and the users. The offered space is particular, an industrial space of the first time, vast, surrounded by an imposing red fence, constraining at the level of the clearings of ceiling, of its construction and its dense structure. However, these characteristics must contribute to the implementation of a coherent solution and not be perceived as constraints. Through a forest of wooden columns, however, cohorts of passionate, concentrated young people are currently being built, true knights of the Ubi world.
Our reflection is also inspired by the character and identity of the company, impregnated with its knights, but also the places and mainly the city in which the Castle is located. The relationship between the city, a source of dynamism and intensity, and the Castle, a production site and small fortress in the heart of Mile End, allows us to extend our reflection on the project and on what Ubisoft Montreal is. The workplace redevelopment project must promote a better organization of the workplace, and contribute to reinforcing the company's identity through its knights. Its premises must now be organized in such a way that the space is stimulating and invites spontaneous appropriation. Fostering a better sense of ownership of the space means reinforcing the notion of belonging to the group, providing a workplace that encourages interaction and creativity. It is to establish a sense of pride, we are UBIS!
The spaces will be reconfigured around an urban path inside the Castle, crossing the fortress, becoming part of the city, and becoming a strong identity element of the new Ubisoft space. Through the Castle's enclosure, common spaces, promenades, and agoras now intersect, inserting themselves through a structured and dense urban fabric that are the command posts. The space is organized around places of surprising discoveries, impromptu meetings or spontaneous exchanges. It spreads from St-Laurent Boulevard to the entire city through a sequence of varied spaces. It allows to limit interventions and to clearly establish a relationship between the existing and the new.
(From competitor's text)
(Unofficial automated translation)
The concept proposed by Lemay's team greatly pleased the members of the jury, since it places the user at the center of the project first and foremost. Although this design did not stand out from the others at first glance, the hearing before the jury and the more in-depth analysis of the concept brought out its great functional qualities. The spaces are efficient and serve the teams. "It's not about 'the beanbags' but the desks". The arrangement of the desks along the columns integrates with the architecture in addition to effectively solving the electrification of the workstations. Sliding walls along the windows take into account important security issues, light control and prove to be effective tools for communication, development and ownership.
Informal work areas, dispersed evenly between office spaces, break up the horizon, ensuring a less noisy, more personal work environment and proximity to teams. These meeting places have yet to be better defined but suggest many possibilities.
The idea of the path through the building from the street to the roof is the strong and identifying element of the concept. This idea should be further exploited to translate this symbolic route more strongly into a physical route, providing real opportunities for employee ownership and orientation. The analogy to the "fortress" and "knights" should be revisited, however, and the jury questioned the relevance of such a metaphor. The idea of the climb and the journey is rich, but it needs to be translated into language that is closer to the values of the studio and its employees. The jury perceived in the idea of the ascent to the glass prism the desire to shine and contribute to the success of the company. The spaces, which are very Cartesian on the first few floors, gradually transform to more organic spaces on the top floor, reinforcing the idea of this long quest for success.
In the end, this service is the one that best meets the multiple challenges of the program. It creates a strong and distinctive identity that reflects the culture of the company and offers a lot of flexibility, versatility and ownership of the spaces.
JURY RECOMMENDATION
At the conclusion of a rigorous and transparent process, the jury recommends that Ubisoft award a mandate to the Lemay team for the development of its project.
The following comments from the jury should be taken into account in the development of the winning project.
- The lobby should be redefined in terms of its identity. In addition, the jury recommends that the lobby floor not be lowered to street level. This change has little conceptual value, but creates significant structural complexity and significantly reduces the available space in the basement of the studio (potential rental value per square foot for the owner and housing for Ubisoft).
- The analogy to the "fortress" and "knights" needs to be revisited. The idea of the ascent and the journey is rich, but it needs to be translated into language closer to the studio's values.
- The idea of the vertical journey from the street to the glass prism (the ultimate desire to shine and contribute to the success of the company) needs to be further explored and become part of the core idea of the concept.
- Informal working areas should be developed. Great attention must be paid to the qualification of these areas, which must be primarily at the service of the teams.
- The idea of ownership by the employees through the common areas that are part of the route (such as the "gallery of honor") must be exploited to the maximum.
- The perceived efficiency of the work spaces is a major strength of the concept. This efficiency should also be reflected in the development of efficient work tools located near the teams.
(From jury report)
(Unofficial automated translation)
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