AS THE LEADING ORGANIZATION  in promoting the welfare of children in Ontario, the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies (OACAS) counts collaboration and transparency among its core values – both of which manifested within the design and construction of the association’s new offices, situated within a residential condo building in downtown Toronto.

The 15,000 square foot office space spanned two floors and backed on to an interior atrium overlooking the building’s courtyard garden area. As the primary source of natural light, the glazing of the back walls was extended up to the ceiling and throughout the modern office space, supporting the ideals of transparency and collaboration. Roughly thirty-percent of the space was constructed into to private office space, but the majority dedicated to areas that supported open collaboration such as large conference rooms, a multi-functional room, and teleconferencing room, which housed a sophisticated IT server. Window graphics, palettes, and multiple gathering spaces gave continuity to the space and harkened to the organization’s child-focused mandate.

Constructing professional offices within a residential building presented unique challenges in timelines and building regulations, so our team had to thoughtfully schedule and plan our work to minimize disruptions to OACAS’ new neighbours and management partners.