Vention Offices – Montreal
Once an old carpet factory now houses the newly expanded offices of Vention in Montreal, a space to reflect the workplace community known to the industrial automation company.
Blanchette Architectes designed the extension of the Vention offices to ensure a more functional space for the company’s location in Montreal, Canada.
Thanks to the project, the company specializing in industrial automation gained more than 15,000 sq. ft. of office space on two levels in its facility at 4767 Dagenais St., in Montreal’s Saint-Henri neighbourhood.
Openness and fullness in harmony
Since Vention was already occupying part of the building, the challenge was to tell a new story alongside the existing one.Because the ceilings were very high and the space was fully open, the experts at Blanchette Architectes were intent on avoiding the “worker warehouse” effect. To that end, they proposed occupying the core – an idea inspired by older cities, where the settlement grew around a nucleus, typically a church. The approach was truly reflective of Vention’s workplace community, where team members work in a collegial mode.
The city concept emerged early in the project. As a result, even though they were not explicitly aware that it was at the heart of the concept, some employees started referring to the new workspace as a “village.” The space was officially opened in June, 2022, after nine months of design and construction work.
A lively, welcoming space
After installing a volume in the centre of the space as a way to divide it, meeting areas were created. Here too, the idea of urbanity inspired the designers, with the work and meeting rooms playing a similar role to the public and recreational spaces typically found in cities.Gravitating around the main object, we find a monumental arch to one side. It is an imposing structure, created to link two existing technical conduits. Like the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, this structure magnifies constraints, celebrates victories and serves as a portal. On the other side, an adaptive podium serves as a parvis, promontory and threshold. Linking the two levels, the structure animates the space as a place of interstices and informal encounters.
As a nod to their frequent use in robotics and on production lines, structural shapes are used extensively in different sections, creating a look reminiscent of Meccano toys. But their function is not merely symbolic, because these metal structures serve, among other things, to support the cantilevered roof.
The signature blue used in Vention’s imagery was integrated harmoniously, for example in the tinted glass of the windows in offices and other closed rooms.
Well planned, well executed
The challenge was met: walking routes are lost and rediscovered, surprises are created, spaces narrow then widen, the different functions rub elbows and follow each other closely. In effect, the Blanchette Architectes team created an itinerary of surprises in a serendipitous new context, where chance leads to unexpected and fruitful discoveries.
Design: Blanchette Architectes
Design Team: Patrick Blanchette, Sarah Arsenault, Pierrick Julienne, Chantal Béatriz Shahin Cajas, Roman Zubco
Contractor: Groupe Manovra
Photography: Alex Lesage
