Creating spaces, creating opportunities

Gone are the days when every Government of Canada office was made up of rows of cubicles and enclosed boardrooms. Today, many government spaces are being redesigned to foster innovation, collaboration and productivity, not just within departments, but across the Government of Canada. As new spaces are created or existing ones refurbished, they are outfitted with modern technology and set up to meet a variety of needs employees may have throughout the course of their day.

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) is leading this evolution by transforming the traditional office space and introducing more collaborative workspaces. The concept of Government of Canada coworking, or GCcoworking, as it’s commonly known, allows employees from the 48 participating federal departments to work in the same space. Sites are available in key locations in some major cities across the country.

Diverse designs for work opportunities

The newest and largest GCcoworking site, which is in Gatineau, Quebec, is 2,232 square metres, equivalent to 1 and a half hockey rinks. The space can accommodate up to 203 people on any given day and is a mix of workpoints and collaborative spaces with different technologies, where people can work together.

The renovated office spaces are designed for functionality. For example, if an employee is tired of sitting at a desk, they can move to bar-style seating, a casual armchair or an ottoman to continue their work. If they need privacy to make a call or concentrate, they can use a phone booth or a focus room. And of course, there are boardrooms and collaboration spaces with screens and whiteboards for brainstorming. The designers have tried to provide as many options as possible to support employee and team productivity, collaboration and innovation.

In addition, accessibility is being improved. According to Vicky Dicaire-Longpré, Senior Design Manager at PSPC, “Accessibility is built in by design. All collaboration spaces are wheelchair accessible, as are most individual workspaces. For people who need a quiet space to work, we have built enclosed rooms where they can go.”

The new spaces also incorporate outdoor natural features, which contribute to employee wellness. Dicaire-Longpré explains, “Something new we’ve done is to apply some aspects of biophilia. This concept of trying to bring the outdoors indoors aims to connect employees working in the office with nature. Some of my favourite examples are the moss walls and the wall murals of natural landscapes.”

Planning for success

Ryan Tannahill, Project Manager at PSPC, was assigned the task of delivering this project. “I’m a very hands-on project manager. So, if I’m assigned a project, I’m going to go to the site.” Being on site, and working directly with the electricians, plumbers and those doing the millwork, helped Tannahill understand the scope of the work and manage unforeseen hurdles to be able to deliver the project on time and on budget.

In this case, the goal was to deliver a fully renovated space within 8 months. Tannahill really enjoyed the fast pace of the project and the challenges of delivering on time while trying new processes. Her favourite aspect of the project was also the hardest part. She says, “We were forging a new path. This was the first time we used a newly developed contract award process for the office design and construction phases at the same time.” This efficient approach saved a lot of time.

The team also reused materials, which helps the environment and reduces costs. Dicaire-Longpré notes, “All of the spaces were designed with cost-saving measures as well as by paying attention to the needs of all employees. The team tried to reuse as much material as possible. For example, desks, lighting, carpet and walls from the former offices were kept and used in the new workspaces.”

What’s next

While PSPC has already created 11 of these types of work locations across Canada (in Vancouver, Toronto, Laval, Dartmouth, Fort William First Nation, and the greater Ottawa and Gatineau areas), the department isn’t stopping there. We plan on opening 2 more sites by the spring of 2024: 1 in Charlottetown and 1 in Moncton. PSPC is looking forward to expanding more of its network of spaces where employees can go to work in modern environments.

Visit the Our stories page to learn more about PSPC’s work.