Reimagining a previously built-out office to reflect its design ambition, HOK Toronto transforms a 17,000-square-foot floorplate on University Avenue into its new studio. The flexible, high-performance workplace emphasizes the practice’s collaborative culture and responsible design ethos as it bestows a second life upon the space. “We wanted to work with what was already there, preserving the major infrastructure while reimagining the overall experience. The goal was to create something calm, bespoke and timeless, but also curated, collected and cool,” says Kristina Kamenar, HOK Principal and director of design, interiors. “HOK Toronto is a studio filled with creative energy, so the space needed to act as a refined backdrop for that creativity to come forward.”
The varied rhythms of a design practice are supported via a range of settings for focus, collaboration, and connection. Client boardrooms, huddle rooms, focus rooms, collaborative pin-up spaces, booth seating, and work bars all span interiors rounded out by a materials library. To honor HOK’s environmental stewardship, circularity was key. “Because we retained much of the existing built environment, the new materials needed to be intentional, bringing warmth, refinement and character without overbuilding or replacing what could be reused,” Kamenar adds. White oak floors punctuate the arrival experience and more bespoke office spaces, while soft carpeting imbues brightness into the open studio where seat sharing is the standard. The cafe is more expressive, with a wood veneer archway, oak millwork, and a Dolomite Gold marble backsplash with sage and ochre veining. Oil-rubbed bronze details and sculptural lighting add depth and personality alongside curated artwork by emerging Canadian artists that reinforce creativity and a firm sense of place as well.
