Sustainable Office Lockers for a Global Firm

Designing a Sustainable Office

With a focus on sustainable living, this consumer goods company encompasses hundreds of brands worldwide and is committed to creating products and distribution systems that minimize environmental impacts. It also invests in social and environmental programs that promote long-term solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems.

When the time came to remodel the firm’s Canadian headquarters, the planning team wanted its commitment to sustainability to extend to every aspect of the renovation project. One of the top priorities was to create a modern work environment using furniture and fixtures that would endure years of daily use.

An Open Concept

In order to reflect current trends and optimize the space in a Toronto high-rise, the firm wanted to pursue an open office or “hoteling” concept throughout the headquarters. In this approach to interior design, employees don’t have assigned desks or offices. Instead, they choose different work environments that best suit their needs throughout a particular day. An employee might work in a small “phone booth” for an hour or two, then move to a conference room or casual meeting space to collaborate with colleagues, and then spend the rest of the day at a workstation in a “heads down” area.

While this design model is appealing for many reasons, it can result in a lack of personal storage space. Without permanently assigned desks or offices, employees need a place to store electronic devices, workout gear, snacks, and other items.

For this project, the design team decided that 400 locker openings over the firm’s two floors would provide enough personal storage for current employees while also providing room to grow in the future.

Putting It All Together

After determining that Spacesaver’s sustainability efforts were a good match for the client, the design team worked with the local Spacesaver distributor to design office lockers that would be a perfect fit for employees’ needs and the available space. They designed alcoves for the lockers near entry points to allow for convenient access. They chose a five-tier option that would optimize space and storage capacity, and they had the lockers fitted with combination locks to prevent issues with lost keys and dead batteries.

Finally, to give the lockers a thoroughly modern look while keeping options open in the future, the designers worked with the Spacesaver consultant to design a unique look for the locker numbering system. The design team chose the font and the size, and the Spacesaver consultant worked with his contact at a local vinyl firm to produce the numbers and apply them to the locker doors. In the future, these numbers can be removed and replaced to give the lockers a new, fresh look without the expense and environmental impact of ordering new lockers.

The end result is a sturdy yet attractive solution that provides secure storage in a sustainable way.