Each project is a challenge in itself. But fewer are those that force us to push our own limits, and have a fruitful and sustainable impact on our work methods.
The Montreal office of Deloitte, inaugurated in 2015, is one of them. Its realization, punctuated by twists and turns, demanded of LEMAYMICHAUD and its team a degree of adaptability whose result has marked the minds, our methods, and our history.
Deloitte Montréal. Photo : James Brittain
Initially only involved to ensure that the project was done in compliance with the regulations and standards applicable in Quebec, the role of the architects has changed. “We knew the importance of the project for Deloitte, and Sylvie Flanagan, Director Business Operations – Quebec Region at Deloitte, asked us to take the lead during development,” says Jean-Marc de Grandpré, Partner Architect.
The stakes are high: it will require creativity to deliver on time and allow employees to integrate their offices, located in the brand new Deloitte Tower in downtown Montreal, where the workspace is anything but conventional.
“Together we have found ways
to speed up the process.”
“We did it, thanks largely to Sylvie’s understanding and open-mindedness. Together we have found ways to speed up the process, such as by issuing plans in packages,” he says. After a marathon of several months, its mission accomplished: the 1,200 Deloitte employees (who are now over 1,700 in Montreal only) have integrated their new offices in time, the concept of which was developed in collaboration with a British firm. Our architects and designers, working for an innovative company that is ready to review the workplace established rules, have been extremely stimulated by this redefinition of the very idea of an office, now devoid of assigned places and where technology is at the center of a highly collaborative system.
Deloitte Québec City. Photo : Adrien Williams
LEMAYMICHAUD translates Deloitte’s singular vision in other projects, including on Grande-Allée, in Québec City, and in Saint-Hyacinthe. It is safe to say that a deep bond of trust, based on mutual respect, unites them now. “Sylvie and Deloitte are both very accommodating and pragmatic. They leave us a lot of latitude in carrying out their projects,” says Jean-Marc de Grandpré.
The pride felt on both sides by the results does not lie. But more than anything, these results consolidate LEMAYMICHAUD’s view about the value of its role as a partner in all challenges.