Takeda Pharmaceuticals - 20 Sidney

Takeda Pharmaceutical's new office at 20 Sidney was formally a Shaw's grocery store that came with its own set of design challenges. These included a deep floor plate, a wall of no windows, a connecting parking garage and a conjoined hotel. Some of the benefits of the space were the open typical-shaped floor plan and the high ceilings.

Originally meant to be a flex office space for Takeda, this project evolved into a full office space for their Oncology department that expands across two floors. The first floor is designed to be a dedicated conference space for the campus that is flexible and accommodates multiple types of meetings and banquet style functions. A small café and catering room are included to accommodate and support larger events. The first floor is divided by an existing neighboring hotel into two separate sections - one that includes the conference center, café and catering room and the other consisting of the lobby and reception area.

The connecting staircase which brings you from the lobby to the second floor was added along with two large cafés on the second floor and multiple types of meeting and conference rooms. The remaining second-floor plan is dedicated to open office and workstations that accommodate 290 employees.

Both Takeda and Fusion wanted to create a unique design that considered the nature of the space and the existing conditions. The team decided that the best aesthetic approach should pursue an industrial look including dark flooring, reclaimed wood, exposed ceiling and an overall grey pallet.   

During the test-fit planning phase, the second-floor office layout included two large circulation pathways connecting each public area in the space (the staircases, vestibules, and cafes). The large circulation pathways are defined by architectural wood elements and support wayfinding throughout the second floor as well as defining where the open offices would fit in the design. Takeda wanted an open floor plan, but to avoid having a sea of workstations, Fusion broke down the floor plate by adding groupings of phone, huddle and conference rooms. These groups help to break down the vastness of the second floor and make the space more manageable for employees.

Throughout the project, there was a large focus on the deep floor plate and making sure light would flow through the space. Fusion developed a 'hut' system with dropped VIA walls to create the illusion that light is passing through the office. Ceiling clouds also drop from the open ceiling to bring scale to the space and allow for acoustic separation from the exposed ceiling above. The result is a complete transformation from a supermarket to a modern, comfortable, and design-forward office space.

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