HOK has collaborated with CBRE to design three new offices for CBRE located in Toronto, Canada.

CBRE’s three Toronto offices have simultaneously achieved WELL Certification, the first building standard to focus on the health and wellness of the people that work in the space. CBRE is pioneering wellness in workplace design with the most WELL Certified office spaces of any company across the globe – the firm now has a total of six WELL Certified offices globally, four in Canada alone, with an additional three registered for certification.

The three Toronto offices, including our Canadian Headquarters in downtown Toronto, have had a significant impact on our employees. Seven out of 10 employees reported that the offices enhance their ability to accomplish daily tasks. And since 2015, in offices that have undergone our workplace transformation, we have seen our total employee turnover rate fall by almost a third and, in the same period, we’ve doubled our hiring rate of new talent.

All employees have sit-stand desks to reduce sedentary behaviour and alleviate back/shoulder pain. Sitting is the new smoking after all! All employees sit within 25 feet of natural light and views and 30 meters from fresh, carbon filtered water. Employees no longer at their desks and come to the central RISE Café for lunch. Eating at your desk causes bacteria through crumbs, the smells distracts colleagues and a goal was to have people break from their screens, relax and connect with colleagues in an informal setting. Ultimately, it helps with stress and productivity.

Noise cancellation diodes were installed to create acoustic comfort and reduce background noise, which studies show is a leading cause of stress and distraction for office workers. The lighting system automatically adjusts to the level of natural light outside. This is designed to minimize the impact of electric lighting on employee’s natural circadian rhythm and sleep-wake cycles.

Project Management: CBRE

Interior Designer: HOK

Mechanical, Electrical, Communications Engineering: Smith and Andersen

Furniture: Workplace Resource (Dealer) / Herman Miller (Manufacturer), POI Business Interiors (Dealer) / Steelcase (Manufacturer)

Contractor: DPI Construction Management

Photography: courtesy of CBRE

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