Category: Ideation

Design for commercial buildings is primarily concerned with creating the most suitable environment for people-oriented spaces. Almost forty years ago, HH Angus created a specialized division for tenant work to address the fast-paced schedule of the commercial fitout sector. Our in-house designers and engineers understand the priorities and objectives of commercial clients, as well as the speed-to-market factor that is inherent in this type of work. Today, our successful relationships in this market are a result of following a few simple rules: respond quickly, provide total client support, deliver solutions with long-term value, and always keep focused on one important goal - the client's peace of mind.  

What's a Fitout?

A fitout is the customized interior design of empty building space to make it suitable for a tenant’s intended use. From office space and medical clinics to pharmaceutical and landmark locations, our scope of work often includes designing and servicing a variety of spaces such as offices, meeting rooms, food service areas, AV installations, washrooms, breakout rooms, showrooms, and specialized clinic spaces and many others. Systems to be designed may include mechanical, electrical, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, audio visual, security, communications, IMIT, IoT, lighting, and life safety, as well as providing designs that meet LEED®, WELL™, Fitwel and WiredScore standards. 

Sam Cabral, Associate Director and Tenant Services Leader, points to the deep experience of our team in delivering successful projects for our clients: “Our clients are highly creative in visualizing future working spaces that are often designed to provide a ‘wow’ factor for clients who visit the space and for employees who work in them.

“Our design and engineering team plays an important role in collaborating with the interior design team during the early stages of the project, where we are able to share our expertise in achieving the desired functionality and prominence of the electrical and mechanical systems. Lighting and ductwork are excellent examples of this. Lighting plays a very important role in the client’s vision and the ambiance of the space; it also contributes to occupant comfort and provides an opportunity for energy savings. Similarly, ductwork can be used as a design element in exposed areas or strategically concealed to meet the aesthetics of the space. Our team has deep experience working in a variety of office spaces and they are always prepared to provide options and solutions to successfully meet the client’s vision”.

COVID Changed Everything

“The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how the workplace functions.” said Andy Crosson. Andy is an Associate Director in the firm’s Angus Connect division and has a background of 25+ years in design and project management in the commercial sector. “Companies must provide a safe, yet flexible environment for staff and visitors, which often means different types of spaces than before the pandemic, requiring a new workplace design strategy and significant investment in new technology and systems. Our tenant team can provide technology consulting services for desk hoteling systems, room booking system design and collaboration space AV design. 

“A successful desk hoteling and room booking system will provide a simple-to use-interface, secure integration with corporate IT platforms, and analytical information on space and room usage patterns to inform future space planning decisions.  Collaboration spaces were traditionally not designed for the hybrid meetings which have become the new normal. Our team can help with AV designs that seek to provide a comparable experience for remote attendees to that of the in-person attendees.”

HH Angus’ fitout team also assisted our clients in mitigating health concerns during the pandemic. Jimmy Ma recently joined the management team for HH Angus’ Tenant Services group and noted, “Throughout the pandemic, our mechanical tenant department has been assisting our clients with landlord upgrades. These include HVAC filtration systems and UV lighting within compartment units in commercial towers, as well as carbon dioxide sensors tied to building automation systems to control fresh air supply demand loads… all with a view to providing safer and healthier workspaces for tenants.”

Serving Clients Nationally

Our dedicated team works with interior designers, end users and contractors across Canada to achieve the end client’s vision for interior fitout and design.  We’re currently working with clients across Canada, including The Cooperators in Montreal, Markham, Guelph, and Edmonton; Novartis in Montreal; TD Bank in Ottawa; and AstraZeneca in Toronto.

Dayne Perry, based in our Vancouver office, is a Manager in HH Angus’ Commercial Division and directs many of our Tenant Services projects: "The team has a unique understanding of what it takes to deliver custom design on an accelerated schedule in order to ensure occupancy takes place as quickly as possible. With our expanding offices in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and Ottawa, we’re able to provide trusted local services to our long-standing clients across the country, and we’re particularly excited to be seeing heightened interest from clients in exploring more sustainable solutions for their spaces.

Sweating the Details

Jimmy Ma identified one attribute of the Tenant team that’s really appreciated by clients - a strong focus on getting the details right: “One thing that’s been proven over and over in fitout projects is the importance of always paying close attention to the specifics of the project, taking time to understand the client’s needs, and being available to address issues that inevitably arise during construction - all this goes to the purpose of avoiding stress for our clients. I think this is one of the keys to our success in this sector.”

Whether it’s multiple storeys or a single floor or office, in new or existing spaces, our designers and engineers deliver solutions and long-term value to enhance our clients’ investment.

On Nov 9^th, Megan Angus, VP Strategy and Digital Services at HH Angus, will be speaking at at The Canadian Institute’s Forum on Healthcare Infrastructure, Eastern Canada. The theme of this year’s Forum is ‘Accelerating Innovative Approaches to Project Design & Delivery’. Megan will be co-presenting with Jeannie Gandham, Program Director, IT at New St. Paul’s Hospital. Their session will cover:

1. How to develop a digital roadmap with standardized processes that achieves purpose-built space
   • Gain insights on the development of CSA standards and guidance on where to start, when evaluating and integrating technology
2. How to foster collaboration between clinical and industry specialists to transform patient care based on current, and anticipated health needs
3. Identifying opportunities for data-driven decision making
   • Where clinical staff can be supported in day-to-day operations by digital tools?

To learn more about the two-day forum agenda and to register, click here.