Linebox Transforms Historic Montréal Building into a Modern Office
Nestled between the Lachine Canal and the St. Lawrence River, Montréal’s urban Pointe-Sainte-Charles neighborhood reflects the city’s industrial past while housing modern businesses, such as GSoft, a locally founded software development company now situated in the historic Nordélec building. In order to create a cohesive environment that captures the values of GSoft’s young workforce while respecting the building’s original 1913 structure, the company worked with contemporary architecture firm Linebox for more than two years to bring their vision to life.
Skateboard wheels cruising over pavement have become a recent staple of Montréal’s natural soundscape and is extended into the GSoft office. Renaud Balandras and Josée Anne Pronovost, the project’s respective interior designer and architect, planned the office such that transitional spaces are wide enough for employees to comfortably walk, scooter, or skateboard through. Located in the mezzanine of the Nordélec building, newly revealed skylights from the expansive factory ceilings allow ample sunlight to stream into the 70,000-square-foot office.
Given the cold winters and early sunsets in Montréal, Balandras designed thematically organized zones in the office that exude warmth and energy to combat winter blues. “Our mission was to make a very nice space to work in,” says Balandras, explaining the overall goal of creating an office that employees look forward to coming to each day. The new GSoft office does exactly that, fostering a feeling of community for the whole team.
