Aura met with this local non-profit company whose office space didn’t reflect its role in the tourism industry. The previous Destination Vancouver office, home to cubicles and many private offices, had no sense of place. It was ready to be updated to make a good match for its millennial staff, who were prepared to work in a more modern way.

Winning over senior management with workplace strategy

We utilized workplace strategy to analyze how the space was used, then offered the client several different scenarios for consideration. From then, we moved on to change management to open up senior management’s eyes to the benefits of ditching the traditional office to enjoy a more open, social, and collaborative office space. To ensure there were no surprises with the design, we involved staff during the entire design process. Aura successfully reduced the number of private offices from twenty down to seven. The new design welcomes more natural sunlight for all to enjoy and benefits from adding new meeting rooms and socialization areas. Not only did we modernize the whole look of the office, but we also brought a sense of place to the office using design elements from flooring to light fixtures that accurately reflect the West Coast feel of the city of Vancouver. Employees have reported a lift in their moods with more access to natural light, more spaces to enjoy conversations in and a massive multipurpose kitchen area that brings them all together regularly.