ONTARIO FOREST RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Part of the largest forestry science and research campus in Canada, this building contains laboratories, sophisticated environmental chambers, greenhouses and administration offices, designed in four quadrants on two floors. One half of each quadrant has exterior views, whereas the other faces onto the interior glazed “street”. Therefore, every office and laboratory in the entire building is afforded natural light and views.

Along the internal ‘street’ are located places that enable informal meetings and also for presentations and large gatherings. All are designed to enhance the working environment within and also to reinforce the importance of humanity within the workplace.

Each laboratory backs onto vertical service cores which are three storeys in height. The service cores allows remote access to the building’s mechanical, electrical and communication systems. Therefore systems may be adapted at any time with minimal disruption to daily lab activities. Combined with component based lab casework, the owners have been able to easily reconfigure the laboratories necessitated by change, programme, or technology.

SHORT + ELLIS PARTNERSHIP