A calm urban retreat in the city. Scandinavian inspired.
Shopify HQ Phase 1
Ottawa
It all began in Ottawa - where significant growth forced a need for contemporary headquarters. A place where the current leader in international e-commerce could call home. Linebox rose to the challenge, and from it was born one of the most unique offices in Canada.
The challenge became to convert eight storeys of a new office tower into a creative innovation hub. The mandate was to apply the best evidence-based principles of high functioning office design to ensure an innovative and collaborative workplace focused not just on productivity, but also employee health and wellbeing.
Retreat Theme
Globally Connected
All meeting rooms are completely equipped for virtual meetings connecting team members from around the globe.
Work Retreat
Tucked away behind work pods are these "nooks" where people can come together or work in a comfy setting on their own.
“This is the best office we’ve ever had. It has succeeded way past anything we had expected”.
Tobias Lütke, Shopify Founder
1920's Prohibition Theme
This theme features dark materials, luxurious upholstery, and the feel of a speakeasy.
Design Insight - Themed Floors
There are a total of 11 floors for the Shopify Headquarters - each with its own unique theme. The themes informed all design decisions.
The challenge was to incorporate each theme while creating productive office spaces.
Design Insight - A Fine Balance
The design of this office responds to an emerging idea that moves beyond work/life balance to work/life integration where the work environment can be as comfortable as home; spaces where creative employees are happy to call their own.
Transportation Theme
Tuk-tuks, bikes, shipping containers, and boats - this space is inspired by global transportation methods.
This light fixture is custom-made using plumbing pipes - making it reminiscent of a shipyard.
Commercial Cafeteria
Shopify employees are offered daily breakfast, lunch and dinner. The cafeteria and prep kitchen were important considerations.
Streetscapes Theme
Recreating stories from cities around the world - snapshots of café life, and other daily rituals.
Cody's Café is named after one of Shopify's founders who also is a coffee aficionado.
All floors feature elevated lounges with city views where concentrated work can be done.
These pairing pods, where two people work side by side, are inspired by the colourful homes in eastern Canada.
Design Insight - Space for Everyone
Each floor has an assigned ‘home’ workstation, however, within a nonhierarchical office landscape, choice and control over where work is done resides with each employee.
Canadiana Theme
This theme brings together iconic Canadian motifs, materials, and references - wood, wildlife, and winter sports.
Design Insight - New Stairs
The original office building didn't feature circulation stairs. Concrete had to be blasted through to make room for a new stairway.
These stairs encourage staff to cross paths and create opportunities for accidental encounters.
The whiteboard wall encourages spontaneous ideation.
Crafting Theme
This theme is inspired by all the creative hobbies that Shopify employees do to recharge and get their creative juices flowing.
This theme features a lot of different textures, colours, and patterns.
Project Fun Facts
800,000
Linebox has completed full interior design fit-ups in four of the sixteen global Shopify offices. That’s approximately 800,000 sq ft of custom space. Whoa.
$30B
Dollars made in this building since Linebox did its thing.
1,200
Smiling Shopifolk.
800
Coffees slung per day in Cody’s cafe.
