Shopify is setting up shop at its new downtown Headquarters.
Ottawa’s e-commerce darling has new digs at 150 Elgin St., occupying six floors and 102,000 square feet. Shopify taking the opportunity to step up the fun, vibrant feel of its former office space.
“Keep the family, the friends and the home,” says architect Andrew Reeves. “That's probably the fundamental principle of designing this thing is trying to create a very large home, but a home.”
The comforts of home will include a yoga studio, massage room, fully-staffed kitchen. The company also had 180,000 pounds of concrete removed between floors to install staircases throughout the office.
“In your house you go up a set of stairs you don't go up an elevator. So we don't want someone to be disconnected as they get in an elevator,” says Greg Scorsone, Shopify’s Director of Internal Operations.
Throughout the office are places for employees to go to collaborate from full-sized meeting rooms to pairing pods. There are also plenty of quiet nooks and couches for people to work more privately.
“Our spaces are designed so if you want to take a brain break and not work at your desk, you can go find a couch to hang out on,” says Scarsone.
He says similar set-ups have been proven to lead to strong productivity among employees.
Of course, Shopify isn’t just about business. On top of bringing the slide over in the move, a new ball pit room and secret bookcase passage are among the new features.
The intense construction schedule starting in January is expected to be completed by early 2015.
The new space is big enough to hold up to 740 employees, about double the number of staff currently working at the Ottawa Headquarters.
With a report from CTV’s John Hua
