This Creative Agency Didn’t Just Move; It Built a Whole New Building

When walking on Molson Street in Technopôle Angus, it’s hard not to notice a large black building reflecting the surrounding landscape. The three-story structure was completed in 2021 and is 100% leased. LG2, a marketing and communications agency, is its largest tenant, occupying 40,000 square feet (3,716 square meters) on three floors.

LG2 had formerly been located in Plateau-Mont-Royal. But since first occupying that location, the firm doubled in size — from 200 to 400 employees — thereby outgrowing its former 25,000-square-foot space (2,322 square meters). During their search for a new and larger home, LG2 discovered the Technopôle Angus project, a mixed-use, transit-oriented development in Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie neighborhood.

As LG2 explored available spaces within the project, they learned that they could collaborate with Société de développement Angus (SDA), the developer behind Technopôle Angus, and architecture firm Provencher Roy to customize a space specific to their needs.

In fact, they could help design the entire building. A vacant lot within the project was available, and it could be used to create a new building tailor-made for LG2. SDA was open to co-creating a building in partnership with the client. “LG2 now has the building that they were dreaming about,” said Florent Dubois, residential and rental development advisor at SDA.

SDA remains the owner of the building, and LG2 signed a 15-year lease for its premises, according to Est Media Montreal. The SDA was flexible in the creation of the building as they were looking to densify the development and have a mix of tenants that would add value to the site.

Prior to moving to Technopôle Angus, the LG2 offices were located in the Balfour building on Saint Laurent Boulevard. As the LG2 team searched for a solution to its space shortage, they found that there were no expansion opportunities within their existing property.

The LG2 team undertook their space search from a neighborhood-agnostic perspective that had them considering markets ranging from Mile-Ex to St. Henri, among others, before settling on Technopôle Angus. “In the buildings that we were visiting, it was more about renovating the interior layout whereas here, we were starting from an empty lot,” said Hélène Fortin, lead architect at LG2. “Technopôle was giving us the possibility to build the building’s envelope and to make it in our image, so we were thrilled.”

Before choosing Technopôle, LG2 ensured that the location was accessible for their employees. They analyzed employee zip codes to see where they lived, and it became clear that most lived East of Papineau Street. “At this point, we realized that the move was feasible,” said Fortin.

As is typical for large office tenants, LG2 received a tenant improvement allowance from the building owner, SDA , to help pay for a portion of the costs incurred to design and construct the interior space.

At the time, architecture firm Provencher Roy was working on many buildings in the Technopôle. By chance, Sonia Gagné, lead architect at Provencher Roy, and Hélène Fortin were acquainted, having studied architecture together at Laval University. Provencher Roy went on to work on the base building, as well as the interior design of LG2’s new offices.

“I loved collaborating with LG2,” said Gagné. “Hélène is also an architect and while she never took the pencil from us, we had to convince her of our ideas.” According to Gagné, conversations between LG2 and Provencher Roy helped to push the project forward. “They are great communicators, they are very enthusiastic and they are not scared of disrupting their way of doing things,” she said.

LG2 organized many collaborative sessions with their employees to better understand their needs. “This project was developed with the employees’ happiness in mind,” Fortin said, adding that “as a creative agency, our employees have lots of great ideas.”

One of the ideas that came back often was the addition of plants to the office, underscoring that the biophilic aspect was very important for employees. There are now plants scattered throughout the offices, as well as a rooftop terrace with greenery, which adds a touch of nature both to the property itself and to the city as a whole.

Groundbreaking on the property occurred in September 2019, but the pandemic turned things upside down. As employees were working from home, the interior layout of the LG2 headquarters was completely rethought once it became clear that working at the office would not be the same post-pandemic.

Hélène Fortin and her team started thinking about what would draw employees back to the office after the pandemic subsided. They determined that spaces would be needed to meet clients, collaborate with colleagues across departments and to conduct focused solo work.

At the beginning of the process, employees were not interested in working at unassigned workstations, but now they are more amenable. “We could not continue with one desk per person because it’s not true that everyone comes to the office, and we don’t want the offices to look empty,” explained Fortin. “If we are 400 employees and we have 400 offices, but half of the employees do not come, the vibe is not going to be good.”

The agency has bookable and non-bookable offices, as well as a series of small, medium and large meeting rooms; a cafeteria; an outdoor terrace; and a quiet room, among other spaces.

LG2 finessed the space’s acoustics to give its employees optimal environments for different types of tasks. In work zones, there are carpets and acoustic cushions on the ceiling, which is not the case in the cafeteria, where concrete has been used to create a more dynamic atmosphere.

LG2 only has three enclosed offices which are “ultimately used by human resources or finances,” said Fortin. Nobody has designated offices otherwise, not even the president or the associates of the company. “Everyone is on equal footing,” added Fortin.

The previous LG2 offices on Saint Laurent Boulevard were located on two floors, without a central staircase to move from one to the other. Employees had to go through either the emergency staircase or the elevator to change floors, which created two distinct ambiances and did not encourage team building.

When LG2 made the decision to move, their priority was to make the stairs shine. They are located in the center of the floorplate under a skylight, which allows for more natural light.

“It’s an unexpected meeting place and it’s great because it’s a huge agency so it allows employees to run into people,” said Fortin. The elevator is hidden in a corner, and, according to Fortin, it does not get a lot of use.

Located at the center of Technopôle Angus, LG2 offices are easily accessible by public transit, with many bus lines nearby and Prefontaine metro station a short walk away. There is also active transportation, with a bicycle path in front of the building.

The building in which the LG2 offices are located is certified LEED Platinum. “Our employees are proud to know that their business is taking positive steps for the environment,” said Fortin. True to the DNA of a LEED building, there are many parking spaces for bicycles. In the base building, there were showers, but LG2 added even more to promote active transportation. “We have a running club, so our showers are pretty popular,” added Fortin.

What LG2 particularly likes about being part of Technopôle Angus is the close-knit community. “We want LG2 to make a positive impact in the area. There are 400 employees coming overnight to an up-and-coming neighborhood,” she said.

LG2 employees came back to the office in August 2021, and, since then, office attendance has varied depending on the day, with Tuesday to Thursday most popular, and Monday and Friday much quieter.

“Everyone has laptop computers now, so it’s a more dynamic way of working,” added Fortin. “In the before times, people would sit at their desk and stay there from nine to five. Now, people like to move around with their computer and have the perfect space for the tasks that they must accomplish.”