In Shawinigan, Quebec, a new federal workplace has opened its doors to approximately 2000 employees from the Canada Revenue Agency, Employment and Social Development Canada and Shared Services Canada. The three-storey building offers an activity-based office environment that integrates sustainability with Indigenous design principles.
Occupants will find an abundance of natural light. Windows overlook the outdoors in both the work and common areas. Bright spaces fill the building, including an atrium with a ceiling made of local wood, a modern entrance hall, flexible workstations, meeting rooms of varying capacities, collaborative areas, and training rooms.
To meet Canada’s evolving sustainable development requirements, the structure aims for LEED Gold certification and climate resilience. It features carbon-neutral technologies, will operate entirely on clean electricity, and is expected to generate 99 per cent fewer greenhouse gases compared to the outdated facility it replaces.
View of the atrium and its ceiling made of locally sourced wood.
The project’s final cost totalled about $223 million, roughly $61 million below the originally estimated maximum. Before breaking ground in 2022, Public Services and Procurement Canada awarded the contract to Pomerleau Inc., along with designers GLCRM Architects and S.E.N.C., Coarchitecture Inc., working in partnership.
The team carefully selected materials with transparency targets in mind. More than 90 per cent of the waste from the new building’s construction was diverted from landfills, and it is expected that just as much waste from the deconstruction of the old building will also be recycled or reused.
The design team treated the natural environment as equally important as the building itself.
Existing green spaces were protected and maintained through construction. Landscaping will ultimately allow rainwater to seep into the ground so that less water is discharged into municipal sewers. LED interior lighting with motion detectors will reduce energy consumption, while outdoor lighting fixtures will minimize light pollution.
Beyond its environmental features, the building significantly integrates Atikamekw culture. Each wing of the building pays tribute to the six Atikamekw seasons, Sikon, Miroskimin, Nipin, Takwakin, Pitcipipon and Pipon, with trilingual signage (Atikamekw, French and English) and nature-inspired designs found in wallpaper, monochrome vinyl cut-outs, and colour palettes.
Outside, in the centre of the main walkway, the Conseil de la Nation Atikamekw has painted a river that winds its way organically, gradually narrowing toward the entrance and inviting visitors to follow its flow. A canoe is partially submerged at the edge of the symbolic river to create the illusion of being docked.
Individual workstations, collaborative spaces and a meeting room.
The rooms are named after symbols of nature associated with each season. These include blueberries, birds, snowflakes, trees and animal footprints.
Stars, orbs and sparkles create light reflections on the water’s surface. Three types of fish symbolize the Atikamekw communities swimming together: Manawan, Opitciwan and Wemotaci, while flowers represent medicine, life, women and the four directions. To complete the immersive experience, eight wooden oars are hung in the lobby.
The artists, Eruoma Awashish, Jacques Newashish, Raymond Weizineau and Meky Ottawa, wanted to evoke the cultural richness, connection to nature and ancestral knowledge of the Atikamekw Nehirowisiwok.
“This work of art, created by Atikamekw Nehirowisiwok artists and integrated into this new, modern and sustainable building, proudly reflects our long-standing presence on the land we call Nitaskinan, and the many dimensions of our culture and history,” said Constant Awashish, Grand Chief of the Nation Atikamekw. “As we look to the future, we renew our commitment to honour this land’s history for future generations, with openness, reconciliation and unity.”
