April Newsletter: Celebrating Earth Day, Teknion Platinum Award, and Prioritizing Sustainability in Office Design
In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, sustainability isn't just a buzzword—it's a defining factor that sets forward-thinking companies apart. The choices interior firms make in creating workspaces not only reflect our commitment to environmental stewardship but also shape the culture and identity of our organization.
We're excited to share some recent highlights: The Collective's Teknion Platinum Award, our sponsorship of BAIDA Canada's Careers in Design event at the Teknion Hub, and a special thanks to our partner Teknion for hosting our recent hires at the Toronto factory for an in-depth tour of the manufacturing process, sustainability story, and operational machinery.
Read on to meet our team, product and project inspiration, industry research, and more!
What We're Specifying
Products that have caught our eye this month.
Teknion Focus Walls: Leveling and Aligning Made Easy
As interior designers, we find nothing more frustrating than something out of place, off-kilter, or misaligned. Teknion Focus Walls now boast new leveling capabilities, revolutionizing spatial precision and flexibility. The wall system has been redesigned to improve the leveling range, maintaining a versatile, high-end design and performance with a minimal low-profile aesthetic.
Canaccord Genuity Corp: Open, Elegant, and High-End Business Ambiance
The Collective worked alongside In Studio to furnish Canaccord's new office in the heart of Toronto’s Financial District at the Bay-Adelaide Centre North Tower. The workspace, smoothly integrated in a single phase, includes trading desks, workstations, private offices, and collaboration and meeting spaces. The result was an impressive, professionally crafted space that sets new workplace standards for their North American operations.
The latest and greatest we're reading in the industry.
Employee Highlight: Alicia Pratt
Alicia joined The Collective’s Stadium and Arena Team in November 2023, but has been working with The Collective team since 2013 as an end user. As a Project Manager, she finds fulfillment in assisting the team in unraveling the unforeseen complexities of project execution.
Bringing Awareness to Furniture Recycling for Earth Month
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 17 billion pounds of office assets go to landfill each year. Furniture waste has unfortunately increased as companies downsize or re-plan their working layouts. As a result, furniture recycling has become a critical component in fulfilling a company's ESG mission and/or requirement. We are proud to offer the Teknion Divert program: an initiative that aims to achieve zero waste through selling, recycling, and donating unwanted furniture.
Teknion Achieves Milestone Approval for "Near-Term Science Based Targets" by Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi)
This marks a pivotal moment in Teknion's commitment to environmental stewardship and demonstrates their dedication to sustainability. The Science Based Targets Initiative provides companies with a pathway to align their emissions reduction targets with the latest climate science, driving sustainable business practices.
A Well-Designed Workplace Is a Competitive Advantage
The passage in the link below is extracted from Design for a Radically Changing World, by Gensler Global Co-Chairs Diane Hoskins and Andy Cohen. This article highlights how well-designed, sustainable workplaces not only attract talent but also enhance a company's brand and resilience in the market.
The latest happenings and what we've created at The Collective.
Teknion Platinum Award 2024
We're thrilled to announce that The Collective has once again been honored with the Teknion Platinum Award! This recognition reaffirms our commitment to service and our dedication to meeting and exceeding client expectations. Over the past three decades, our partnership with Teknion has been a cornerstone of our success, and we're proud of the strong bond we've forged. Thank you, Teknion, for this recognition, and here's to our continued growth together!
BAIDA Students: Career in Design Event at the Teknion Hub
We were grateful to sponsor BAIDA (Black Architects + Interior Designers Association) Canada's Careers in Design event at the Teknion Hub! It featured presentations from professionals in Architecture, Landscape and Urban Design, and Independent Creative careers, providing valuable networking and learning opportunities for Black design students and professionals.
Hands-on learning has become an important element of the employee onboarding process, and we are happy to partner with Teknion's robust manufacturing training services! Thank you to our partner Teknion for hosting our recent hires at the Toronto factory for an in-depth tour of the manufacturing process, sustainability story, and operational machine.