A Look Inside Sandstorm’s New Vancouver Office

Michal
Manufacturing
3 months ago

Gold royalty company Sandstorm hired interior design studio Edit Studios to design their new office in Vancouver, Canada.

“”Working closely with the Sandstorm team, Edit Studios’ designers created an innovative workplace ecosystem. This space houses their geologists and engineers and offers a collaborative environment for junior mining partners to phase in and out as projects cycle through, similar to a co-working model. Sandstorm’s office design concept evolved during the return-to-work period to meet the post-COVID trend of requiring more focused private and shared office spaces.

Each floor features artfully displayed rock and mineral samples, geological objects, and historical mining tools. Custom planter boxes and plant life denote the entrances to each meeting room, smartly inscribed with elements from the periodic table, once again enforcing the link to the mining industry.

Unconventional materials that make up the space include rammed earth walls and sand-infused plaster, illustrating the topographic contours of the world. The reception area features abstract, hand-scraped plaster walls, while BC native wood and granite bases mined from a local quarry were used to create all the meeting room tables throughout the space. Artist Mareo Rodriguez’s pieces, inspired by the earth’s materiality, enhance the space with topographic references and drill core sample motifs.

A Green Approach

One of the important features to Sandstorm was the building’s radiant heating and cooling system in the ceiling, making it one of North America’s most sustainable buildings. This advanced system enhances energy efficiency by reducing the reliance on traditional HVAC systems, lowering energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The use of radiant heating and cooling aligns with the team’s objective to mitigate the mining industry’s environmental impact by adopting cutting-edge, sustainable building technologies exhibited in this building. In addition, there was a strong emphasis on weaving plant life into the design.

“Since the pandemic, our clients have shown a strong desire to incorporate nature and plants into the workplace. Science now supports the idea that plants reduce stress and anxiety, boost creativity and productivity, and enhance cognition and memory,” notes Edit Studios founder Janay Koldingnes. “Our planting strategy at Sandstrom compliments the celebration of what the earth provides as you migrate between floors, and ties seamlessly into our earthly palette.”

Sandstorm’s versatile office space caters to employees and guests, offering an abundance of areas for focused work and for employees to feel rejuvenated while in the workspace. The enriching environment, highlighted by greenery and earthy materials, strongly connects to Sandstorm’s mission and values.”