Fabrik Office at the Gaslight District

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Fabrik Office at the Gaslight District // Cambridge, ON

An architecture firm in a regenerated heritage building.

Located in the revitalized Gaslight District at the heart of West Galt, Cambridge, the design of Fabrik Architect’s office exemplifies a seamless integration of adaptive reuse with post-pandemic workplace design. The design prioritizes the flexibility, collaborations, and well-being of its growing team while contributing to the vibrant urban life of the city. It inherently fosters the maximum reuse strategy, fostering a connection between the historic context and the evolving needs of contemporary office environments.

Once part of Cambridge’s manufacturing hub, the 19th-century industrial site, Goldie McCulloch Southworks, became underutilized as the industries declined and the property was sold to a local investor, transforming it into the Southworks Outlet Mall in 1991. Following the relocation of the Southworks Outlet Mall, the redevelopment of the area has preserved the area’s architectural character, connecting the new space to the area’s industrial past while introducing contemporary, mixed-use, and public space that integrates the vibrant urban life.  The historical character of the building, particularly the limestone facade, exposed timber and steel structure, together with the new programs, creates a rich dialogue between the past and the present.

The office design celebrates and preserves the existing industrial elements, including the high ceiling, exposed timber beam and column, steel post brackets, and the original crane, all of which are associated with the rich history and collective memory of the Gaslight District. Through minimal interventions, the integrity of these elements is retained while partitions and building systems are carefully introduced to meet the functional requirements and today’s architectural standards. This approach allows the historical character of the space to remain at the forefront, providing a tactile connection to the building’s past. The dark grey kitchen, one of the new additions, echoes the color of the existing dark gray steel brackets and window frame. The new introduction of curvilinear volumes contrasts with the rectilinear industrial character of the existing, breaking the rigidity of the space and bringing a sense of fluidity.

Two curvilinear volumes at the entrance of the office define an intimate and inviting foyer area. The space is released upon entering the main space with the north-south facing glazing, clerestory windows, and a large curtain glass window facing the courtyard to the east. All these glazing floods the office with natural light, establishing a strong connection between the interior and the surrounding environment. In order to allow light to permeate throughout the space, slim-framed glazed partitions are used to minimize solid drywall partitions. The glazing system aligned with the original exposed wood column grid, dividing the 300-square-meter open space into three elongated zones: the main studio to the south, the event space at the center, and the office areas to the north. The strategy not only enhances the sense of openness but also improves energy efficiency by significantly reducing reliance on artificial lighting.

The strong emphasis on maximizing natural light and fostering a connection to the outdoors prioritizes the well-being of Fabrik’s team, further enhancing creativity and collaboration. Sunlight also facilitates the integration of plants, particularly in the central event space, forming an indoor courtyard that improves air quality, creates a calming atmosphere, and reduces stress. The open studio layout promotes flexibility, collaboration, and interaction, while the office areas provide a range of settings for privacy and individual work, including a boardroom, lounge area, and private offices. The design also accommodates inter-disciplinary collaboration through offering spaces that can be subleased to collaborating firms or institutions. In this post-pandemic era, these considerations of flexibility and well-being are integral to the design.

The Fabrik Architects’ office is more than just a workspace. The floor-to-ceiling glazing serves as a potential canvas for art and architectural installations, reinforcing the firm’s commitment to architectural storytelling and public engagement. Positioned at the heart of Cambridge’s creative hub and in proximity to the University of Waterloo School of Architecture, the event space fosters interdisciplinary collaboration between the school, creative professionals, and the broader community.

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