Hi Signs embarked on a renovation to reawaken their front office, reimagine the possibilities for the company and its projects, and create the fear of missing out (FOMO). Photos courtesy Hi Signs
By Carly McHugh
Without a doubt, the age of COVID changed how businesses view their office spaces. However, for Hi Signs of Edmonton, it also served as a springboard to reinvent their shopfront, as well as how customers see
their brand.
The company has been operating within the city since 1974, and out of its current 5,109.6-m2 (55,000-sf) space for the past 20 years. Five years ago, it acquired 310 Sign and Banff Sign Co., and amalgamated all three businesses under the Hi Signs banner.
When the pandemic hit, the company’s front office staff followed suit with the rest of the world and adapted to the concept of working from home. However, managing director Kelso Brennan was determined to get his colleagues back into the office as soon as possible. For the creative team, the virtual workplace created roadblocks for collaboration, not to mention anxiety from the myriad of resulting emails. The days of visiting each other’s offices to answer questions and gather ideas were indefinitely on hold.
Once restrictions lifted, Hi Signs sought to bring more of their employees back into the space. Thus, they began a renovation to reawaken their front office, reimagine the possibilities for the company and its projects, and create the fear of missing out (FOMO) for those who still wished to work from home.
Turning crisis into opportunity
The initial work began last May and was originally intended to be a smaller renovation. However, these plans changed in August, when Hi Signs received a call from their security company to inform them of water coming through their front doors. Upon further investigation, it was discovered a sprinkler head had malfunctioned and caused a flood within the 1,393.5-m2 (15,000-sf) office space. As a result, the company needed to start their renovation from scratch—this time, cutting open the walls to remove the wet drywall as well as replacing the flooring.
While not all of the offices were affected by the flood, Hi Signs thought they would make the best of the unfortunate situation. They decided to completely redesign the entire front area of the shop, so it could best serve their needs for another 10 to 20 years. After settling up with the insurance company, they worked to procure new materials, including desks, office furniture, chairs, and tables. Some of these items would arrive late due to supply chain issues, but the team’s experience with operating from home proved to be an advantage. Within 24 hours of the flood, they had adapted to their new situation once again, while they waited for their workspaces to be restored. The team was also able to secure some top-notch contractors, as well as leverage their own creativity to decide what portion of the renovations they could take on themselves.
An architectural reawakening
The goal of the new renovation was to serve as a reawakening for Hi Signs. Not only did they have the chance to reimagine their office space in the wake of the flood, but they also had the opportunity to rebrand the company as a high-end architectural signage provider. This was reflected in the design of the space, which incorporated mid-century modern elements, complemented by natural accents.
