Burovision triples Ottawa office footprint in a bid to inspire more ‘people-first’ workplaces downtown

For more than nine years, Burovision Ottawa, a branch of Burovision Montreal that has been serving the Quebec market since 1991, has been a leader in helping businesses in the capital create functional, thriving workplaces. 

By taking a people-first approach to design, the commercial interiors specialist and furniture provider has developed workspaces in Ottawa’s downtown for years through a combination of original designs and leading research focused on creating inspired and progressive work environments. 

“Places that matter start with people,” explains Burovision Ottawa’s president Gillian Oxley-Harper. “We believe in the importance of people coming together to exchange and learn from each other. The office provides that communal physical space where the power of the collective can be fostered and leveraged.”

Now, the team is taking it one step further and is tripling the size of its own downtown office, taking over the entire second floor of 300 Sparks St. 

Get a sneak peak inside Burovision’s new showroom space:

“We’re not just talking the talk,” Oxley-Harper says, adding that the new space is one the company hopes will serve as a model and an inspiration for its employees and its customers as a progressive and flexible space designed to meet the needs of its people and support the company’s culture.

Burovision Ottawa has always been downtown, and works with many downtown-based clients. Indeed, a big reason for doubling-down on the company’s downtown presence was a desire to lead by example during a crucial period for the health of Ottawa’s city centre. 

“We can’t wait for (the federal government) to do something,” she says. “As business owners and as leaders in the community, we have to lead by example.” 

Developing places that matter

The team at Burovision has advocated for people-first offices both pre- and post-pandemic, and has been a partner to several other local businesses and design teams who have taken the initiative to create more beautiful and progressive offices for their employees.

After acquiring Ottawa Business Interiors (OBI) in 2022, Burovision Ottawa became the exclusive MillerKnoll dealer in the National Capital Region as well as being a branch for Falkbuit, an off-site manufacturing interior construction company and a pioneer of prefabricated digital component construction, providing turnkey construction solutions that drive efficiency for the customer. 

Some recent notable projects include:

• The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) at 45 O’Connor St., with design partner LWG Architectural Interiors 
• Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP at 100 Queen St., with design partner Parallel 45 Design Group
• The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) at 1400 Blair Towers Pl.,  with design partner 4te Inc.
• Knak at 2 Gurdwara Rd., with design partner 4te Inc.

Oxley-Harper says these builds were typical of most Burovision projects in that they involved extensive collaboration with both the client and design partner. 

“There’s the customer’s vision and that of the design consultant,” she explains, “and our role is to understand both of these valuable perspectives and make that vision a reality.” 

Putting people at the center of your workspace enhances culture and belonging, while supporting a spectrum of work processes and making trips to the physical office a worthwhile experience, she adds. 

Companies can achieve this through improved office design and amenities that create an inviting, comforting, and inspirational feeling for better physical and mental well-being and improved productivity. 

“When people feel supported mentally, physically and socially, they bring their best selves to work – creating better outcomes for both the individual and the organization,” says Oxley-Harper.

It’s a philosophy the team is undoubtedly bringing into its own renovation as well. Expected to open its doors this fall, Oxley-Harper says she hopes Burovision’s new office serves as a reminder that bringing teams together is critically important both for business and for the city at large.

“We couldn’t be more excited about the expansion, and we are eager to welcome the community into our space to hopefully inspire others to think about their own office differently,” she adds.