Founded by Mike Lazaridis, the Canadian entrepreneur behind the BlackBerry®, The Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics is a 65,000 square foot magnet that’s attracting some of the brightest scientific minds on the planet. And it looks like anything but traditional academia. Montreal architects Gilles Saucier and Andre Perrotte were asked to design a warm and friendly structure that welcomed natural light, a harmonious balance of public, private and research space—a landmark building not just for Kitchener-Waterloo, but all of Canada.
“The Institute was designed to be an international gathering spot for top scientists,” says John Matlock, Director of Communications. “We wanted it to have a special identity.” Saucier and Perrotte achieved this by having different exteriors reflect the spirit of the research inside. On one side a black wall, like a blackboard, represents all of science; the windows scattered like unresolved equations. On the opposite side a glass wall reflects the contemplative, meditative spirit of discovery. Inside, the space is warm and subtle, with black, white and green themes.
But it’s the blackboards that get your attention. They line offices, hallways, even a bistro. Some are floor to ceiling in height and slide aside to reveal coffee nooks; all are covered with mathematical equations and the occasional irreverent remark.
“The building was designed to drive creative thought,” says Brickman. “The blackboards, the sofas, the private little pockets that mingle with collaborative spaces—all designed to facilitate the world’s deepest thinkers.”
When it came time to furnish the thinking spaces, the Institute used a simple scientific method. “We asked our scientists to sample office furniture from many different manufacturers,” says Brickman. “They kept coming back to if®. They liked the clean design, the look of the legs, and the extra-wide worksurfaces—these people like to spread out, and they liked the functionality of the worksurface. It is Brigholme’s dedication to making our ideas work and their understanding of our unique culture and atmosphere that makes us continue to call on Brigholme for all our furniture needs,” adds Brickman.
High praise from people immersed in quantum physics, super string theory, and cosmology.
