Our recent renovation of a retail bank in Toronto? It’s a transformation, blending expanded functionality with a burst of material and color to breathe new life into the bank’s services. The front of the house got a facelift to make room for an extra teller, a new meeting room, and a relocated supervisor desk, while the back was reworked for a new staff kitchen and more storage space. To bring out the richness of the wood, we chose contrasting green and yellow for the meeting room—a bold visual move that energizes the space. These colors, opposite on the wheel, create a dynamic tension and define the flexible, functional space with a folding glass door for privacy when needed.

Then there's the concept of Material Continuity—linking spaces, functions, and objects into a cohesive whole. We used wood as the glue. A long, folded wood plane winds through the entire design, connecting everything from the structural column to circulation paths, offices, and even the safety deposit box area. It’s not just a material; it’s the backbone of the scheme, tying everything together in one seamless flow.