Media Release
IN8 Design on the Rise
Elevator Lobby
Photo credit: Tom Arban
STORY SOURCE: PiTCH PR
Going Up?
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, August 26, 2021 — Toronto, ON. When was the last time you took note of the elevator you were in? I mean, really looked at it? Personally, my elevator exploration is limited. I suspect I’m not alone. How many of us develop an instant curiosity about flooring, the shoes of other passengers, or even triple check to make sure the button for your floor has been pushed while on an elevator? Right? Have you ever considered what effect the design of an elevator cab has on its passengers? Good thing IN8 Design did!
When the team at Toronto’s IN8 Design was tasked with providing a much-needed downtown Toronto elevator renovation for property giant Cadillac Fairview, they took all this and more into consideration. IN8 Design has a long-standing relationship with their client and they are well versed in retrofitting elevator technology, but this project was going to need their special brand touch. This was a project that would require more than the typical request for “brighter and contemporary” design.
“LED panels behind the Corian light series got us going, particularly once we got started with routing prototypes. We were able to explore different routing depths, widths, and limits to keep the assemblies feasible. LED panels are complex when it comes to light colour temperature and brightness settings…no two are identical, and they all require individual adjustments to both the colour, temperature, and brightness settings to provide uniform lighting throughout each cab.”
- Michel Arcand, Partner, IN8 Design
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The award-winning firm, led by partners Michel Arcand and Don Parker, is known for its complementary dynamic design aspects. To them, this project was the very definition of creative constraints. It was about levity and cheekiness while moving human passengers vertically through the air in a confined space. The Corian panel graphic depicts a flock of birds. Their wild static flight patterns might lend to elevator car passengers daydreaming for a couple of minutes. Perhaps even allowing riders to relax and escape the daily grind all while still being very close to other unknown warm bodies.
There are 869 birds per cab. They are routed on the back surface of the Corian panels. This enables the edges to “catch” the light emitted from the LED panels and allows the front panel surface to remain smooth and easy to clean.
The light colour choice is no secret. The firm went for the warmest setting possible. This choice may not be the ideal colour temperature desired in an office environment, but since our circadian rhythms are accustomed to warmer lighting like candles and fire, this lighting temperature aids in bringing comfort to the 42 square foot elevator cab environment.
The team worked with renown lighting design consultant Marcel Dion to achieve their desired effects.
“This elevator design project resonated with us. Michel and I truly balance and complement each other. We think of ourselves as yin and yang. To create a lofty, calming space within a metal box that hurtles humans through the air was an absolute project joy.”
-Don Parker, Partner, IN8 Design
This was both the smallest and the largest project the firm has tackled. The designed finishes measure 332 square feet. In addition to the total cab make-over the team also updated the elevator controls and operating system to introduce ‘Destination Dispatch’ technology to improve the elevator response & reduce travel time for passenger experience.
For those who know Michel and Don, this yin and yang relationship has become the brand’s signature at IN8 Design. We can always find pops of colour in unconventional locations as well as art and graphics that inspire creativity in the workplace and at home on an IN8 Design project.
ABOUT IN8 DESIGN
IN8 Design brings to their clients an innate design sensibility, exceptional planning and management expertise, a sound understanding of budgetary requirements and a relentless attention to detail, all honed over more than 30 years of experience and industry recognition.
The firm specializes in interior design, management and delivery of commercial and residential interiors, with emphasis on the integration of contemporary architecture, graphic design, furnishings and fine art. They strongly believe that innovation arises from the meeting of many different minds.
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Elevator project photography: Tom Arban
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