eOne main reception
Entertainment One, also known as eOne, is a Canadian multinational media distribution company that acquires, produces and handles distribution for film, television and music worldwide.Based in Toronto, ON, the company was founded in 1973 as the music distributor, Records on Wheels. By 2003, the company had begun to expand. It would eventually become a global content leader in home entertainment distribution, international film and television acquisition and production through acquiring Alliance Films, and many other distributors and studios.
After the Alliance Atlantis film division was sold to eOne January 9, 2013 (formerly owned by CanWest Global Communications), in addition to several other acquisitions, the need for eOne to find a location to accommodate its growing ranks took centre stage. It was decided that the building at 134 Peter Street would be the media giant’s new home, offering customizable space specifically suited for the amalgamation.
In 2014, XDesign, a Toronto-based interior design firm was awarded the design for what would be eOne’s Toronto headquarters. The new building was under construction and an aggressive, phased, move-in was scheduled for several satellite offices.
eOne flooring and carpet
“The planning and logistics were paramount,” said Greg Quinn, President, XDesign. “The organization required moving five different outer locations into the new building. Coming up with a plan define a new home for these folks, while building in flexibility for future expansion was first priority. This new location would be used to develop a unified culture and new beginning for eOne.”
There was an existing base building at the new location, however eOne continued to build, expanding upward. The entire project would take almost nine months of initial planning and nearly two years to complete.
XDesign chose Darwin Fisher Commercial Flooring as its flooring installation partner, once the company was awarded the job. “We have a solid eco system of partners and vendors – it’s all about trusting who you work with and that they are supposed to do. Darwin Fisher has proven that and they’ve earned the trust of our team,” said Quinn.
XDesign completes an average of 120 projects per year and up to $90 million of business per year. “The partners we work with need to be accountable for their products and services. Shared values are also important. We have done a lot of work with Darwin Fisher over the years and their track record was impeccable before and continues to be,” said Quinn.
The design and flooring project consisted of 70,000 square feet and spanned across main reception, kitchen and general office areas. Darwin Fisher refit five floors over five months working with XDesign. The materials used included Milliken carpet tile and Torlys vinyl flooring.
The comprehensive installation required raised access flooring so all duct work, wiring and electrical services would run under the floor, requiring many cut outs. “One of the most complex pieces is the flooring. All of Darwin Fisher’s staff and work was 110%, including raised flooring that wasn’t anticipated in the execution schedule,” said Quinn.
eOne raised access flooring
The floor needed to be left accessible to be easily lifted and reinstalled when changes to services were required, which happened repeatedly, throughout the project. “The installation was completed on a very tight schedule and timeline,” said Doug McDonald, President of Darwin Fisher. “There was no time to make a mistake. We were installing in small areas, large areas and dealing with electrical and mechanical requirements simultaneously. This was one of the more challenging jobs.”
Not only was the installation complex, the building was under new construction therefore many different deadlines and logistics factored into the project. “We had to work with many trades at once and be very accommodating and flexible to make sure the project remained on time and budget. Each project silo needed access to the area, while we made sure the flooring installation was completed on time so as not to affect the budget and schedule,” said McDonald.
The partners on this project both agree that eOne was thrilled with the final result and the way in which the project was expedited. “It’s been a year and flooring is rock solid and everything looks great,” concluded Quinn.