At 300 Tartan Drive in London, Ontario, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) has reimagined a former 3M office building as its provincial headquarters. The renovation transforms the existing structure into a contemporary workplace designed to support collaboration, accessibility, and evolving ways of working.

Rather than replacing the original building, the project focused on adaptive reuse, revitalizing the 110,000 square foot facility while maintaining its strong architectural presence within the surrounding landscape. The dark glass façade and tiered massing remain a recognizable feature of the property, while the interiors have been entirely reconfigured to support a modern workplace environment.

Today, the headquarters accommodates approximately 500 employees, with the capacity to expand to nearly 1,000 staff, positioning the building as a central hub for WSIB operations across Ontario.

The experience begins with a dramatic interior arrival space where large-scale digital media walls, open seating areas, and sculptural lighting define the building’s public face.

A feature staircase anchors the lobby, connecting the entry level to the floors above while encouraging movement and visual connection throughout the space. The digital displays introduce dynamic imagery that reflects landscapes and communities across Ontario, reinforcing the organization’s provincial presence.

Soft seating clusters and informal meeting areas turn the lobby into more than a circulation space, establishing it as a gathering point for both staff and visitors.

Throughout the building, the workplace strategy balances focused work environments with collaborative spaces.

Glass-fronted offices and meeting rooms allow natural light to travel deeper into the floor plates while maintaining visual openness across departments. Informal seating areas and enclosed collaboration pods create opportunities for small group discussions, quick meetings, and quiet conversation.

Training rooms, executive spaces, and large meeting environments are integrated into the layout, enabling the headquarters to support both day to day operations and province-wide coordination.

The result is a workplace that moves fluidly between individual concentration and collective engagement.

Warm materials play an important role in shaping the interior atmosphere. While the exterior presents a darker, more corporate expression, the interiors introduce wood tones, soft textures, and comfortable furnishings that bring a sense of human scale to the workplace.

One of the building’s most distinctive spaces features a radial wood ceiling structure that expands outward from a central column, forming a sculptural canopy over a lounge and social hub. The design encourages informal interaction while giving the space a strong architectural identity.

Throughout the building, carefully integrated lighting and material detailing reinforce a calm, welcoming environment.

Beyond meeting rooms and social hubs, the headquarters also includes a variety of spaces that support the rhythm of everyday work.

Open work areas line the building’s perimeter, taking advantage of expansive windows and views across the surrounding landscape. Training rooms and technology equipped workspaces allow teams to collaborate and develop new skills, while shared dining and café style areas provide space for staff to recharge throughout the day.

The broader property extends across 50 acres, reinforcing the campus like setting of the headquarters. A one acre vegetable garden on site contributes produce to the London Food Bank, linking the workplace to the surrounding community.

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