London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Aug 16, 2026

Linebox Transforms Historic Montréal Building into a Modern Office

Linebox Transforms Historic Montréal Building into a Modern Office

Nestled between the Lachine Canal and the St. Lawrence River, Montréal’s urban Pointe-Sainte-Charles neighborhood reflects the city’s industrial past while housing modern businesses, such as GSoft, a locally founded software development company now situated in the historic Nordélec building.

            

The GSoft office offers contemporary sensibilities in a classic industrial build. Photography by Claude-Simon Langlois.

In order to create a cohesive environment that captures the values of GSoft’s young workforce while respecting the building’s original 1913 structure, the company worked with contemporary architecture firm Linebox for more than two years to bring their vision to life.

            

A small skateboarding ramp encourages movement at work. Photography by Claude-Simon Langlois.

Skateboard wheels cruising over pavement have become a recent staple of Montréal’s natural soundscape and is extended into the GSoft office. Renaud Balandras and Josée Anne Pronovost, the project’s respective interior designer and architect, planned the office such that transitional spaces are wide enough for employees to comfortably walk, scooter, or skateboard through. Located in the mezzanine of the Nordélec building, newly revealed skylights from the expansive factory ceilings allow ample sunlight to stream into the 70,000-square-foot office.

            

An auditorium with a 200 person capacity is used for presentations and group learning sessions. Photography by Claude-Simon Langlois.

Given the cold winters and early sunsets in Montréal, Balandras designed thematically organized zones in the office that exude warmth and energy to combat winter blues. “Our mission was to make a very nice space to work in,” says Balandras, explaining the overall goal of creating an office that employees look forward to coming to each day. The new GSoft office does exactly that, fostering a feeling of community for the whole team.

            

A desert plants create a sense of warmth in the space during cold winter months. Photography by Claude-Simon Langlois.

            

A meeting room features an ode to arguably the city's favorite sport-hockey. Photography by Calude-Simon Langlois.

            

Private meeting rooms look into the open GCafé communal dining area. Photography by Claude-Simon Langlois.

            

Large round windows throughout the office ease visual communication. Photography by Claude-Simon Langlois.

            

A communal area inspired by summertime patios. Photography by Claude-Simon Langlois.

            

Original red brick and decorative Montréal Metro accessories in a conference room. Photography by Claude-Simon Langois.

            

A lounge with plush furnishings overlooks GCafé. Photography by Claude-Simon Langlois.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
AI Manager at San Francisco Store Recommends Firing Human Employee
Reform UK Unveils Plan to Cut Welfare Spending by More Than £50 Billion a Year
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Praised Extinction Rebellion for Doing a 'Great Service'
UK Wildfire Phone Alert Triggers Backlash as Users Switch Off Emergency Warnings
Heathrow Roads Reopen After Burst Water Main Floods Access to Terminals 2 and 3
Former NBA Players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White Say They Will Enter 2027 WNBA Draft
Italian Speed Camera Issues Nearly 32,000 Fines in 10 Weeks, Worth More Than €3 Million
Former Cambridge Professor Jason Arday Found Dead Days After Resigning Amid Plagiarism Row
US Appeals Court Rules AI Agent's Website Actions Are Legally Attributed to the User
France's Constitutional Council Blocks Social Media Ban for Children Under 15
Liechtenstein Changes Royal Succession Rules to Allow Women to Inherit the Throne
Women Allege Rape and Sexual Abuse at British Army College for Teenage Recruits
Minnesota: Two independent investigators posed as Muslims (one wearing a burqa) and showed how they could vote in elections without identification.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Takes Regional Tour to Highlight Local Infrastructure and Environmental Problems
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to the House of Commons
Bank of England Warns Rising Inflation Could Squeeze UK Household Incomes
UK Government Announces £65 Million Aid Package for Farmers Hit by Severe Drought
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in Second Quarter Despite Energy Market Pressures
UK Issues Emergency Alert as Severe Wildfires Spread Across England and Wales
UK and Finland Discuss European Defence and Continued Support for Ukraine
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to the House of Commons
UK Government Deploys Military to Help Fight Wildfires and Bans Disposable Barbecues
UK Records Hottest Day of the Year as Fifth Summer Heatwave Peaks in Southern England
UK Condemns Houthi Actions and Warns of Red Sea Threat to Global Trade
UK and Solomon Islands Open Wildlife Photography Exhibition in Honiara
UK Small Businesses Face Continued Cash Flow and Tax Pressures
Greatham Marsh Restoration Restores Tidal Wetland in Hartlepool After More Than 200 Years
UK Health Regulator Urges University Students to Check Meningitis and Measles Vaccination Status
Mining Remediation Authority Completes Major Ground Stabilization Works in Scottish Community
UK Food Crime Investigators Seize 33 Tonnes of Illegal Food in Multi-Agency Operation
Technical Qualification Uptake Hits Record High as Advanced Mathematics Results Improve
UK Summer Temperatures on Course to Challenge Long-Standing Records, Met Office Says
UK Farmers Bring Forward Cereal Harvests as Drought Threatens Yields
Wildfires Surge Across England and Wales as Fire Chiefs Report Record July
UK Nurses Warn of Heat Risks as Hospital Staff Struggle With Extreme Temperatures
Southern Water Seeks Drought Order for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Amid Water Shortages
UK Heatwave Pushes West London Temperature to 38.1 Degrees as Health Alerts Continue
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in Second Quarter Despite Global Uncertainty
China’s Kimi Launches AI-Focused Credit Card With Agricultural Bank of China and American Express
UK Residents Gather to Watch Rare Partial Solar Eclipse
Reform UK Deputy Leader Richard Tice Faces Criticism Over Legal Threat Against Guardian Journalist
Michael Forsyth Elected Speaker of the House of Lords
Cambridge Researchers Launch £20 Million Human Organoid Drug Testing Programme
Heathrow Loses European Passenger Traffic Lead to Istanbul Airport
Households Near New UK Electricity Pylons to Receive £250 Annual Energy Bill Discount
UK Government Estimates Zero-Hours Contract Ban Could Cost Employers Up to £3 Billion a Year
Robert Jenrick Leaves Conservatives for Reform UK in Major Parliamentary Defection
UK Police Chiefs Urge Government to Block Early Release of Andrew Harper Killers
UK Government Holds Emergency Cobra Meeting as Drought and Heatwave Raise Wildfire Risks
Former Labour Adviser Arrested on Suspicion of Spying for China Held Privileged Access as Top Party Donor
×