Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1408886
6 | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 1 SGH Design Partners SGH Design Partners remains committed to authenticity and designing spaces that evoke emotion by NATALIE BRUCKNER | photography courtesy SGH DESIGN PARTNERS T he design world may be renowned for being rife with ego, but over at the offices of SGH Design Partners there's not an ego in sight … just a bunch of creative beings, full of innovative ideas on how to build the workplaces of the future. "We encourage self-thinking and creativity on multiple lev- els; we just let our staff shine," explains John Tanfield, partner at SGH. SGH's brand and culture are unique. You can walk into any workplace designed by SGH and appreciate new design elements with each; each project has been carefully designed to exude the culture of that client. "We have an ambition of excellence and each project needs a story, projecting longevity and purpose," explains Monika Sarkisian, partner at SGH. It's no wonder then that 60-plus per- cent of SGH business is repeat clients – there's just something so very authentic about the company (plus their awesome talents) that keeps clients coming back. That, and the fact that the company has built a solid reputation here in Canada during its 34-year lifetime. Originally founded back in 1987 as Smith Grimley Berg, the company has evolved over the years, yet it has never lost sight of its core philosophy: to design spaces that evoke emotions and change the way customers journey through the space and connect with the brand. Today, SGH Design Partners as it is now known ("because under the old name most people thought we were a legal firm," laughs Sarkisian) is at the forefront of changing the way we view office space. Led by Sarkisian and Tanfield, the 33-plus staff team located in offices in Toronto, Vancouver, and Halifax, are busy working their magic on around 250 projects a year, ranging in size from 5,000 square feet to one million square feet … and the partners couldn't be more exited! Sarkisian's story with the company starts in 1996 when she joined as a junior. "I was proud to have made it and had great ambition and little experience at the time," she laughs. After being with the firm for 13 years and shown to be an invaluable contributor, she was offered the opportunity to step up as partner . . . an opportunity, she says, "of a lifetime!" Having worked with Tanfield on numerous projects, Sarkisian had a feeling that he would be a perfect fit for the company, and so, after a few interest- ing twists and turns in Tanfield's own career, he jumped ship in 2013 to join Sarkisian at the helm. "I actually graduated as a technologist and worked at BMO for six years in their design department, back when they had design departments. I went on to work with ZAS Architects and Interiors and completed my architectural masters degree. Munich RE, Toronto, ON R I C H A R D J O H N S O N P H OTO G R A P H Y I N C .