Across six floors of an elliptical office tower in downtown Calgary, Canada, the building shape presented a planning challenge. Curved floorplates can produce fragmented layouts, particularly when different teams are spread across several levels.
At AltaGas’ headquarters, the geometry instead provides the basis for a consistent planning system. A new internal stair links Levels 10 to 15, with meeting areas, informal collaboration zones, and social spaces positioned around it.
The completed transformation covers more than 130,000ft2 at 701 Fifth Avenue Place and supports approximately 550 employees. Zeidler Architecture, a Canadian architecture and interior design practice, worked with workplace strategy consultant Colliers Workplace Strategy on the project for AltaGas, a North American energy infrastructure company.
Planning around an elliptical floorplate
Zeidler used the tower’s curvature as an organising framework for the headquarters. Planning modules create consistency across the six levels, improving navigation and giving the workplace a clearer spatial structure.
The office combines enclosed rooms, open work areas, collaboration settings, wellness spaces, and support facilities. The modules also allow the workplace to be adapted as AltaGas’ organisational requirements change.
“The project shows how existing tower workplaces can be re-planned to better support how people work today,” said Ian Franceschi, associate and creative director at Zeidler Architecture.
“Rather than applying a single workplace model across six floors, the design introduces a flexible planning framework that supports both collaboration and focused work within an existing downtown tower environment while strengthening connection between teams.”
A stair linking six office floors
The new internal stair connects all six levels of the headquarters. In addition to providing vertical circulation, it forms a social and visual link between teams working on different floors.
Shared amenities are arranged around the stair, including meeting areas, informal collaboration zones, and social spaces. Their placement brings circulation and communal facilities into the same part of the plan, helping the six levels operate as a connected workplace.
Distributing daylight and views
Access to daylight and views is shared across the office rather than concentrated in perimeter rooms. Collaborative spaces, support facilities, and individual work settings are arranged so that employees across the workplace can benefit from natural light.
The circulation plan also provides different ways to move through the office. Informal meeting points encourage contact between departments, while quieter perimeter routes support concentration and privacy. According to the architects, these alternative routes were also planned with neurodiverse working preferences in mind.
Operational facilities are treated as part of the visible workplace. IT services and mail facilities, functions often positioned deep within the building core, are located along circulation zones. This makes the teams responsible for these services more visible within the headquarters.
Acoustic and material treatments
The workplace contains both collaborative areas and settings for focused work. Glazed office fronts, ceiling treatments, and changes in materials form part of the acoustic strategy used across these environments.
Warm wood tones, textured finishes, refined lighting, and a restrained natural palette establish a consistent material language across the six floors. The materials were selected with longevity and adaptability in mind, says the project team.
Through the combination of planning modules and the connecting stair, the headquarters brings greater consistency to six curved floorplates. Daylight, varied circulation routes, and acoustic treatments support both collaborative and focused work across the six floors.
Photos: Adrien Williams
