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Three architectural firms hired for landmark office tower
Calgary's Zeidler project architect
Gina Teel, Calgary Herald
Published: Thursday, December 08, 2005
Encana Corp. has retained three architectural firms, including two based in Calgary, to design and implement its landmark two-million-square-foot office tower complex project.
It's anticipated a design concept for the office complex, which will house EnCana's 3,200 Calgary employees, will be ready in the spring of 2006, now that the architectural team has been retained, EnCana spokeswoman Almas Kassam said Wednesday.
"Work will commence right away to start planning and designing," she said.
EnCana has retained Foster and Partners of the U.K. as its signature architect for its office complex project.
Based in London, the company is responsible for the main design and concept of the project.
Calgary's Zeidler Partnership, formerly known as Zeidler Carruthers Architects, is the project architect.
The company is responsible for implementing the design concept that Foster and Partners create and the bulk of the architectural process.
David Jefferies, managing project architect at Zeidler, said the EnCana project is pivotal in the development of the area east of Centre Street.
EnCana has purchased two parking lots across the street from Petro Canada Centre, the tallest office tower in Western Canada, as well as the 76-year-old York Hotel, for its site.
Jefferies said there's no doubt the complex will be a landmark project.
"This is, in my estimation, the most important commercial office project in Canada today, both for the city of Calgary and for Alberta, and for the country. It's a very significant project and will be viewed that way everywhere," he said.
Longtime Calgarian Jeremy Sturgess of Sturgess, Page + Steele has been retained as the master planner for the site.
Kassam said the firm is going to work with the architects to design a high-quality urban environment as well as the Plus 15 connections and street level development.
Sturgess said the firm will be looking at the significance of the site, the building, and the company in Calgary and focus on the site as a new heart of Calgary's downtown business centre.
"I think it's fair to say that EnCana is interested in creating a real kind of village within the context of that site, so our role will be how to make that work," he said.
Sturgess, who will meet with all the design partners in London Dec. 19 and 20, described the EnCana office complex as the project of a career.
"I've been working in Calgary in developing as an urban designer for 30 years, and when I say developing I mean widening our scope, and this is the opportunity of a lifetime to really have a very significant influence on what's going on in the city and I'm very excited about that," he said.
EnCana isn't divulging the project's cost, but industry insiders have estimated it at $540 million including land.
Speculation within the commercial real estate industry expects the project will feature two towers, one of which will be more than 60 storeys high -- making it the tallest tower in the west.
EnCana is North America's largest producer of natural gas.
gteel@theherald.canwest.com
© The Calgary Herald 2005
Calgary's Zeidler project architect
Gina Teel, Calgary Herald
Published: Thursday, December 08, 2005
Encana Corp. has retained three architectural firms, including two based in Calgary, to design and implement its landmark two-million-square-foot office tower complex project.
It's anticipated a design concept for the office complex, which will house EnCana's 3,200 Calgary employees, will be ready in the spring of 2006, now that the architectural team has been retained, EnCana spokeswoman Almas Kassam said Wednesday.
"Work will commence right away to start planning and designing," she said.
EnCana has retained Foster and Partners of the U.K. as its signature architect for its office complex project.
Based in London, the company is responsible for the main design and concept of the project.
Calgary's Zeidler Partnership, formerly known as Zeidler Carruthers Architects, is the project architect.
The company is responsible for implementing the design concept that Foster and Partners create and the bulk of the architectural process.
David Jefferies, managing project architect at Zeidler, said the EnCana project is pivotal in the development of the area east of Centre Street.
EnCana has purchased two parking lots across the street from Petro Canada Centre, the tallest office tower in Western Canada, as well as the 76-year-old York Hotel, for its site.
Jefferies said there's no doubt the complex will be a landmark project.
"This is, in my estimation, the most important commercial office project in Canada today, both for the city of Calgary and for Alberta, and for the country. It's a very significant project and will be viewed that way everywhere," he said.
Longtime Calgarian Jeremy Sturgess of Sturgess, Page + Steele has been retained as the master planner for the site.
Kassam said the firm is going to work with the architects to design a high-quality urban environment as well as the Plus 15 connections and street level development.
Sturgess said the firm will be looking at the significance of the site, the building, and the company in Calgary and focus on the site as a new heart of Calgary's downtown business centre.
"I think it's fair to say that EnCana is interested in creating a real kind of village within the context of that site, so our role will be how to make that work," he said.
Sturgess, who will meet with all the design partners in London Dec. 19 and 20, described the EnCana office complex as the project of a career.
"I've been working in Calgary in developing as an urban designer for 30 years, and when I say developing I mean widening our scope, and this is the opportunity of a lifetime to really have a very significant influence on what's going on in the city and I'm very excited about that," he said.
EnCana isn't divulging the project's cost, but industry insiders have estimated it at $540 million including land.
Speculation within the commercial real estate industry expects the project will feature two towers, one of which will be more than 60 storeys high -- making it the tallest tower in the west.
EnCana is North America's largest producer of natural gas.
gteel@theherald.canwest.com
© The Calgary Herald 2005