A fast-track renovation built for change

Vancouver as story, not a template

The brief called for a space that felt unmistakably Vancouver, not a global template or a repeatable kit of parts. It needed to feel local and grounded in place. Our team took these cues and drew from the city’s defining contrast. Nature beside density. Forest meeting skyline. This city’s tension and duality became the design language.

Organic lines balance geometric forms referencing the built environment. Calm zones counter energetic hubs and colour acts as a primary experiential driver, grounding the workplace in place. You feel the city and the biosphere in conversation. Each major meeting room reflects a local neighborhood or landmark. The result feels globally connected yet deeply specific.

An arrival that pulls you in

The experience begins immediately. As soon as you exit the elevator, you are inside Autodesk’s universe. Reception sets the tone through form, colour and light. A geometric desk echoes downtown towers while a gradient backdrop recalls a setting sun over mountain ranges that lay beyond the city. Lighting enhances the effect, shifting perception throughout the day. It feels technological and organic at once. An intentional arrival that signals identity, confidence and ambition in a single moment.

A workplace that moves like work does

The workplace unfolds like a journey, alternating between calm and energy as you move across the floorplate. Open work zones feel grounded and restorative. Warm materials and natural textures soften focus-heavy task areas. Social spaces shift the mood and act as the heart of the office, anchoring circulation.

The large, open plan pantry is a connector and a crossroads, a place where chance encounters become ideas. Rather than pushing interaction to the edges, the design places it at the centre. Even the flooring stains align with ceiling elements. It’s these small details that reinforce cohesion.

Designing inside the client’s own tools and technology

This workplace was inspired by the company’s tools and created using them. As part of the brief, the design team worked entirely in Autodesk Revit. This alignment in technology reduced translation gaps, created a shared language and reinforced communication.

The office reflects what Autodesk enables. From small objects to industrial systems, its software shapes the world at every scale, and our team ensured that the process and product spoke fluently with one another.

Making constraints work harder

Demolition was intentionally limited by design intent, budget and sustainability goals, while the existing fit-out set clear constraints. Approximately 30% of the walls, doors and enclosed rooms were retained. Rather than resist these conditions, the design embraced them, using what was already there as a framework for transformation.

Existing wood flooring was refinished and used throughout the office. We repurposed light fixtures from the previous tenant, painting and transforming them into hallway features. What could have been discarded became intentional.

Built fast and thoughtfully

The project unfolded within a compressed timeline, beginning in January with occupancy slated for October of the same year. To deliver in under a year, there was no margin for delay. Speed demanded clarity, decisions had to stick and design and delivery had to move together.

The result is a workplace that feels considered not rushed, confident, adaptable and distinctly local. The space supports belonging, creativity and growth, and like the city itself, it’s built to achieve success through change.