What if a workplace could tell a story you don’t just see, but feel? For Elk Valley Resources (EVR), that vision came to life in its new 31,000-square-foot Vancouver headquarters. The space brings the company’s story to life, connecting its industrial roots with a human touch.
EVR’s two-level workplace translates geological processes into spatial design. Our design concept, ‘engineered precision meets the earth’s living contours’, guided every decision.
Vertical and horizontal circulation patterns symbolise excavation, discovery and connection. A custom, interconnecting staircase became the project’s centrepiece, stitching together two floors and the people within them. Placed beside key amenities, such as a pantry, training room and collaboration zones, it turns transitions into encounters, naturally drawing people toward community.
Natural textures and timber details give the space a tactile richness you can almost feel under your fingertips.
Materiality is the project’s storytelling device. A hand-applied ‘forcrete’ wall finish reflects the striations of the earth with each layer revealing a different tone, texture and depth. Installed by a local artisan, the finish required near-perfect precision to align with the concept’s geological logic.
Against this rugged wall surface, wood slat ceilings, linear joinery and tailored millwork introduce rhythm and structure. Together, they echo the tension that can exist between human control and natural form.
The reception area showcases the process from coal to coke through a bespoke rock installation. Meeting rooms take their names and colours from the company’s mine sites in Southeastern British Columbia, grounding employees in the operations that are at the core of their business. In the pantry, a large topographic artwork, crafted from real site data, translates land into art. Beneath the staircase, a full-scale set of railway tracks, gifted by a partner, symbolises the coal-to-steel process that connects EVR’s work to global progress.
Linear, man-made forms slice through organic, layered finishes to represent how this industry intersects with the natural world. Our design concept was carved from the earth and written for the people who move it.
Alex Watkins, Associate Director – Design, M Moser AssociatesBehind the material beauty lies a people-first strategy. EVR’s workplace planning rethinks hierarchy and access. Private offices, once along the windows, were pulled to the core to give daylight back to the open plan. Lower-height partitions open sightlines and encourage collaboration. Ad-hoc seating, hoteling zones and informal lounges create flexibility for visitors from abroad. A dedicated wellness room supports inclusion and wellbeing.
The result is a balanced environment that is structured enough for focus and social enough for exchange.
EVR’s occupancy date came with a fixed deadline. To meet it, our team worked with precision and agility. Design, permitting and construction ran in tight parallel tracks. Our general contractor became an essential partner in coordinating daily decisions and navigating compressed timelines.
Technical hurdles were met with craft. The inter-floor stair, which required a twelve-week permit window and zero tolerance for error, required integration of structure and finish. A shortage of skilled artisans for the custom ‘forcrete’ finish was overcome through local partnerships and global sourcing. Even the uneven base-building floor was handled through adaptive detailing instead of costly levelling.
EVR’s new headquarters represents its evolution. It brings together identity, culture and community in a way that feels tactile, grounded and forward-looking. Staff describe the space as professional yet personal, innovative yet familiar.
It’s a workplace designed to connect people not only to each other, but to the land that sustains their work – a reminder that even in the most industrial of sectors, design can humanise, connect and inspire.
Completed
2025
Vancouver
2,880 sq m / 31,000 sq ft
Arkavis Creative
