The expanding workforce of Microsoft necessitated the tech giant to consolidate their Canada headquarters into a newly renovated 13,192 m2 department store in Downtown Vancouver. The recently completed space houses two gaming companies and a software developer business unit, but was also designed for future adaptability. The building remodel eliminated the old façade in favor of a glass curtain wall, which displays spectacular views of the city and the surrounding landscape.

Microsoft’s culture encourages employees to be curious, creative, and collaborative thinkers. Their new office, designed to foster this ethos, is supported by open and enclosed collaboration spaces to facilitate all workflow needs. Throughout are formal and informal meeting rooms, large meeting areas, lounge hubs, private phone rooms, and touch-down worktables. Also included are amenity spaces, such as a café, a game room, and technology rooms where people can delve into new project ideas.

Our design team used the distinct setting of the company’s headquarters as well as the natural landmarks of Canada’s Lower Mainland to inform the architecture. The airy, branch-like ceiling structures and the more grounded, boulder-like enclosures are a visual nod to canopies and roots of native tree species. The team utilized an existing void in the upper level’s floor slab to introduce a communicating stair that spans and connects the two floors—as a tree trunk connects its disparate parts.