Gowling WLG LLP: ARIDO project of the year, award winning law office design

As a leading international law firm with over 1,500 employees around the world, Gowling WLG LLP relocated its Calgary office to a new space in the downtown core, expanding across four floors in the TD Canada Trust Tower.

The move presented an opportunity to enhance the client experience, shed the traditional law firm aesthetic, and recreate a workplace that reflects the changing legal profession.

Kasian was selected to lead the complete redesign of their new space, building on a longstanding relationship with the client. The design embraced a clean, modern aesthetic that aligns with the firm’s progressive culture. Key spaces included a new reception area, a centralized conference centre, e-discovery labs, and training rooms.

Gowling also used the move to democratize aspects of its workplace and reimagine how the firm operates. To address the outdated model of dispersed meeting rooms, all client-facing spaces were consolidated into a single floor. Moveable modular wall systems such as sliding glass panels allow the space to adapt to host a variety of daytime and evening functions.

The three practice floors follow a consistent layout that supports wayfinding, with universally sized offices lining the perimeter. Removing the exclusive ‘Lawyers Only’ lounge, the firm introduced a more inviting, inclusive staff lounge that offers a more welcoming and collaborative setting.

This reinvention of Gowling WLG’s physical brand through a timeless and resilient workplace has helped reposition the firm as a modern, innovative employer of choice, attracting top talent and high-calibre clientele.

This project has won multiple awards, including the International Design Awards, Bronze, 2016; ARIDO Award of Project of the Year, 2014; and ARIDO Award of Excellence, 2014.