Metro Vancouver: Framing views of the communities they serve

Metro Vancouver engaged us to design a workplace that would foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and cultural development, while offering spatial flexibility for the evolving nature of office work. Moving into a brand-new building, Metro Vancouver was ready to leave its enclosed, traditional workspace and embrace a more modern environment with the latest design and technology. 

As a public sector agency governed by a board of mayors from 21 municipalities, every design decision had to be cost-effective, defensible, and aligned with sustainability principles. 

To guide the transition, we facilitated a visioning process to outline business goals and workspace needs. The design was presented as a ‘menu of spaces’ – open and closed zones for focus and collaboration – offering staff autonomy to choose how and where they work. Workstation mock-ups were also tested to help shape the final layout and support buy-in. 

Private offices and meeting rooms were intentionally placed at the centre of each floor, allowing natural light and the breathtaking views to reach shared amenity spaces and group work areas. This approach promotes inclusivity and ensures all staff benefit from the building’s prime location. 

The resulting people-focused workplace supports Metro Vancouver’s mission to enable their public-sector professionals to collaborate, share knowledge, and perform at their best, while acting as a tool for talent attraction and retention. The design has been recognized across the design community, receiving an Award of Merit from the Interior Designers Institute of British Columbia (IDIBC) in 2018.