Greener skyscraper for oil town

Canadian energy firm wants to be sustainable

 

Calgary, the centre of Canada's oil and gas industries is to be home to a new, more sustainable office block.

 

Foster and Partners has designed the Bow, the new headquarters for EnCana Corporation

 

EnCana's new headquarters tower reflects the company's values, responding to its progressive approach towards issues of sustainability and providing an unrivalled office environment. Crescent-shaped on plan, the inversely curved south-facing atrium rises up the entire height of the façade, absorbing the sun's energy to create a tempered buffer zone which warms the tower. Three skygardens divide the building into distinct zones. They form a series of destination floors with lobby areas, meeting rooms, communal spaces and a high-speed lift service running between the lobbies. Additional lifts are at the rear of the building servicing each zone. The entire office space benefits from natural light, with the orientation of the building maximising dramatic views of the Canadian Rockies and the Bow and Elbow Rivers.