Shaw Communications
Urban Plaza + Greenroof

Client  Shaw Communications
Location Calgary | Alberta | Canada


 

In 2013, O2 Planning + Design was contracted by Shaw Communications to provide landscape architecture services and construction administration for the development of an urban plaza in downtown Calgary. The existing plaza was worn and outdated, failing to convey the values of the forward-thinking corporation. Shaw wished to reinvent the stagnant space into a vibrant, connected public plaza to serve as a place of interaction and innovation for employees and visitors. 

The plaza was designed to create a welcoming public space for the corporation, with opportunities for large group gatherings as well as individual rest areas. The result is a dynamic environment that responds to the needs of a broad range of users. The plaza is composed of natural tyndall stone from the prairies, as well as granite and raw steel, expressing a critical regionalism and appreciation of context. 

In addition to detailed designs for an updated plaza, O2 also developed specifications for an innovative green roof vegetative system. A series of seven green roof terraces embody sustainable and progressive ideals, while integrating nature and biophilic elements into the urban environment. 

As of 2016, the green roof terraces have been completed and the urban plaza is in its final construction phase. Together, these valuable shared spaces provide much needed opportunities for innovation and connection within a sustainable setting.