Calgary’s newest and most massive landmark, The Bow, is well known for its status as the tallest building west of Toronto, and is now commanding attention for its eco-friendly focus.
Employees with Cenovus, the energy giant that will occupy half of the building, started moving into the tower Monday, which spreads between 5th and 7th avenue and Centre Street and 1st Street SE. Construction for the environmentally-conscious Bow tower, named after the Bow River and the building's shape, began in 2007 and cost $1.4 billion.
The southwest-facing orientation of the building allows for the majority of the offices to have windows, which helps the building make use of sunlight and consume less energy for cooling and heating.
The mountain views are coupled with sky garden floors meant to recreate a 'park-like' environment, according to the developer, Matthews Development.
The tower is also one of tallest buildings in Canada to use a responsive and efficient under-floor air delivery system.
The kitchens come equipped with high-end latte makers, recycling and composting facilities and high-definition televisions, the Calgary Sun reports.
Denise Froese, director of administrative services for Cenovus, told the Calgary Herald that the company expects to move about 200 employees per week, and it will take 14 moves to complete the task by the end of the year.
One of the biggest migrations in Calgary corporate history, the move is meant to “minimize the amount of time people are not able to work,” she says.
The tower also has six floors of underground parking with 1390 stalls for cars and 420 for bicycles. Encana employees will also occupy half of the building as well, with their move still pending.