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Integral Group Celebrates Landmark Zero Waste Calgary Office

Integral Group Celebrates Landmark Zero Waste Calgary Office

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Integral Group’s Calgary team marked the occasion of occupying their new office space in the central downtown core of Calgary, AB. High up on the 26th floor of Telus Sky, the stunning, sustainably designed and fitted out office represents a strategic move for Integral, who are looking to bring their own brand of deep green building engineering to more and more clients in Calgary and the whole of Alberta. Integral played key roles in the engineering and sustainability goals of the base building, Telus Sky. As the mechanical, electrical, LEED, and green building designers of the office fit-out, our team applied their own deep green elements to the interior design including extensive reclaimed materials, zero waste to landfill, and LEED and Fitwel certifications.

Sustainability was embedded into the project from the outset, aiming to minimize environmental footprint at every opportunity while providing an open, flexible, healthy, and productive workspace. With the design brief of “granola-chic”, the team found many creative solutions for sourcing materials, applying the mantra of “reduce, reuse and recycle” to source items such as old apple crates for wall panels, architectural glass samples for feature walls, and old bike wheels for light fixtures.

As COVID-19 regulations permit, Integral plans on providing regular tours to promote green features of the space to the local design and construction industry.

In celebration of the new office opening, Calgary’s Managing Principal Matt Grace and Principal Andrej Simjanov were joined by Integral Group Chair and Co-Founder Kevin Hydes, Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) President and CEO Thomas Mueller, and Calgary City Councilor Evan Woolley in a virtual, socially distanced ribbon-cutting ceremony. Other key project team members in attendance included Project Manager Nikki Turner of Eton-West Construction and Founder of LOLA Architecture, Erica Lowe.

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Kevin Hydes (left), Thomas Mueller (top right) and Matt Grace, Councilor Woolley, Erica Lowe, and Nikki Turner (bottom right) at the virtual ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Thomas Mueller spoke a few words, acknowledging the City of Calgary as the first municipality in Canada to adopt a LEED building policy, and emphasizing the importance of green buildings for our environment and well-being. “Congratulations to Integral, as always, for leading the charge in not only designing these wonderful [LEED] buildings but also their own office space [which] is being designed for LEED certification, creating a healthy workspace in a healthy and environmentally responsible building.”

Councilor Woolley commented on green designs and their importance to municipal, provincial and federal emissions targets. “I’m really appreciative of the work that you guys do as private companies—green buildings are a part of us getting to our goals.”

Matt Grace summarized his vision for the Integral team in Calgary: “By taking such a prominent and striking office in the heart of our beautiful city, we are signaling our commitment to enabling more deep green and net zero projects to Calgary and Alberta.”

Zero-waste construction has its own unique challenges and is often overlooked due to perceived cost and effort. However, the Calgary office came at no additional cost—capital was redirected from landfill and material fees to refurbishment fees. More importantly, six to seven tones of waste were diverted from landfill as a result of this 6,800 sq ft project, compared to a typical project, according to Eton West.

Through this project, Integral hopes to inspire clients, developers, engineers, and the industry as a whole to take on similar goals. Achieving the occupancy milestone is a testament that zero-waste construction can be efficient and cost-effective.

Integral Group Chair and Co-Founder Kevin Hydes expresses his enthusiasm around the new office fit-out and its host tower: “We are so proud to have TELUS Sky as our new home in Calgary. As the fit-out and base building engineers, we thank Westbank for the privilege of working on this iconic landmark building on the Calgary skyline, a credit to the bold architecture by BIG. The building and our own office speak to our firm’s vision and belief to design, build, and deliver deep green buildings in our communities. As a former resident of Alberta, I am proud of this amazing new space for our people, collaborators, and our clients to enjoy now and in the years to come.”

To learn more about the cool features of our sustainable office fit out located at 2650 685 Centre Street SW, click here.

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