Ottawa, ON

As I began to think of retirement, I remembered my beginnings as developer, designer and Duke. Could I do it again?

I found an unbuild-able site, optioned it for nothing and spent my firm’s downtime having a build-able idea that would lead to the development of a ‘green’, cutting-edge commercial office building. Not an ad but a reality.

I left curtain wall and returned to the less expensive window wall, in-situ concrete structure with exposed trademark capitals, raised access floors everywhere, sunshades and light reflectors, indirect glare-free lighting, grass-roofed terraces, an outdoor court filled with cafés off the street, opening windows and of course, gargoyles.

The leasing is going well; will you ever have lunch at its cafés or visit your lawyer there? I don’t know. As of today we have more potential tenants than we have floors.

They really like ‘green’; it surprised the leasing agent and me too!