Fusion Projects New Office / Heritage Site / Credit Foncier Building Celebrating its 100th Birthday!

Fusion Projects has relocated into their new office space which is located at 850 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC.
This new office is housed in a Heritage Building. It is the Credit Foncier Building – Architect: H.L. Stevens and Company – built in 1914.

Fusion projects had a fully restored approach to this historic 100 year old building and took it right back to its skeleton. This provided the opportunity to expose the original nature and structure of the building. As with any designated heritage site, it is a more complicated build. In the beginning when the demolition of the 8th floor began, it involved a complete asbestos abatement and a lead containing paint abatement. The design and new build began from a clean slate.

Working in a heritage building is like pealing back an onion. The Fusion uncovered found 100 year old hardwood flooring, selected a portion of the existing floor, sanded it down and hand stained it to match the new plank material in the reception area. As they progressed with pealing back the onion layers of the space they continued to marry these old gems up with new materials. During the demolition phase of the process, they revealed structural components that they then exposed as part of the design. Now you can see the former wood board imprints in the poured concrete which is also used as part of the design. They also exposed and highlighted the concrete columns back to their original format from 1914.

Sam Devlin of Fusion Projects stated, "The three basic key elements that we exposed were finished spiral ductwork, sprinklers and lighting. We have done that to expose it and display it in a clean and simple way. It really highlights the original building structure and show cases the base building systems in their purest form. All of our new lighting, mechanical and HVAC systems meet the latest ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers) standards".

The original design was intended to have a large visual impact. When you walk off the elevator you immediately see the Cara marble and Terrazzo 1914 original lobby flooring. Then your eyes wonder to the "BIG RED BLOCK– Fusion Logo" which is highlighted by a crisp clean glass wall and entry door. Star Fire Glass is used throughout the design which has a "carbon tint" and provides a clean crisp tint which maintains the natural clarity and clearness of the glass. Then you are awestruck as you enter the suite by the beauty of the North Shore Vancouver Mountains which are viewed through the original 1914 operable sash windows.

When your design starts from an exposed skeleton it is the perfect time to embrace the latest technology and finishes for your office. Fusion took full advantage of the opportunity in hand.

Sam Devlin commented, "If you would like to embrace the historical gems within your community, such as the Credit Foncier Building, be prepared to adapt to the unique entities as they are revealed throughout the process. Our new office space is intended to be a "show case" of various products and materials utilized in a very contemporary manner while in contrast with the raw structure and inherent history of the building".

If you are interested in a tour of our new facility please contact us.

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