This widely published interior design in downtown Toronto's First Canadian Place establishes a strong and appropriate corporate image for the Teck Mining Group headquarters offices. The mining and geographical exploration interest of the client provide the leit-motif and image around which the whole office floor is orchestrated.

The stage is set in the elevator lobby where buttress-like stone walls cant toward deep blue carpeting set into a limestone frame. Overhead, glistening aluminum panels heighten the already dramatic overture. Yet, in most respects, the plan adheres to traditional corporate bierarchy with executive offices deployed around the perimeter and staff work stations and support services at the core. A portion of the coveted window wall has been allocated for an open plan drafting room. The untraditional accouterments to this layout are sandblasted glass corridor walls, polished stainless steel doors (with ovoid translucent insets), stone-topped desks and lacquered storage cabinets. However, in keeping with the hierarchical schema, the most lavish display of all is reserved for the offices of Teck's beige suede-lined walls. Each of these offices is also equipped with its own custom-designed "communications centre," a sleek stainless steel pedestal beside the desk.

The highlight and focus of the offices is the futuristic, high-tech conference and boardroom where glistening stainless steel panels with sandblasted glass insets encircle a mauve leather conference table. At the flick of a switch, six panels glide aside revealing a projection screen; a second flick dispenses with another six panels inviting the assembled to relax on Mies lounge chairs. The capsule-shaped boardroom is set down on a field of vivid ultra-marine carpet within vanilla velvet walls while a reflective ceiling adds illusionistic drama.