The four-storey glass and concrete commercial strata building on Esquimalt’s high street is designed to inform the community about Praxis Architects Inc. and to increase the firm’s public identity.

The challenge was to make an architectural impact, creating office space on a narrow lot confined by adjacent properties. On one side the building’s adjacency is property-line to property-line. To take advantage of natural light, the buildings north and south facades are fully glazed thereby providing natural light to the occupants.

 The building is a stunning exercise in the use of colour—cobalt blue and opalescent glass plus violet, red and magenta structural  steel. Combined with exposed concrete and granite-stone cladding, it is functional and architecturally rich. The Rocheleau signature flying roof is a part of an integrated system of seismic components, including a steel frame, front struts and some lateral bracing. The structure contributes interest to the public’s experience of the building.

Angles reminiscent of the mountains and the translucent glass colouration of deep water reflect  Victoria’s setting. Biodegradable ‘green’ materials are used  both inside and out.