Seaspan Shipyards (Seaspan) has officially opened its new state-of-the-art office in North Vancouver. Located at the foot of Pemberton Avenue on the south western spit of the property near Seaspan’s current offices, the new 84,000 sq. ft. office will house 390 employees.

The building will serve primarily as a collaborative space for Vancouver Shipyards to execute pre-production work as a strategic partner to the Government of Canada under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS).

The four storey building features open work spaces, enclosed offices, meeting rooms, a staff cafeteria, a three-storey glass-and-steel atrium and a data centre. The east side of the structure cantilevers over the ocean with a suspended boardwalk.

Ventana Construction was general contractor. The challenging project required stone column densification to prevent any liquefaction of the soil on site during a seismic event, and the foundation is supported by 60 foot steel piles.

Designed by Dialog, the building features a number of environmentally friendly features including passive heating and reduced water use.

Brian Carter, president & CEO, Seaspan Shipyards said the new office marks another important milestone for the company, employees, and industry. “The new building ensures that our dedicated employees are able to work together under one roof, in an environmentally friendly workplace.”

The completion of Seaspan’s new office follows on the heels of the launch of the first large ship to be designed and built under the NSS – the Canadian Coast Guard’s Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel (OFSV).

Work continues for the planning, design, engineering and procurement for the next classes’ of vessels: the Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel (OOSV) for the Canadian Coast Guard and the Joint Support Ships (JSS) for the Royal Canadian Navy.