Aura to Design + Build Office Space for Westland Insurance Group

On Tuesday, September 29, 2020, Westland Insurance Group held a media event at the King George Hub’s new office tower, HUB 9850. In attendance were representatives of Westland Group, PCI Developments, The Surrey Board of Trade, and Aura Office Environments.

Westland announced that as the development enters its second phase, the company is consolidating its existing three Surrey offices into a single office to employ 400 office workers over the top seven storeys of the 160,000 sq ft office tower. The move is targeted for spring 2022.

Westland has commissioned Aura to provide workplace strategy, interior design, and construction management services for the new flagship tenant’s new multi-level office space spread over 70,000 square ft.

“We’re very excited to be working with Westland for the entire project,” Says Dan Boram, CEO of Aura , “We look forward to providing a complete turn-key process from concept to completion.”

After a Request for Proposals, Aura was selected by Westland due to the company’s leading workplace strategy process that helps tenants shape the future of how their offices will be used. With new Work From Home and office safety policies emerging as the result of the COVID-19 pandemic, now is the time for companies to consider partnerships that consider long term workplace strategy rather than a temporary plan.

“Understanding strategy around how an office will work and function is absolutely critical,” says Dan “Strategy must come before design to direct and educate the design process.”

Moving forward, Aura will be creating new working models to test at Westland’s existing facilities while the new office is developed.

Construction on the second phase of the mixed-use development, including office and retail components plus 40-storey and 29-storey residential towers with a combined total of 738 condominium homes will reach completion in 2021. The King George Hub is developed by PCI Developments, and designed by local architectural firm Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership.

“An epicenter for transit, King George Hub is connected to the Expo SkyTrain Line, RapidBus, and future Surrey-Langley SkyTrain,” said Westland in a news release. “The area will have a collection of boulevards, walkable retail, cafes, restaurants, a grocery store and other amenities.”