Design firm DIALOG’s new Ottawa studio is set in the Zibi community, a net-zero carbon mixed-use development that combines residential, commercial, and public spaces.

The office, located in a revitalized early 20^th-century concrete building, offered the studio an opportunity to express its design principles through its own workplace.

The office occupies space on Zibi Island, a site with a long history as a gathering place for Indigenous Peoples, particularly the Algonquin Anishinaabe Nation.

The design centers on openness, flexibility, and connections to the surrounding urban environment. Upon entering the office, visitors move through a gallery space lined with floor-to-ceiling windows.

Beyond the gallery, an open studio forms the heart of the workplace. The layout supports a range of activities, from focused work and informal meetings to design charrettes and model building. Rather than separating teams into distinct zones, the plan encourages visibility and interaction across the office.

Meeting rooms, a library, and collaborative spaces are positioned to capture views of the surrounding city. The office overlooks Parliament Hill to the east and a public plaza to the west.

The project also demonstrates an adaptive reuse approach, transforming an existing industrial-era structure into a contemporary workplace. Clear circulation routes, transparent spaces, and flexible work areas create an environment that supports collaboration while responding to the site’s history and context.

DIALOG officials said that the new studio serves as both a workplace and a demonstration of how design can connect people, place, and purpose. The studio is led by architects Robert Claiborne and Mara Baum as partners. Jie Chen, also a partner at the firm, will be the Ottawa studio chair.