Decorating & Design

Office Tour: See Aly Velji’s Cool New Calgary Workspace

“In designer we trust” is music to any creative’s ears, so when Aly Velji heard a client say just that, he knew he had to cast it in stone or, better yet, paint it on the wall of his new office. It creates a fittingly tongue-in-cheek first impression for a designer who doesn’t take himself, or design, too seriously.

The newly completed headquarters of Alykhan Velji Designs (AVD) is in Calgary’s industrial Highfield neighbourhood, surrounded by tool shops, craft breweries and plenty of Aly’s suppliers. “The location is a little unassuming, but I like that about it,” says the designer, who was born in Tanzania, and has been based in Calgary since 1988. He had been hunting for a new office for more than two years, and as soon as he saw the space — a blank canvas three and a half times larger than his last workspace and only 10 minutes from home — Aly knew his search was over.

“I wanted our studio to reflect how we like to design at AVD, which is very collaboratively,” says Aly, who made sure everyone at the firm had input. It was even more important that the team of five was at home in its new digs, after working remotely over the pandemic. “I really wanted our office to have a residential feel, a place where we all felt comfortable,” he says. Creating a cool and relaxed ambience was an important consideration for this project — and that goal has been achieved.

Scroll down to tour Aly Velji’s new Calgary office!

Author: Emily Evans
Photographer:

Joel Klassen (Aly's portrait by Kokemor Studio)

Source:

House & Home October 2021

Stylist:

Stacy Begg