Historic Building Gets Sustainable Repurposing in Downtown Revitalization
Calgary’s Astra Group redevelops Petro Fina Building for residential
A historic building with 100-year-old roots has been converted to a mix of much-needed market and below-market housing in Calgary. What was once an underused office tower is now Petro Fina—a BUILT GREEN® Gold certified High Density Renovation with 103 units over 11 storeys, bringing new residences and renewed vitality to Calgary’s Downtown West End, courtesy of Astra Group, working alongside BUILT GREEN® Verifier, David Krisa of Introba.
The foundation of this building is in 1920, when the Petrofina Company was established by a group of Belgian financiers. By 1950, they had established themselves in Alberta by purchasing interests from other oil barons, and in less than a decade, the Art Modern Petro Fina Building was constructed, with those distinctive chevron panels and red sienna granite. This was where a variety of oil companies and the Belgian Consulate would house their businesses for years—but those days have long since passed.
By 2022, Astra Group acquired the building with plans to convert it from office to residential, while preserving its heritage character. Soon after, the building was chosen for the City of Calgary’s Downtown Development Incentive Program and designated a Municipal Historic Resource by City Council. Its conservation drew on the combined support of the City of Calgary, the Province of Alberta and Heritage Calgary, and enabled conservation grants to be committed to the project. As with many major cities, there is a significant problem of unused office space in downtown cores—to combat this, the City of Calgary has implemented a downtown revitalization strategy for developers willing to tackle the challenge of repurposing.
What resulted here was a transformation of eleven stories into sustainable living space. This conversion is defined by a comprehensive deep energy retrofit, which included improved wall insulation, glazing replacement, HVAC overhaul alongside a dedicated outdoor air system energy recovery. Their efforts achieved a 20 per cent greenhouse gas reduction and over 20 per cent improved energy performance from code, through a strategic combination of architectural, electrical and mechanical energy, and carbon conservation measures.
Astra Group was able to repurpose the structure and reuse many of the materials, reducing the environmental impact further and preserving historic features, while adding modern residential elements. Among their many carefully curated choices, they added a high-efficiency heating and domestic hot water system, alongside Energy Star and water-smart appliances. For high-use features, like flooring, more durable materials were chosen. While indoor air quality was prioritized with superior ventilation and more responsible materials, like low-to-no VOC insulation, paints and particle board. Recycled materials were used wherever possible, alongside utilizing a comprehensive recycling program both during the build and a permanent facility for residents.
Today, they’re welcoming Calgarians home. This thoughtfully redeveloped space offers 2- and 3- bedroom units, work-live options, penthouse suites with private rooftop patios, and accessible units that meet Universal Design criteria for individuals facing mobility, vision or other accessibility barriers. The Petro Fina Building offers a range of amenities—including a tenant lounge, event space, coworking area, and pet amenities (including a wash station), the convenience of four elevators, alongside on-site security.
At the center of Calgary’s downtown revival and among the many public and private redevelopment initiatives reshaping the city core, these homes support sustainable living, both in how the homes were built, as well as being highly walkable and bikeable (95 walk and bike scores) with an 86 transit score. Connected to Calgary’s Plus 15 Skywalk, the elevated network of over 86 pedestrian bridges spanning more than 16 km of Calgary’s downtown core, this building is also steps from the 48 km Bow River Pathway, Century Gardens and directly along the vibrant cultural hub of Stephen Avenue.
And, being situated adjacent to two of UCalgary’s downtown campuses and with direct C-Train access to SAIT, Astra Group is appealing to the student population. Through a partnership UCalgary’s School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, students have access to housing directly connected to their campus. Astra Group offers a roommate pairing program to connect students and offers unique incentives to help them find the right living arrangement.
Offering more than just a home, this building is a step toward a stronger, more connected future for Calgary’s core, while keeping part of the city’s history alive: showing what’s possible when sustainable developers and cities work together to convert spaces to meet their community’s shifting needs.
Astra Group is on a mission to improve lives through socially responsible development, working to create sustainable communities with opportunities for everyone. Petro Fina is one chapter in a bigger story: as an impact developer reimagining multiple properties across Downtown Calgary, Astra Group is showing what a more affordable, accessible and energy-efficient core can look like when the private, public and non-profit sectors work together toward a common goal.