RWC Systems Awarded Raymond James Tenant Improvement

Executive Summary

RWC Systems awarded a multi-phase, high-end financial office fit-out for Raymond James at Cathedral Place, Vancouver.
General Contractor is Vestacon Limited, a specialist in high-end commercial tenant improvement.
Scale: 88,000 SF of tenant improvement across six floors, delivered in three phases.
Scope includes 20+ enclosed rooms, multiple wall types, and extensive drywall header work above demountable glazing.
Acoustic performance is a primary design driver, with dedicated quiet rooms, meeting spaces, and a Cyber Security Room.
Specialty spaces include a Prayer Room, Wellness Room, Medic Room, IT Collaboration Space, and a large Café.
Renovation within an occupied Class A high-rise demands precise coordination and sequenced phasing.

RWC Systems is pleased to announce the award of the Raymond James Tenant Improvement project at Cathedral Place, located at 925 West Georgia Street in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. RWC has been engaged by General Contractor Vestacon Limited to carry out the interior framing and finishing scope across six floors of one of Vancouver’s most recognized Class A office towers.

Raymond James, a well-established wealth management and financial services firm with a long-standing presence in Vancouver, is upgrading and expanding its Cathedral Place offices to support a modern, high-performance workplace environment.

The project is being delivered in three phases, with RWC’s scope covering the supply and installation of interior steel stud framing, drywall, acoustical ceilings, and wall panel systems throughout the tenancy.

Project Overview

Raymond James operates a significant advisory and investment management practice out of Cathedral Place. The tenant improvement represents a comprehensive interior renewal of the firm’s existing office footprint, spanning Levels 3, 4, 6, 7, 20, and 21. The scope reflects a workplace strategy focused on privacy, acoustic performance, and purpose-built specialty spaces to support a full-service financial services operation.

The renovation is structured across three phases to allow Raymond James to maintain operations throughout construction. Phase 1 covers Levels 6, 20, and 21. Phase 2 covers Levels 4 and 7. Phase 3 addresses Level 3.

RWC Scope of Work

RWC’s scope of work encompasses the supply and installation of interior steel stud framing, drywall, taping and finishing, acoustical ceiling systems, and specialty wall assemblies across all six project floors. The work includes:

Interior steel stud partition framing across 13,837 SF of tenant space
Drywall installation and taping and finishing throughout
Acoustical ceiling systems in applicable areas
Construction of 20+ enclosed rooms requiring new partition walls
Multiple wall type assemblies including A02, B03, B04, B14, C03, and F-series configurations
Drywall headers above demountable glazing systems throughout
Phased execution across Levels 3, 4, 6, 7, 20, and 21

Project Complexity

The Raymond James tenant improvement presents a combination of technical and logistical challenges that are typical of high-end commercial fit-outs within occupied Class A towers, but compounded by the acoustic demands and specialty room configurations specific to this project.

Acoustic performance is one of the primary drivers of the construction approach. Raymond James requires a high degree of sound separation across meeting rooms, phone spaces, and sensitive work areas. Achieving the specified acoustic ratings within a high-rise renovation context requires tight tolerances in partition construction, ceiling detailing, and coordination with other trades, particularly where open-to-structure conditions are involved. Standard construction shortcuts are not compatible with the acoustic design intent on this project.

The integration of demountable glazing systems alongside traditional drywall construction adds coordination complexity. Drywall headers above glazed office fronts must be precisely framed and finished to align with the manufacturer’s installation tolerances. Misalignment between the drywall framing and the glazing system has downstream consequences for both aesthetics and performance, making careful layout and execution critical.

Working within an occupied high-rise also imposes constraints on sequencing, access, material staging, and working hours. The phased delivery structure helps minimize disruption to Raymond James operations, but it requires RWC to manage mobilization, material logistics, and crew deployment across multiple active floors in a coordinated manner throughout the project duration.

Delivering Quality in Downtown Vancouver

Downtown Vancouver’s commercial office sector continues to see significant investment in tenant improvement and workplace modernization, as major occupiers update their spaces to reflect current workplace standards and the evolving needs of their staff and clients. For financial services firms in particular, the built environment plays a role in reinforcing trust, discretion, and professionalism with clients.

The Raymond James fit-out at Cathedral Place reflects that standard. The inclusion of dedicated wellness, prayer, and medical support spaces alongside secure technical rooms such as the Cyber Security Room and IT Collaboration Space points to a workplace program that addresses the full spectrum of employee and operational needs. The large Café and Grab-and-Go area speaks to the firm’s investment in staff experience within its core downtown location.

This project adds to RWC Systems’ ongoing portfolio of commercial tenant improvement work in Metro Vancouver, and continues a productive working relationship with Vestacon Limited, a general contractor known for executing high-specification commercial interiors across Western Canada.

RWC Systems looks forward to working alongside Vestacon Limited and the broader project team to deliver each phase of the Raymond James tenant improvement on schedule and to the quality standards expected within a high-profile Class A office environment. This project reflects the type of technically demanding, detail-focused interior work that RWC is built to execute.