Chooses Dotfusion for First Canadian Place Website

Brookfield Properties chose Dotfusion. Here's why.

Understanding the Complexity of Commercial Real Estate Digital Ecosystems

First Canadian Place isn't a typical website project. As one of Canada's premier urban destinations, FCP serves multiple distinct audiences with vastly different needs and expectations:

• Corporate decision-makers searching for premium office space and tenant services
• Retail shoppers discovering top-tier stores and marketplace dining options
• Art and culture enthusiasts attending world-class events and exhibitions
• Building visitors needing wayfinding and navigation assistance across 72 storeys
• Property management teams requiring sophisticated backend tools for tenant management

Each audience requires its own user journey, content strategy, and functional capabilities. Yet the platform must deliver a cohesive brand experience that reflects FCP's iconic status in Toronto's skyline.

This is the type of complexity that requires deep expertise in commercial real estate digital ecosystems. This is exactly what Dotfusion brings to every project.

Award-Winning Digital Innovation: The FOOD + DRINK Success Story

One of the most compelling reasons Brookfield Properties chose Dotfusion was our ability to create innovative digital solutions that drive measurable business results. The FOOD + DRINK digital ordering platform exemplifies this perfectly.

Dotfusion designed, developed, and executed a sophisticated web interface that revolutionized how FCP's food court operated. The platform allowed users to search menus from food court tenants, arrange catering orders, and schedule deliveries through popular platforms including UberEats, Ritual, and Foodora, all with simple swipes and clicks.

The Impact Was Extraordinary:

The FOOD + DRINK integration delivered results that exceeded expectations across every metric:

• 22% increase in food category sales proving the platform drove real revenue growth
• 24% growth in catering orders expanding a lucrative revenue stream
• 12% increase in building visits bringing more visitors to the physical location
• 69% surge in organic website traffic dramatically expanding digital engagement

These results earned recognition with an ICSC Gold Award in 2018 in the Impact category for Joint Centre, validating the innovation and business impact of Dotfusion's work. This award from the International Council of Shopping Centers represents one of the industry's most prestigious recognitions for commercial real estate digital innovation.

Why This Matters:

This project demonstrates Dotfusion's ability to create digital solutions that bridge physical and online experiences while driving measurable ROI. We didn't just build a food ordering system. We created a comprehensive digital ecosystem that increased sales, brought more visitors to the property, and dramatically expanded online engagement.

For Brookfield Properties, this proven track record of creating award-winning, revenue-generating digital innovations was a key factor in choosing Dotfusion for the broader First Canadian Place website redesign.

Technical Excellence: Orchestrating Complex System Integrations

Beyond the award-winning FOOD + DRINK platform, one of the primary reasons Brookfield Properties chose Dotfusion was our proven ability to seamlessly integrate multiple third-party systems into a unified digital platform. For First Canadian Place, this meant orchestrating:

Marketing and Communication Systems:

• Email marketing integration for campaign management
• Advanced marketing automation for journey orchestration
• QR code-enabled contests and event management
• Subscriber engagement and automated communications

Navigation and Wayfinding Solutions:

• MappedIn integration for interactive building navigation
• Kiosk content management for on-site digital displays
• Real-time wayfinding across 72 storeys
• Mobile-responsive navigation for on-the-go visitors

Property Management Systems:

• Advanced tenant management platforms
• Available space listing and presentation systems
• Merchant listing capabilities allowing tenants to showcase unique content
• Parking and tenant services software integration

Content and Commerce:

• Real-time content updates across physical and digital touchpoints
• Event calendar and promotional management
• Advanced merchant profiles and directory systems
• Contest and data collection capabilities
• Innovative digital food ordering platform integrating UberEats, Ritual, and Foodora
• Menu browsing and catering order management for food court tenants
• Seamless delivery scheduling through popular platforms

These weren't simple integrations. Each system required deep technical understanding, API coordination, and strategic implementation to ensure seamless data flow and user experience. One standout innovation was the FOOD + DRINK digital ordering platform, which Dotfusion designed, developed, and executed to allow users to search menus from food court tenants, arrange catering orders, and schedule deliveries through UberEats, Ritual, and Foodora with simple swipes and clicks. This groundbreaking integration earned an ICSC Gold Award in 2018 and delivered remarkable results: a 22% increase in food category sales, 24% growth in catering, 12% increase in centre footfall, and 69% surge in organic website traffic.

Dotfusion's expertise in headless CMS architecture and modular development allowed us to connect these systems elegantly while maintaining platform performance and scalability.

We built the platform using Agility CMS as the foundation, creating a headless architecture that provides maximum flexibility for content management while supporting complex integrations. The modular React front-end, mounted in JavaScript with serverless functions, enables real-world interactions that connect physical and digital experiences seamlessly.

Design Excellence: Serving Multiple Audiences Without Creating Confusion

Technical capability alone doesn't make great websites. Brookfield Properties chose Dotfusion because we understand how to design for complexity without creating confusion. This was a critical requirement for properties serving diverse audiences.

The Design Challenge:

How do you create one website that serves corporate executives searching for office space, shoppers looking for retail therapy, art lovers attending cultural events, and building visitors needing wayfinding assistance? The solution required strategic information architecture and intuitive navigation design.

Our Design Strategy:

We created a clear navigation system with five distinct user paths, each serving specific audience needs:

1. Leasing and Office Space for corporate decision-makers exploring available space
2. Shopping and Retail for consumers discovering stores and marketplace dining
3. Arts and Events for cultural enthusiasts finding exhibitions and programming
4. Building Services for tenants and visitors accessing amenities and information
5. About FCP for those exploring the property's history and community impact

Rather than overwhelming visitors with information, we implemented a secondary menu system that clearly categorizes these paths while maintaining visual simplicity. This approach ensures every visitor can quickly find their destination without navigating through irrelevant content.

Brand Alignment:

The project coincided with FCP's major rebranding initiative, making it crucial to align the digital experience with new brand aesthetics. Dotfusion worked closely with Brookfield's team to ensure the website perfectly reflected the refreshed brand identity, creating visual consistency across all digital and physical touchpoints.

The result is a beautiful, functional design that matches the caliber of FCP's physical presence: sophisticated, premium, and unmistakably iconic.

Strategic Partnership: Project Management and Client Empowerment

Technical expertise and design sophistication matter, but Brookfield Properties also chose Dotfusion for our approach to partnership and project delivery. This was the third iteration of FCP's website, and the stakes were high. The project needed to be delivered on time, on budget, and with exceptional quality at every stage.

Transparent Project Management:

Our project management experts provided weekly meetings with the FCP team, keeping stakeholders informed about workflow, progress, and upcoming milestones. This transparent communication approach ensured no surprises and allowed for collaborative decision-making throughout the development process.

Methodology and Framework:

We created a comprehensive methodology and framework for moving existing and new content onto the new platform while integrating third-party systems. This structured approach minimized disruption and ensured smooth content migration from the previous platform to the new headless architecture.

Comprehensive Training and Documentation:

Perhaps most importantly, Dotfusion provided extensive training workshops, detailed documentation, and how-to videos to ensure the FCP team had complete confidence managing their sophisticated platform independently. We didn't just deliver a website. We delivered knowledge transfer and long-term empowerment.

The user-friendly backend we created ensures the FCP team has full control over content management, event updates, tenant information, promotional campaigns, and more. They can manage their complex digital ecosystem without requiring ongoing agency support for routine updates.

The Result: A Digital Ecosystem Worthy of an Icon

The result of this partnership is a sophisticated digital platform that seamlessly connects art, culture, and commerce while serving multiple audiences effortlessly. Whether visitors are corporate executives researching office space, shoppers discovering retail options, art enthusiasts finding cultural events, or building visitors navigating 72 storeys, the experience is intuitive, beautiful, and functionally excellent.

Key outcomes include:

• Unified brand experience reflecting FCP's iconic status and new brand identity
• Award-winning digital innovation with ICSC Gold Award for FOOD + DRINK ordering integration
• Measurable business impact including 22% increase in food sales and 69% growth in web traffic
• Seamless system integrations connecting marketing, wayfinding, tenant management, and delivery platforms
• Intuitive navigation serving five distinct audience paths without overwhelming users
• Scalable architecture supporting future growth and additional integrations
• Client empowerment through comprehensive training and user-friendly backend tools
• Physical-digital connection through kiosks, QR codes, and wayfinding solutions

Why Brookfield Properties Continues to Trust Dotfusion

The success of the First Canadian Place website reinforces why leading commercial real estate companies choose Dotfusion for their most complex digital challenges:

Deep Industry Expertise: We understand commercial real estate digital ecosystems and the unique challenges of multi-audience properties.

Technical Excellence: We master complex system integrations that connect marketing, management, and user experience seamlessly.

Design Sophistication: We create beautiful, functional experiences that match the caliber of premium properties.

Strategic Thinking: We solve problems through information architecture, user experience design, and thoughtful planning.

Partnership Approach: We empower clients through training, documentation, and transparent communication.

Proven Delivery: We deliver on time, on budget, and with exceptional quality at every stage.

The Dotfusion Difference

What sets Dotfusion apart in the commercial real estate digital landscape isn't just what we build. It's how we build it. We approach every project as a strategic partnership, combining technical expertise with design sophistication and client empowerment.

For Brookfield Properties and First Canadian Place, this meant delivering more than a website. It meant creating a digital ecosystem that serves as a true one-stop destination for Toronto's iconic urban landmark. It meant seamlessly integrating complex systems that enhance both user experience and operational efficiency. It meant aligning with a major rebranding initiative to ensure consistency across all touchpoints. And it meant empowering the FCP team with the knowledge and tools to manage their sophisticated platform independently.

This is what happens when commercial real estate expertise meets digital innovation. This is why Brookfield Properties chooses Dotfusion.

Ready to Transform Your Commercial Property's Digital Presence?

If your property serves multiple audiences, requires complex system integrations, or deserves a digital experience that matches its physical presence, Dotfusion has the expertise to deliver exceptional results.

Discover how we connected art, culture, and commerce through iconic web design.

Explore the full First Canadian Place case study: https://dotfusion.com/our-work/case-study-first-canadian-place