Lerch Bates Limited has been commissioned to design the vertical transportation and façade access systems for the AFD Tower 1 in newly developed Financial District of Almaty, Kazakhstan.  The AFD project consists of two identical 216 metre office towers; each comprised of 42 office floors above ground. The two elliptical shaped towers rise up to level 32 and then slope dramatically to the top. Two residential buildings rise from 8 to 15 floors adjacent to the office tower. Preliminary design work on the lift system includes low and high rise banks in the office buildings and single banks in the residential buildings.  This architect on this prestigious project is Foster & Partners of London.