May 16, 2008

Designed by Diamond+Schmitt Architects, the Southbrook winery won the award of excellence in the architectural category of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction, Ontario region, awards.

Canadian Institute of Steel Construction announces winners of Ontario region awards

PATRICIA WILLIAMS

staff writer

A signature winery on a 74-acre estate in the heart of the Niagara Peninsula won big in the 18th annual steel design awards sponsored by the Ontario region of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction.

Designed by Diamond+Schmitt Architects, the Southbrook Winery includes a state-of-the-art wine production centre as well as a pavilion — a delicate glass structure juxtaposed against a massive, 200-metre-long, three-metre high “landscape” wall.

The roof of the pavilion, with large tapered overhangs extending three metres beyond of the building skin, floats on slender steel columns.

“From the outset, steel was the only option considered for construction of the columns,” said structural engineers Blackwell Bowick Partnership Ltd.

“In order to reinforce the sense of the roof as a floating plane, the columns [needed] to be impossibly slender.

The project won an award of excellence in the architectural category as well as an award of merit in green buildings.

The designers are targeting LEED Gold certification. The team included steel fabricator and detailer Mirage Steel Ltd. and steel erector Flange Steel. Construction manager was Merit Contractors Niagara.

In all, five awards for innovative steel construction projects were presented at a reception yesterday.

The City of Kingston’s large-venue arena complex won the award of excellence in the green buildings category.

Winner of the award of excellence in the green buildings category was the city of Kingston’s large-venue event complex. From the outset, the city set out to incorporate sustainability practices wherever possible. Now known as the K-Rock Centre, the arena was designed to achieve LEED Silver.

In its submission, structural engineers Halcrow Yolles said structural steel contributed in several ways to meeting this target.

Points were amassed in the materials and resources category, for example, for recycled content and use of local and regional materials. The team included architects Brisbin Brook Beynon, contractor EllisDon and steel fabricator, detailer and erector Benson Steel Ltd.

The Rogers Sportsnet column-removal project took the award of excellence in the engineering category.

In the engineering category, the award of excellence went to the Rogers Sportsnet column-removal project. The project included removal of a central column at the ground-floor level of the 12-storey Isabella Tower at the Rogers campus. Occupancy had to be maintained in the floors above.

Structural engineers Halsall Associates Ltd. said the project required development and integration of precise methodologies for the requisite preloading of the transfer trusses. Two steel Pratt trusses, spanning 18 metres, formed the main structure used to transfer the loads from the concrete column. The team included architects Ware Malcomb, contractor EllisDon and steel fabricator, detailer and erector, Benson Steel.

The Peace Bridge plaza, with its roof supported by slender steel columns, won an award of merit.

An award of merit was presented for the Peace Bridge plaza project, which was designed by NORR Ltd. for the Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority.

The plaza houses administrative offices and vehicle inspection facilities for the Canada Border Services Agency. The roof is supported by slender steel columns. Structural engineers Blackwell Bowick Partnership said steel was “a clear choice” for these elements, in order to achieve the desired “slenderness and robustness” as well as a high quality finish.

The column ends are detailed with stainless steel pins, “giving the impression of a weightless roof tethered against the wind rather than propped by columns.” The project team included Bird Construction, steel fabricator Burnco Manufacturing Inc., steel detailer Baseline Drafting and steel erector, Bison Enterprises. The award was in the architectural category.

Toronto Life Square won an award of merit in the engineering category.

Another award of merit was presented for the Toronto Life Square project. The 500,000-square-foot complex is home to a 24-screen AMC theatre, as well as numerous stores and restaurants.

Structural engineers Halcrow Yolles said structural steel was the “material of choice” on the project, which incorporated innovative engineering techniques.

The team included Baldwin & Franklin Architects, PCL Constructors Canada Inc., and steel detailer and erector Walters Inc. The award was in the engineering category.

Submissions were judged by a four-person jury, consisting of Ted Aziz, CEO of Hastings & Aziz, Jens Boehme, an associate in Stantec Consulting, Peter Kula, a principal in Read Jones Christoffersen, Peter Pascaris, principal in Queen’s Quay Architects, and Barry Sampson, principal in Baird Sampson Neuert Architects.

To be eligble, projects must illustrate ingenuity and innovation in the use of structural steel or platework and be completed between October 1, 2006 and April 1, 2009.

Steel fabricators must be members of the CISC’s Ontario region.

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