December 3, 2009

McMaster University's Engineering Technology Building was recognized for architectural merit.

2009 Ontario Concrete Awards

McMaster University’s state-of-the-art academic building wins architecture award

PATRICIA WILLIAMS

staff writer

A $48-million engineering technology building at McMaster University, which features state-of-the-art learning and research facilities, sustainability systems and a novel architectural design, was the winner in the architectural merit category at the 2009 Ontario Concrete Awards.

Building systems and elements intentionally are left exposed, from the poured-in-place concrete structural frame to HVAC, plumbing and lighting systems. Concrete was chosen as the structural system for its stiffness, durability and aesthetic qualities.

The five-storey, 125,000-square-foot glass-covered building was designed by Vermeulen Hind Architects and constructed by Bird Construction Company. Material supplier was Lafarge.

“There was a requirement for a robust and vibration-free structural system best served by reinforced concrete,” the architects said.

Concrete finishes on the building’s exposed elements “reflect the forming process that made them.”

The building has been designed to achieve LEED Gold certification.

The award was one of ten presented last night at a banquet in Toronto held in conjunction with Construct Canada.

Also in the winners’ circle were the following projects:

• Turner skatepark in Hamilton (architectural hardscape), designed by a team led by the landscape architecture firm of LANDinc.

  The 4,250-square-metre park is a combination of a concrete street plaza and bowl. The imaginative use of concrete and challenging formwork combine to create a unique series of skateable components in the street plaza.

• Clyde Avenue rapid bridge replacement in Ottawa (Infrastructure). The project included replacement of both the eastbound and westbound overpass bridges of Highway 417. This work was done in a single weekend night shift using rapid bridge replacement technology.
• Mountain Equipment Co-op retail store in Burlington (material development and innovation, cast-in-place concrete). Lafarge’s Extensia concrete system was the primary material used in the flooring. This allowed a reduction in the overall thickness of the floor slab, one of the largest outlays of materials in new building construction. The floor was designed without the steel reinforcement that is normally required. Use of “traprock” hardener was eliminated as well.
• Guelph Data Centre (material development and innovation, precast concrete). Stone-Link Corp.’s weathered edge-limestone armour stone was utilized as an anti-ram wall system at the perimeter of the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services building.
• Chateau Parc condominium in Thornhill (Mid to high rise residential). Both poured in place and precast concrete were used in construction of the building. Precast, hollow-core slabs were used as the floor system. The depth of the finished floor was almost half of that of a traditional flooring system, allowing nine-foot ceilings in the units.
• Enviroguard chute wash system at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute (specialty concrete applications). The Dufferin Concrete system eliminated the need for a wash out area at the downtown site. The system allows the ready mix driver to complete the wash-down procedure at any selected safe location. Once completed, there is no waste water, sand or aggregates left behind.
• @Source-Energy Pipe in Sudbury (specialty concrete products). The precast, reinforced concrete pipes function as standard sewer pipes with a heat recovery system incorporated into the pipes. The system was installed on a pilot basis in an 18-lot subdivision in Garson. Renewable Resource Recovery Corp. worked closely with Rainbow Concrete Industries Ltd. during the research and development phase.
• University of Toronto Varsity Centre pavilion (structural design innovation). The pavilion was built over an existing electrical substation and high-voltage transformer. Coreslab Structures (ONT) Inc. designed a precast concrete beam to span this space.
• Kingston Police Headquarters (sustainable concrete construction). The 11,250-square-metre, three-level concrete structure incorporates the latest information technology, security and building automation systems coupled with environmental stewardship. The project has achieved LEED Gold.

The awards are supported by 16 associations and companies, among them the Ready Mixed Concrete Association of Ontario, the Ontario chapter of the American Concrete Institute, the Cast-in-Place Concrete Development Council, the Canadian Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute, the Concrete Floor Contractors Association and the Ontario General Contractors Association.

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