Contractors face challenges in MaRS Discovery District construction in Toronto

When construction of the second phase of the MaRS Discovery District, a science and technology think tank, is completed in downtown Toronto in 2013, the city and province will have reason to boast.

The 21-storey building will add about one million square feet to the existing 750,000-square-foot facility, making MaRS one of the “biggest innovation hubs in the world,” says Nicolas Zouravlioff, senior project manager of MaRS, the not-for-profit registered charity that owns the building.

The project calls for an atrium linking the two buildings and also the new facility to the Toronto Transit Commission’s Queen’s Park subway station and Toronto General Hospital.

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Tying into the 50-year-old subway station and its above-grade structure was a challenge because original drawings didn’t show the extent of the structure and utilities below grade. Additional structural elements were required to complete the connections.

Another challenge was connecting the atrium with the first phase MaRS facility housed in an early 20th century buff brick structure, says Ferdinand Bakalli, construction manager, PCL Constructors Canada Inc., general contractor for the project.

“When we started cutting into the historic structure’s roof, we found inconsistencies in the existing structural components. We had to come up with solutions on the spot.”

Well under construction, the building continues to go through design optimization and value engineering (modifications to the curtainwall and atrium are examples) to ensure that budgets are met. PCL, MaRS and B+H Architects (the prime consultant) have recommended design changes that add square footage while cutting building costs, says Bakalli.

The base building construction schedule is 25 months with substantial completion set for September 2013. However, six floors have to be ready for tenant fitout by January 2013, says the contractor.

As a result the last six to eight months of construction will require complex planning and coordination strategies because the majority of the tower’s mechanical and electrical services are in a rooftop penthouse. Coordinating tenancy fitouts with ongoing construction of the core building will be “extremely challenging,” says Bakalli.

Phase two is being developed by MaRS in partnership with Alexandria Real Estate Equities under a fully repayable loan through the Ontario government. The project was originally under construction over two years ago but the tumbling U.S. economy put a hold on the project.

“Since then, we’ve taken the opportunity to enhance and simplify the design details of the building,” says Zouravlioff. As an example, the atrium space and façade have been revamped “to make it a more gorgeous building.”

He says the podium façade on College St. and interior corporate architectural features “mimic” some of the heritage building’s features. Ceramic finishing details that emulate the old building’s terra cotta features are a case in point.

PCL’s contract also calls for substantial masonry restoration and some window replacement for a portion of the existing buff brick building — once the home of the Toronto General Hospital.

The new building will also see a pair of steel and glass bridges connecting the two buildings at levels five and six to meet a tenant’s requirements for quick access to its space in the phase one building.

Throughout the construction schedule, the building team will closely monitor its work for impact on its adjacent health care facility neighbours. Strict emissions, noise, dust and sediment control measures are in place. As an example, a “truck wash station” ensures that vehicles don’t track dirt and mud off the site, while all concrete cutting and drilling are “wet operations” to control dust, says Bakalli.

The new tower is expected to achieve a LEED Silver certification although the building/design team sees Gold as a possibility. One of the key LEED features is the use of the Deep Lake Water Cooling System which takes cold water from Lake Ontario to cool the interior, eliminating the need for on-site chillers.

Construction waste recycling also hits the mark with the green-friendly reward system. So far PCL has diverted 85 to 90 per cent from landfill, which tops two target LEED requirements of 50 and 75 per cent diversion, says the builder.