Five contractors have won 2017 Silver Awards of Excellence from the Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) for their part in the Langara Science and Technology Building project.
The winners are Glastech Glazing Contractors Ltd. and Power Drywall (2005), both in the Trade Contractors – $1 Million up to $3 Million (President’s Trade Award) category; Marine Cladding and Sheet Metal Ltd. and Wesbridge Steelworks Limited, both in the Trade Contractors – $3 Million to $7 Million (Founder’s Trade Award) category; and TC Thermenex Inc. (Manufacturer and Supplier).
Opened in October 2016 on the northwest corner of the campus, the LEED Gold Langara Science and Technology Building is the school’s signature building, says Wendy Lannard, Langara senior project manager.
At 130,000 square feet in area and five storeys in height, the facility was built because of a lack of space for Langara’s science and technology departments.
Glastech Glazing Contractors Ltd. supplied and installed all interior and exterior glazing, including curtain wall, entrances and glass guardrails for this project.
Said the judges, "One of the main features of this building, the Oculus, is a vertical light tube, which travels from roof to ground, creating a portal of natural daylight."
There were many different angles and shapes, as well as glass types, to the Oculus, such that no two pieces of glass were the same.
"The Oculus posed many technical and practical challenges," said project manager David Kidman. "The design called for no visible mechanical fixing, which meant developing a system that relied solely on structural adhesive support clips hidden within the edge thickness of the units."
Power Drywall (2005) Ltd. provided the steel stud framing, insulation, gypsum board assemblies, taping, finishing, acoustic tile and custom Tectum ceilings on the project.
"The complex angles, sizing and logistics of this project required immense attention to detail," said the judges.
Construction manager Corey Fournier says the design of the project used standard construction materials configured in unique ways "that put the project into a category of its own."
"The light-gauge steel stud framing of the Oculus was a challenging portion in itself, as the angled offset design had to be built and adjusted to form in extremely ever-changing slopes and angles," said Fournier.
Marine Cladding installed all of the exterior insulated panels, sunshades and finishes except for glazing.
"The unique design of the sunshades, providing shade throughout all rooms in the building, is visually impactful," said the judges.
The project was extremely challenging due to the number of scopes Marine took on, says cladding manager Daniel Geddes.
"Work began well before exterior walls were built to survey and plan execution," said Geddes.
Pre-planning was the key to the project’s success, he says.
"Over a tight timeline, Marine had to clad the building twice; once for the insulated wall system, and again to hang the sunshades," Geddes said.
Wesbridge Steelworks was also commended for its work on the project.
"The unique design of the 16-metre cantilever, on the west side of the structure, supporting all three floors above it, coupled with the structural framing of the Oculus, required meticulous dimensional accuracy and sequencing coordination," said the judges.
Unlike conventional HVAC systems, the Thermenex system installed in the building uses a single common header pipe for all the bulding’s HVAC requirements.
The main energy plant was pre-fabricated offsite and hoisted onto to the roof as a complete mechanical penthouse.
"This self-contained mechanical penthouse, designed by Thermenex, is both innovative and extremely energy efficient," said the judges.
"The prefabricated thermal energy plant we installed we call TIAB, or Thermenex-In-A-Box," said Thermenex president Jeff Weston.
"All the major components, including our modular thermal energy centre, the main building pumps and air handling systems."
Forty-five VRCA 2017 Silver Award winners in 15 project categories were selected on such criteria as innovative techniques, new materials or exceptional project management.
Recent Comments