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To many contractors, the task of erecting a large commercial property on a small site in a busy downtown core is fairly routine. It demands a fair degree of co-ordination and project management of course, but it’s far from impossible.

But when you add to the complexity of the job by demanding the project be built to exacting environmental standards and delivered in 18 months, the task becomes more demanding.

When construction crews led by Broccolini Construction (Ontario) Inc. broke ground on Telus House—the new Telus Ottawa head office—in June 2006, they were acutely aware of these challenges and determined to deliver the project on time and on budget.

Located on the corner of Bank and Slater Streets, the 10-storey, 120,000-square-foot building was designed to meet some of the most stringent requirements for energy efficiency in the country and was conceived by Richard Chmiel Architect & Associates to meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification.

DESIGNED FOR AESTHETICS AND FUNCTIONALITY

One of the most striking aspects of Telus House is its design. The south- and west-facing elevations feature curved concrete and glazed curtainwall facades, making the building stand out from the more traditional shapes in the downtown core. Inside, the building features a fitness centre, conference facilities and an innovation centre, as well as room for four retail tenant spaces on the ground floor.

But as much as the building has a particular aesthetic characteristic, it is the nuts and bolts of design that truly differentiate Telus House. LEED Silver criteria demand that a building’s energy consumption be significantly reduced as compared to model national energy code buildings. To this end, Fabiano and project manager Patrick Blundon explain that the entire construction team had to work as one to manage the building’s complex and sophisticated communications, security, mechanical and electrical systems.

“We had to adapt common construction practices to very non-conventional systems in order to deliver this project,” says Blundon. “To accomplish that, the mechanical and electrical engineer—Stantec in this case—was very actively involved in the design phase and execution, as were Broccolini and the mechanical and electrical subtrades.”

FEATURES LIKE NO OTHER

Key elements of the building, such as its mechanical and electrical systems—which are any building’s biggest consumers of energy—are completely automated and designed to function efficiently. The building’s lighting system, for example, automatically adjusts to provide a certain intensity within the building. That means that on sunny days, lights closest to windows will dim themselves, while those farther from natural light sources will remain bright. The goal is to take utmost advantage of natural light and reduce electricity consumption.

“Telus House is the first project in North America that uses this new addressable, CSA-approved light-harvesting technology,” says Fabiano. “The technology is designed to maximize flexibility and energy efficiency. It can also be completely customized to the end user’s precise needs.”

The design of the building also called for as many aspects of the mechanical and electrical systems to be installed not in the ceiling, as conventional wisdom dictates, but under the raised pressurized floor.

“Obviously, the sprinkler and lighting systems must remain at ceiling level,” explains Blundon, “but ducts, electrical conduits and communications cabling, for example, can be incorporated quite easily into a raised-floor assembly.”

Broccolini superintendent Guy Pelletier explains that the ventilation system is located below the 18-inch raised floor on each level of the building. The raised floor is then covered by recycled-concrete floor tiles and these, in turn, are covered by removable recycled-carpet tiles. The advantage to this system is that it makes the plenum not only more accessible, but also more easily modified. This means that occupants benefit from better indoor air quality and the ability to modify the interior space to suit their needs.

“By incorporating as many innovative elements into the architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical systems as possible, we have built a much more energy-efficient building, which was a pre-requisite in helping us secure points for the LEED Silver certification,” says Fabiano.

In an attempt to win LEED credits for the use of sustainable materials and resources, the construction team made every effort to select materials from local manufacturers and recycle the construction and demolition waste. Blundon explains that the construction team was able to recycle nearly three quarters of the waste generated during the demolition of the previous site building, including large portions of the wood, metal and concrete. He adds that nearly all of the debris generated during construction was recycled and nearly three quarters of the materials used in construction of the new building contained post-consumer elements.

“As much as possible, we respected the mandate of using recycled and regionally produced materials on this project,” says Blundon. “Materials such as the lobby limestone and rooftop pavers had to be sourced outside the country.”

Despite all these innovations, LEED certification is not yet assured. A team from the Canada Green Building Council—the agency that oversees LEED certification in this country—must first confirm the project’s achievement of the design intent by validating all the documentation collected during the design and construction phases. The review is a standard procedure for every LEED candidate and is expected to conclude in April 2008. If the application is successful, Telus House can officially carry the LEED-Silver designation. Broccolini is confident that goal is within reach.

A ONE-OF-A-KIND BUILDING

What stands out most about Telus House for the team at Broccolini is the fact that this is a one-of-a-kind building in Ottawa. Designed and built with a very tight schedule and under extenuating circumstances—access to the building from Bank Street, for example, was almost entirely impossible due to road work—the building lends itself well to Telus’s corporate needs and “Future Friendly” branding.

Broccolini’s main objective was to ensure that the tenant’s needs were respected, that Telus and the retail tenants move into the building seamlessly, and that all occupants are satisfied with their new home—a major showpiece in the downtown core.

“Broccolini would like to extend its gratitude to the entire team of professionals whose input into this project helped make it possible, namely Brookfield LePage Johnson Controls, Richard Chmiel Architect, Cleland Jardine Engineering, HOK, Stantec and our loyal subtrades,” says Fabiano

Excerpt from Article by James Raiswell, Ottawa Construction Comment, The Official Publication of the Ottawa Construction Association.

©Ontario's Architecture Edition 2009