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J UNE 2019 | 69 Ironworks PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY CONWEST GROUP OF COMPANIES Ironworks by ROBIN BRUNET T he Ironworks project by the Conwest Group of Companies, which features two commer- cial buildings (named Pandora and Franklin) with stacked layouts and an ideal mix of loft office space, show- room, and warehouse flex spaces, has been called unique in Canada. But as Craig Taylor, president of TKA+D (Taylor Kurtz Architecture + Design Inc.) points out, the concept is not with- out historical precedent. "The practise of stacking light industrial and commercial spaces was common 100 years ago and helped facilitate the goal of encouraging peo- ple to live in the areas they worked. Ironworks is the modern interpreta- tion of this concept," explains Taylor. Ironworks also honours Vancouver's history by having been developed on the site of the original Terminal City Iron Works company, built in 1906. Conwest's development consists of 207,000 square feet of strata space, and the overall form is a functional response to the site's topography and the requirements of the end users. The industrial functions are expressed in precast concrete construction, with a lighter, more transparent expres- sion used for the office floors, which seemingly float above the ground floor Pandora industrial building thanks to a contrasting steel frame clad in glass and metal panels. Pandora and Franklin are separated by a central landscaped mews, with a common dock loading area, individual loading for each unit, and parking for visitors. The interiors range in size from 2,250 to 14,000 square feet with clear ceiling heights of up to 26 feet. Ben Taddei, COO of Conwest, recalls, "When we were presented with this development opportunity, we talked to about 100 people, between lend- ers, brokers, city staff, politicians, and end users; we basically went through a blue sky process with everyone, and through that collaborative process we landed on the Ironworks concept." TKA+D saw tremendous opportu- nity in the large, sloping site when it first got involved in the project in 2014. "The slope enabled us to provide at-grade loading for multiple units, a vision that was shared by Conwest," explains Taylor. "It was a task to make all the heights work, but the effort was worth it." The two buildings were oriented to control solar heat gain, and offices in the second level of the northern Pandora building "provided jaw- dropping views of Vancouver and the mountains," according to Taylor, who would include other sustainability fea- tures in his design such as automatic lighting in common areas, unheated stair and elevator cores to reduce energy consumption, and on-demand heating and cooling. "Insulated precast concrete panels provided the perfect structural solu- tion for the industrial portions of the project, while providing a durable, clean, smooth finish," Taylor says. Ventana Construction Corporation demolished the remnants of the origi- nal Terminal City warehouse in 2016 and presided over site remediation. "On paper, our plans didn't look much different from standard industrial plans," says Taylor. "However, it was a major challenge to meet building code, seismic, and exiting requirements, and The Krahn Group structural engineers were key in the project's success." In June of 2018, Stephen Craig, project manager for Ventana, acknowl- edged that it was challenging to work with a steel structure that interfaced with precast wall panels: "You need to be particular with how these go together. With Pandora especially, the steel itself is not the unique part, it is making sure it's accurately detailed and installed along with the pre- cast wall slabs. The Franklin building LOCATION 220 Victoria Street, Vancouver, B.C. OWNER/DEVELOPER Conwest Group of Companies ARCHITECT TKA+D (Taylor Kurtz Architecture + Design Inc.) GENERAL CONTRACTOR Ventana Construction Corporation STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT The Krahn Group MECHANICAL/ ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Williams Engineering Canada CIVIL CONSULTANT Aplin & Martin Consultants Ltd. TOTAL SIZE 207,000 square feet TOTAL COST Undisclosed is less of a challenge as it's more of a traditional tilt up straight-forward industrial construction, although the precast wall panels are stacked." By March of 2019, Ventana was installing a portal feature to accentu- ate the main entrance while bridging the mews. Also underway along the upper exterior walls of the Pandora building was metal cladding, which would give the facility a modern finish and provide a protective shield against harsh elements. Finishing touches were applied to the upper walkway of the Franklin building, which would serve as the main entrance off Victoria Drive and a path to units, elevators, and the north breezeway. An indication of Ironworks' attraction as a hub for commercial and indus- trial activity is the fact that Conwest and TKA+D have moved into the facil- ity. Taddei concludes, " Our integration of a stacked industrial and mixed-use design is being seen as forward-thinking in an evolving economy within a highly constrained industrial land supply. The site constraints at Ironworks provided us with the opportunity to innovate and find a design solution that works better in today's world." A 9:47 AM

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