Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1174518
OCTOBER 2019 | 69 PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES BRITTAIN/COURTESY DIALOG Cenovus Office Fit-Up – Brookfield Place Cenovus Office Fit-Up – Brookfield Place by ROBIN BRUNET I nterior fit-ups of new offices are endemic to the completion of any building project; however, fitting up 25 floors of Brookfield Place East Tower in Calgary on behalf of Canadian oil giant Cenovus Energy Inc. is an unusually complex assignment. The complexities are compounded by the tightest of deadlines: Arney Fender Katsalidis (AFK) and Dialog started on the project in February of 2018, and full completion is expected early next year. Fortunately, the architects, EllisDon Construction Services, and many sub- trades are the same team that created Brookfield Place, "So trust and a good working relationship had already been established back in 2012, and we've built upon those elements with this project," says Cameron Veres, princi- pal, Dialog. Cenovus had planned to be the anchor tenant for Brookfield Place as far back as 2013, having signed an agreement to lease more than two thirds of the 247-metre-high east tower in the $1-billion-plus development. The guiding principle of the proj- ect has been to make the workspaces as efficient and inviting as possible, as well as ensure the materials to be used (which had been proposed by a previ- ous architect) would be cost-effective and reflect sustainability principles. "Also, having designed Brookfield Place we understood the nuances of the structure," says Veres. "To take one small example, the building has conical corners, and we saw this as an oppor- tunity to highlight the corners with interesting meeting spaces." One key decision arrived at by the architects, and endorsed by Cenovus, has been to locate the conference and train- ing facilities at the top of the building. Throughout, AFK and Dialog have made as many spaces as possible to be multi-purpose, with movable walls and additional wall surfaces. A safety zone with first aid kits, defibrillators, and exit plans were designed for each floor and highlighted by millwork featuring large red safety zone signage. Also on each floor, a social hub was established for those partaking in lunch or seek- ing to recharge. A popular space is the restaurant-style booths as well as the "work with a view" chairs positioned at the windows. "We wanted a design that focused on teams and collaboration, while offering choice and diversity. As a result, there are 12 different work- spaces on each floor, offering staff a variety of spaces that support focused/ quiet work, collaborative/team-based work, or space to gather and recharge. Mobility is central to the design. Implementing the appropriate tech- nology to support mobility of our staff as they move between the different workspaces throughout the day is key to the success of the space," says Karen Dutton-Marion, manager, workplace and real estate, Cenovus Energy Inc. As for the materials palette, it reflects Cenovus's resource sector heritage and stewardship of the envi- ronment: hence, warm woods and nature-themed graphics as well as geo- metric patterns and, in different areas, wall elements that subliminally harken to the geological maps widely used by the company. Developing the fit-up was one thing; executing it within a tight time frame is quite another. EllisDon and the archi- tects created a schedule that was divided into work packages and sub packages, with the result being that construction of the fit-up takes place in some areas, while the design is still being fine turned in others. "The City of Calgary engineers and permitting peo- ple helped us enormously, with many permits being turned around in as lit- tle as a week," says Veres. Rick Hiltz, senior project manager at EllisDon, and a team of 150 people at peak began a new 26,000-square- foot floor every week and after five months turned the completed prod- uct, including furniture, over to the owners — and then commenced on more floors. "We have two service ele- vators and can only book them after hours for material deliveries," he says. "Therefore the volume of materials have to be carefully calculated: for example, the carpet manufacturers have to produce the exact square foot- age of carpet we require weekly." Even the arrival and departure of work crews have to be staggered, so as not to overwhelm the building security procedures, other building tenants, or the 10-person capacity of the elevators. But by September of 2019, 21 of the 25 floors were completed. "Interior fit- outs are my specialty, but this project's scale is enormous," says Hiltz. The aim is to have the work entirely finished by the first quarter of 2020. "We're proud to say that the project remains on schedule and we've hit every key milestone," says Hiltz by way of conclusion. "I think Cenovus staff will love working in their new head- quarters: it really looks exceptional." A LOCATION 225 6 Avenue, SW Calgary, Alberta TENANT Cenovus Energy Inc. ARCHITECTS Arney Fender Katsalidis / DIALOG GENERAL CONTRACTOR EllisDon Construction Services MECHANICAL CONSULTANT Smith + Andersen (Calgary) Ltd. ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT SMP Engineering TOTAL SIZE 26,000 square feet per floor (25 floors) TOTAL COST Undisclosed 3:02 PM