Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1211841
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0 | 37 HSBC Place Redevelopment R EN D ER I N GS CO U RT E SY EP I C I N V E S T M EN T S ERV I C E S HSBC PLACE REDEVELOPMENT by NATALIE BRUCKNER I t has been well documented that in order for Canada to reduce its carbon footprint, the existing building stock needs to be brought into an energy-efficient future . . . and so when you come across a major redevelopment project like the one currently happening to HSBC Place in Edmonton, you have to commend those who are forward-thinking enough to not only transform a 1980s' building into a state-of-the-art com- mercial property, but who go that one step further and raise the bar when it comes to redeveloping buildings. As with any renovation of this scale, it is no easy task, and yet Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo), Epic Investment Services, and Cushman & Wakefield Asset Services, along with a highly skilled team have seized the opportunity with both hands and created what will become Edmonton's newest "A A" class office building. HSBC Place is not only targeting LEED Platinum certifica- tion and WELL Gold certification, but is the first office building in Western Canada to be certified Wired Platinum … quite a resume! As Micheal Dal Bello, senior VP, real estate at AIMCo, rightly says, "A full redevelopment of this scale requires the expertise of many partners, and AIMCo is fortunate to utilize local and national expertise to see it through." With a team that includes Dialog (architect), PCL Construction Management Inc. (general contractor), RJC Engineers (structural consultant), and Smith + Andersen (mechanical/ electrical consultant), it is fair to say AIMCo, Epic Investment Services, and Cushman & Wakefield Asset Services secured an extremely skilled team, well versed in renovations of this scale. AIMCo originally acquired HSBC Place – an 18-storey office tower located in the centre of Edmonton's downtown business core – on behalf of its clients back in February 2017. Under the direction of Epic Investment Services, the project's scope of work is extensive in that it involves stripping back the building to its concrete struc- ture and rebuilding it inside and out into a tech-forward and socially con- scious building. Once complete, the building will boast a triple glazed curtain wall sys- tem, floor-to-ceiling view glass in the office area, new mechanical and electrical systems, and a revitalized two-storey lobby featuring a digital art installation that is the first-of-its-kind in Western Canada. Adjacent to the building is a nine- storey parkade (which includes two levels below grade and seven levels above) that is being extensively rede- veloped. The parkade is undergoing a full concrete rehabilitation to parkade slabs and perimeter spandrels, the construction of a exterior metal clad- ding and stone cladding facade, the removal of existing asphalt to main floor and basement, new traffic coat- ings to the parking decks and ramps, as well as numerous mechanical and electrical upgrades. PCL, who was also part of the build- ing's original construction team back in 1979/1980, began demolition work in June, 2018. This involved the removal of the curtain wall, which Darren King, senior project manager at PCL describes as, "tricky, especially around the data centre that needed to remain operational throughout construction. To protect the area we installed insu- lated freezer panels as a temporary wall to allow the curtain wall to be removed without impacting operations." King explains that to increase effi- ciency, a temporary monorail system was installed around the entire roof to help remove the existing curtain wall and replace it with the floor-to-ceiling glass. Designed by Dialog, the entire facade uses thin vertical strips of per- forated aluminum to maximize the use of energy-efficient triple-glazed vision glass, which is not only estheti- cally pleasing but optimizes occupant comfort as it reduces solar gain during summer and heat loss during winter. Inside, the building has been completely stripped down, from the basement (also known as the con- course level from previous use) and the