Award

March 2021

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M A R C H 2 0 2 1 | 67 P H OTO G R A P H Y BY C A M ERO N OS B O R N E /CO U RT E SY S TA N T EC Royal Columbian Hospital Redevelopment – Phase 1 LOCATION 330 E Columbia St, New Westminster, B.C OWNER /DEVELOPER Fraser Health Authority ARCHITECT/STRUCTUR AL /MECHANICAL / ELECTRICAL /IMIT Stantec DESIGN BUILD CONTR ACTOR Bird Construction Company TOTAL SIZE 393,000 square feet (Phase One) TOTAL COST $259 million (Phase One) a warm, home-like feel … unlike what you would usually experience from a building of this kind. "The interior is recessed and there are no sharp edges for the utmost safety. The owner wanted a homely feel so there are lots of wood elements and different colour schemes on each floor. Each level also has extensive outdoor spaces, with landscaped patio areas that have been fully enclosed. Every little detail is focussed on patient care. Stantec did a great job in designing the building and making it into something patients can enjoy and where they can feel pro- tected," says Alex Fessler from Bird. Anti-ligature requirements can also be seen throughout the building. "Since it's a mental health facility it is integral people don't hurt themselves, so something as simple as a doorknob had to be specially made. Alex helped us get through that as no blueprint existed, so it was about innovating," says Webb, to which Fessler adds, "You have to open your mind and see how to overcome challenges. The shower drain for example, we worked on that for six months, as no solution existed so we were creating prototypes." Up on the penthouse level is where the large data centre is housed which services the MHSU building and existing campus. The construction of a campus IT network, which included the installation of a fibre optic ring, also required a complete fit-out to connect the communications hub to all buildings. The project included the installation of two 3.25-megawatt high voltage generators, and also included 25 shut downs within one month, to cut over the existing hospital to the new electrical installation. To ensure the energy centre would not impact the other parts of the building, extensive attention was paid to sound and security requirements, so when the generators fire up no- one in any other part of the building would even know. "When we finished the energy centre in this building we had to tran- sition from the old energy centre and make sure it was seamless. We knew there would be a two second delay and everything had to be co-ordinated properly to make sure there were no impacts to any clinical operation on site. It took planning to the last second and massive engagement, and went seamlessly," says Chandra. Other upgrades included in phase one were the conversion of most of the campus from steam to hot water and upgrades to campus-wide systems including humidification and electri- cal power. In addition to the energy centre and the mental health and sub- stance use building and parkade, Bird constructed tunnel and bridge con- nections to the existing campus and to allow connection to future buildings. With construction now complete and the team moving onto phase two, everyone can be extremely proud with what they have achieved on what was a very complex project. "It gives me goosebumps that we were able to move forward with this project dur- ing the pandemic and have new and existing mental health programs acti- vated between July 13 and August 17. When we went live it was a very proud moment for me and the whole team," says Chandra. He adds that open and transpar- ent engagement with the community helped in developing a fruitful rela- tionship, and also having a team who believed in open communication with a desire to make this work for every- one involved was a blessing. "Even on those days when you are tired, when you see the team standing behind you as well as the community, you know you are doing something good," Chandra concludes. A 7480 Wilson Avenue, Delta, British Columbia, Canada V4G 1H3 T: 604 946 8618 | F: 604 946 0618 | E: estimating@wesbridge.com WWW.WESBRIDGE.COM Proud Partner for the Supply & Installation of Structural and Miscellaneous Steel for Royal Columbian Hospital, Phase 1 REACHING BEYOND BOUNDARIES Westbridge.indd 1 2021-03-16 10:46 AM 2009 WEST 4TH AVENUE VANCOUVER, BC V6J 1N3 T. (604) 736.6562 F. (604) 736.9805 525 11TH AVENUE SW, SUITE 305 CALGARY, AB T2R 0C9 T. (403) 294.9027 F. (403) 294.9028 214 KING STREET WEST, SUITE 214 TORONTO, ON M5H 3S6 T. (647) 253.0086 F. (647) 253.2085 WWW.NEMETZ.COM PROUD TO BE THE ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS ON THE LONDONDERRY AFFORDABLE HOUSING REDEVELOPMENT Nemetz.indd 1 2021-03-11 10:49

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