Award

M A R C H 2 0 2 2 | 51 Smith Street Lofts R EN D ER I N G BY V I D E A V I S I O N T EC H N O LO GY CO. LT D. /CO U RT E S Y M M P A RC H I T EC T S I N C . SMITH STREET LOFTS by NATALIE BRUCKNER I t has often been cited that the answer to Canada's challenge of achieving its 2030 climate targets lies in its existing building stock; only by upgrading and retrofitting what has already been built will we make the leaps necessary to achieving our goal of net zero. But, as anyone in the industry knows, retrofitting and renovating is often far more challenging than building new … and it takes a certain type of developer and team to navigate through those challenges for a suc- cessful outcome. A shining example of this is Smith Street Lofts. Wander down Smith Street in Winnipeg and you will come across a stunning 21-storey, mixed-use building (two-storey commercial and residen- tial above) that may look at first glance like a new-build, but is in fact a very thoughtful revitalization of what was once the Manitoba Housing Building. The structure had sat derelict for four years before being purchased by Edison Properties – a company well-known for its commitment to community, quality of living, and the environment. "Our founders have always taken the position that if you build a good building, people will come. Residents want buildings they can be proud of and we knew we could achieve this here," says Frank Koch-Schulte, VP at Edison. "We came up with an idea during the initial planning phase of a two-storey loft catered towards fami- lies. We thought it would give us an opportunity to have something new downtown that would have a lot of the amenities and attributes that we think would be appealing, like smaller units with balconies for outdoor space and lots of shared common areas." In 2017, MMP Architects was engaged by Edison Properties (a long-standing client) to facilitate the renovation. "In the beginning, we did not anticipate that this project would reach this level of complexity or revi- talization. As time progressed we found that the existing structure was in need of major repairs. Equity from a previous renovation attempt was unsuccessful due to the significant amount of structural, environmen- tal, and service repair," explains Aleksandra Chomik, project architect at MMP. But, always up for a chal- lenge, Edison invested $15 million in demolishing/repairing and remediat- ing the existing building. Akman Construction was brought on early as a construction consultant to advise on means/methods, time- lines, constructability, and feasibility to ensure the smooth running of the project. "We provided estimating ser- vices and worked on mock-ups that would form the basis of the construc- tion documents," says Jared Akman, director of operations. For the initial design of Smith Street Lofts, the existing structure dictated a lot of the philosophy, but Edison Properties wanted to ensure it would look inviting and pedestrian friendly. The building is supported on two levels of concrete beams and columns, and from levels 3 up, there are eight-inch concrete walls every 16 feet on centre. "This structural limitation kept the footprint of the existing suites between 350 to 500 square feet. To increase the suites, it was more feasible to remove three- pieces of hollow core and create double-storey volume lofts than it was to create a new opening in a con- crete shear wall," explains Chomik. Window sizes were increased to bring more daylight into the building, but that required the removal of 18 sto- reys of exterior masonry, all of which was bearing on the second floor beam. "This opportunity provided the suites with wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling glazing. As a result, the key design ele- ments became exposed concrete and steel connections in double-storey lofts under the umbrella of a refined indus- trial design," Chomik adds. LOCATION 185 Smith Street, Winnipeg, Mantoba OWNER /DEVELOPER Edison Properties ARCHITECT MMP Architects Inc. CONSTRUCTION MANAGER Akman Construction Ltd. STRUCTUR AL CONSULTANT Crosier Kilgour & Partners Ltd. MECHANICAL /ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Epp Siepman Engineering Inc. CIVIL CONSULTANT Sison Blackburn Consulting Inc. L ANDSCAPE ARCHITECT HTFC Planning & Design TOTAL SIZE 310,000 square feet TOTAL COST $97 million (building, parkade, land)

• Cover
• Contents