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80 | D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 4 Payworks Head Office area of native prairie grasses. Staff parking is contained within a two-sto- rey parking structure along the north edge of the property to minimize impact on the site's landscaping. The project's biggest challenge was the pandemic. In 2018, Payworks began searching for acreage that would meet its growing need for space, but the building didn't start to progress until 2022. "The pandemic forced us to deal with issues like material price esca- lation and previously unfathomable product lead times," says Aaron Simoes, architect with MMP. "Initially planning a steel structure, we pivoted to precast concrete to ensure we main- tained cost surety. As a result of this we had to modify our space planning to ensure the interior layouts would work with the much larger columns, for example." "Working with our construction management team we were able to make informed decisions about struc- tural framing systems, envelope and exterior claddings, glazing system, and mechanical systems, to manage early procurement of certain materi- als and equipment through periods of worldwide material shortages and vol- atile pricing," Sharrow says. The scale of the precast work required extensive pre-planning because it is tied to the building per- mit application process and every penetration has to be confirmed. "It took a lot of design planning and good collaborative sessions to get things organized in advance," Akman says. The construction crew had to devise a way to bridge and remove excess silt found on the site. "During the foundation phase there was a lot of dewatering that required extra labour and equipment to remove and replace the soil with some granular rock and dewatering systems," Akman says. Once it began, the Payworks project ran on schedule from November 2022 to May 2024. "The overall building project felt like a win," Gamey says. "We were pleas- antly surprised by how aligned we were with the building schedule and budget that was set into place more than two years ago. I am proud that employees are embracing the opportunity to be in the new building. I hope they enjoy working in the space as much as I've enjoyed being part of its creation." A P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E S Y PAY WO R K S I N C . 101-1335 ERIN ST, WINNIPEG, MB, CANADA R3E 2S7 T 204 775 4198 F 204 772 2236 INFO@ALPHAMASONRY.COM We are proud to have been the masonry contractor for the Payworks project. Congratulations to everyone involved in this project. Masonry.indd 1 Masonry.indd 1 2024-11-15 1:42 PM 2024-11-15 1:42 PM Proud to have completed the concrete work for the Payworks project. PO BOX 625 ILE DES CHENES, MANITOBA R0A 0T0 T 204.878.2793 F 204.878.4467 C 204.782.3837 IDC Concrete.indd 1 IDC Concrete.indd 1 2024-11-18 9:12 2024-11-18 9:12

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