Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/255439
there. This design had very little ceiling space that we could run electrical into, so the design had to be extremely pre- cise and carefully staged before any- thing was constructed," says Phi Ho, principal at Acumen Engineering. With no pathway for cabling between the corridor and the class- rooms, conduits had to be buried into the concrete slab. And as this approach limits flexibility in the case of future growth, the design called for roughly 40 per cent spare capacity to be buried inside the walls. "We went through a lot more detailed layouts than we nor- mally do, showing detail right down to three-quarter-inch conduits, which is unusual," adds Ho. There were other aspects of the project that required more upfront preparation. "Some of the design elements weren't very common, so there was a real learning curve," says Savva Hatzisavva, project manager with The Haebler Group. And with a tight, inflexible timeline (demolition took place over spring break in 2012, and the school had to be ready in time to begin the school year in Septem- ber 2013), there was no room for mis- steps. "We were bringing in [trades] well in advance to go over all the details and any potential problems," says Hatzisavva, who points to the integra- tion of the European wood-panelling product with solar fins on the glazing as one of the trickiest design details. Overall, says Hatzisavva, the project was a challenging exercise in collabora- tion and planning, "but in the end, we got there – on time and on budget." n Location 4176 Alexandra Street, Vancouver, B.C. owner/DeveLoper York House School Society owner's representative First Western Projects Ltd. architect Acton Ostry Architects Inc. GeneraL contractor The Haebler Group structuraL consuLtant Fast + Epp MechanicaL consuLtant MCW Consultants Ltd. eLectricaL consuLtant Acumen Engineering LanDscape architect PWL Partnership Landscape Architects Inc. totaL area 34,000 square feet totaL project cost $13.5 million Michael elkan york House Senior School 58/ february 2014 p56-59York House.indd 58 14-01-22 11:09 AM