Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/354800
LOCATION 16615 109th Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta OWNER/DEVELOPER SilverBirch Hotels & Resorts PROJECT MANAGER Tidball Projects ARCHITECTS Kasian Architecture Interior Design & Planning (for DoubleTree) / Chamberlain Architects (for Home2 Suites) GENERAL CONTRACTOR Ledcor Construction Limited (for DoubleTree exterior and Home2 Suites) / Shurway Contracting Ltd. (for DoubleTree) STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Read Jones Christoffersen Consulting Engineers MECHANICAL CONSULTANT Hemisphere Engineering Inc. ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT SMP Engineering GUEST ROOM INTERIOR DESIGNERS B+H CHIL Design LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Picea Landscape Architecture Inc. TOTAL COST $65 million Home2 Suites by Hilton PHOTOS COURTESY SILVERBIRCH HOTELS & RESORTS Crystal Graham, adding that a year was spent rearranging all the components of the main floor "like pieces of a jigsaw, in order to determine the best fit." Some elements of the project, such as two existing ballrooms, required only a cosmetic uplift; elsewhere, retail venues were eliminated in order to improve efficiencies, and a new SilverBirch Con- ference Centre would be located on the northeast side of the building. The Kasian team was inspired by the fact that the Mayfield, sitting on the edge of the city, is grounded in rich brown soil, connected to textured and layered wheat prairies, and highlighted with unpredictable wild red and purple skies. "These elements became our colour palette," says Graham. "The red/ browns of the exterior would impart a sense of warm welcome, along with the prairie beiges dabbled with bright gold, red and purple. B+H CHIL designed the guest rooms with a variety of natural tones accented with our purple sunset colours to impart a sense of serenity. As for the public areas, they combine all the local natural colours and textures for focused drama and excitement." The arrival and entry porte cochère was enhanced using perforated metal panels installed over the existing brick veneer structure; this semi transpar- ent screen provided visual interest and acted as a way-finding element, while conveniently hiding unsightly mechani- cal and skylight components. The north tower re-skinning used a limited palette of materials to make the structure seem new and lighter, while the west and east tower elevations were re-skinned in composite panels incorporating two-tone colours – again, to create a feeling of buoyancy. All the windows were replaced with high-effi- ciency low E glazing, and a renovated penthouse and parapet/roof line was intended to give the facility a sense of finish and integration with the main east/west elevations. Even though the renovation work necessary to achieve these and other design elements proved to be more complex than originally anticipated, Neil Dubois, senior project manager for Ledcor Construction Limited, says the Mayfield had good bones. "We retained certain components, such as an exterior brick facade, wherever possible, and in order to minimize disruption we phased construction so that we worked on the towers and common areas sequentially," says Dubois. Construction commenced in Janu- ary 2013, and despite Edmonton expe- riencing the highest rainfall in 25 years in June, delays were minimal. "There was a certain archeological interest in our work in that when we demolished the trade centre for Home2, we dug up remnants of hockey rinks and tennis courts," says Dubois. Some excavation yielded more useful finds. "We uncovered an old swimming pool that had been filled with sand then layered over with concrete, and except for the mechanics it turned out to be in fine shape, so we lengthened it by four feet," says McCurdy. "As for the material produced by our demolition, we recy- cled a lot of steel girders and donated flooring and glass fronts to local athletic venues." The new DoubleTree by Hilton opened in Januar y; Home2 Suites opened on July 24. For her part, Graham is delighted with the outcome. "The hotel is now a destination in Edmonton: locals as well as guests love spending time in this warm, inviting facility," she says. McCurdy adds, "This was a great collaborative process, and Kasian and the builders really understand our vision. It was a fun project to do." n AUGUST 2014 /107 DoubleTree by Hilton and Home2 Suites by Hilton