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92 | AUGUST 2015 Sir John A. Macdonald Building Sir John A. Macdonald Building by ROBIN BRUNET M aking something for the ages is rare in the construction indus- try these days, but it was vital to the renovation of Ottawa's Sir John A. Macdonald building, whose steel frame, stone and marble components had been constructed in the 1930s to be as resil- ient today as it was 80 years ago. Indeed, Sir John A. Macdonald's own- ers point out that despite the need for entirely new electrical and mechanical systems along with seismic upgrades and extensive repair of mortar and other materials, the original 28,000-square- foot Beaux art-style building had "good bones," according to Ezio DiMillo, direc- tor general of long-term planning for Public Works and Government Services Canada's parliamentary precinct. Adding to the complexity of the reno- vation, which was planned as far back as 2005, was the creation of a new annex and atrium that would bring the total size to about 61,000 square feet and provide supplementary multi-purpose rooms. The revamped Sir John A. Macdonald building would also incorporate many green components, including a green roof atop the annex to add insulation and reduce energy consumption; automated building control systems; LED lighting; and water-conserving features. NORR Limited was retained in 2008 to plan and design the rehabilitation and addition. Their approach respected the heritage of the original building, which formerly housed a Bank of Montreal and would fully preserve the granite and limestone exterior, as well as the orna- mented walls, gently vaulted ceiling and marble floors of the interior. NORR designed the atrium that links the original building to the new annex as a glass structure. David Clusiau, NORR's senior principal, architectural design, explains, "This allowed the former Bank of Montreal with its incredible architec- tural detail to be viewed from all sides." The atrium features a 70-foot wall of glass set on pivots and springs for seis- mic integrity, as well as a flat glass roof supported on glass beams that allows light deep into the building. Clusiau describes the new two-level, limestone- and granite-clad annex as a pavilion that echoes the underlying order of the original building through the stone modules and an expressed pattern of bronze inlays. Terence Brownlee, project manager for EllisDon Corporation – which began work on site in 2012 – says a crucial part of the renovation was the identification of heritage components, their removal and storage. "This enabled us to perform the seismic upgrades, because although the building's steel structure encased in concrete was generally sound, many other elements would not meet 21st cen- tury standards." He adds, "Removing and storing the heritage elements also enabled us to reuse limestone and other materials to repair the masonry and refurbish the interior." Some of the original building's limestone was reconfigured for the atrium. LOCATION 144 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario OWNER/DEVELOPER Public Works and Government Services Canada ARCHITECT NORR Limited HERITAGE CONSERVATION ARCHITECT Mark Thompson Brandt Architect & Associates Inc. (MTBA) CONSTRUCTION MANAGER EllisDon Corporation STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Halsall Associates Limited MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL CONSULTANTS Goodkey, Weedmark and Associates Ltd. ACOUSTIC CONSULTANTS Swallow Acoustic Consultants Ltd. BRONZE WORK/CLADDING Soheil Mosun Limited TOTAL SIZE 61,000 square feet TOTAL COST $99.5 million PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY PUBLIC WORKS AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES CANADA

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