Award

78 | august 2015 spectrum square Offi ce Building light inside or block it) and exterior sunshades. "As with so many other ele- ments of the project, the shades serve a dual purpose," says Gillanders. "On the south and west sides of the building they are oriented horizontally, and on the opposite sides they run vertically in a striking architectural pattern. It's beautiful to look at and very functional." Translucent panels on the curtain wall similarly provide visual appeal while blocking heat gain within the building. David Bradbeer, principal of BPI Consultants Corp. (another Aerocentre V alumni) describes the working relation- ship between the core team as "truly pro- ductive, with each of us knowing the other well enough to communicate in an effi- cient and collaborative manner." Instead of challenges that usually arise from the design of ambitious LEED Gold projects, Spectrum's challenges were confined to a single factor. "We had two really bad winters that created all sorts of drainage, compaction and other soil issues," he says. Jim Broomfield, director, operations for Eastern Construction Company Limited, elaborates: "The first winter of 2013/14 was especially troublesome because the sub-zero temperatures wreaked havoc with our formwork." Caissons to support building column footings had to be drilled and new site services such as storm sewers installed, and the freezing conditions impacted the progress of this subsurface work. "However, we subsequently tweaked the schedule to make up for lost days," says Broomfield. "Vertical formwork to the second floor was done between December and March of 2014, and from that point on construction continued without any problems." Broomfield adds that the elimination of dropped ceilings and creation of an open perimeter simplified the construc- tion process somewhat. "As for under- floor air distribution, that's more of a co-ordination issue than a construction complication," he says. As of June of 2015 the new office build- ing was already 40 per cent leased, and a second 255,000-square-foot building has been designed and is ready to be con- structed pending favourable market con- ditions. "We're hoping to obtain building permits this summer," says Bradbeer. For her part, Lafave is excited about the prospect of fully developing the 30-acre site. "By using the same key professionals to develop the rest of Spectrum Square, we will keep improv- ing upon what already has been created," she says. "We're very proud of the com- plex; it shows how vibrant an office park can be." A Proud to be the electrical contractor on the Tyndale University College & Seminary 470 Midwest Road, Toronto, ON M1P 4Y5 Phone: (416) 288-8222 • www.guildelectric.com Guild Electric.indd 1 15-06-26 2:03 We are proud to be LEED Consultants for the Spectrum Square Office Building project. 416-656-6606 | info@greenreason.ca | greenreason.ca a sustainable building consulting and project management company Reason.indd 1 2015-07-02 10:42 AM

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