Award

AUGUST 2016 | 57 OpenRoad Audi Boundary and OpenRoad VW PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OPENROAD AUTO GROUP LTD. OpenRoad Audi Boundary and OpenRoad VW by NATALIE BRUCKNER-MENCHELLI I t's a car enthusiasts dream. OpenRoad Auto Group, B.C.'s largest automotive dealership group, has gone above and beyond with its latest venture; a 113,000-square-foot Audi dealership, a 45,000-square- foot Volkswagen dealership, and an 8,000-square-foot detail centre. Located on nearly eight acres on the corner of Boundary Road and Lougheed Highway in Burnaby, B.C., the brand new "Citiplex" raises the bar in delivering an outstanding automotive shopping experience. Finding a site to house such a massive undertaking was the first challenge faced by OpenRoad CEO Christian Chia. But when he came across the site on one of B.C.'s busiest intersections, all the pieces of the puzzle started to slot together. As with most projects, the site came with its own challenges. "Site preparation was extensive as it contained up to 3.5-metres of peat down five-metres below existing grade. Before we could remove the peat and install structural fill, the building areas needed to be preloaded with up to three to four metres of preload," explains Gavin Yee, VP of construction services for Ventana Construction Corporation. "There were initial challenges with the preload operations, and adjustments were made to the height of preload and the sequence of sand installation to reduce the effects of 'squeezing the toothpaste' [peat] too rapidly and mitigate the effects this had on perimeter conditions. The preload duration was over a year before acceptable settlement readings were achieved." Once the site preparations were successfully completed, building of the Citiplex could begin. Working together with OpenRoad, Audi AG headquarters and The Volkswagen Group, Christopher Boyzk Architects Ltd. was able to come up with designs that would marry the brands with OpenRoad's own visions. The largest of the three buildings, the Audi dealership, has a design concept that is centered on the brand essence of Audi's "Vorpsrung durch Technik," meaning advancement through technology. Combined with the brand value of sporty, progressive sophistication, the design principle is translated through key characteristics including prominent use of the colour aluminum, asymmetrical design and transparency. The three-storey, cast-in-place concrete structure has a rooftop car storage and a building envelope that utilizes a combination of aluminum composite metal panels, corrugated cladding, punched windows, curtainwall and the Audi signature double honeycomb cladding system on the high-profile elevations. "The distinctive honeycomb cladding system was a DCD-specified, double- layered cladding system manufactured in Ontario. The Audi jumbo glazing panels were typically over nine-feet wide by 10-feet high," says Yee, whose construction team worked alongside John Bryson and Partners on the structural elements of the building. As you head inside you notice that the reception desk has been located in the middle of the showroom to act as a hub, says Brad Beckett, general manager of OpenRoad Audi Boundary. On the left is a brand new full size Audi Sport corner featuring high- performance cars and to the right is a coffee lounge where customers are invited to relax. At the back of the building are offices, a small exclusive showroom and 24 high-tech service bays. "OpenRoad standards for their mechanics' service bays are bright, clean lines and uncluttered; different from what you would envision typical mechanics shops to look like. The car hoists and exhaust systems are in-ground, and water, oil and air lines are concealed in the high- tech work benches," explains Yee. An expansive high drywall ceiling has been finished with level five standards and there is a distinctive funnel plaster feature ceiling that contains compound curves. A striking curved textured black finish showroom wall defines the vehicle showroom from the customer sales and service. Stairs across from the entrance lead you up to a second customer lounge and the third floor has been split in half, with one half for the indoor used car showroom and the other half for parking. However it is the small attention to details that really enhance the OpenRoad experience. "Even the fine details, like the bathrooms that feature high-end, eight-by-three-feet Italian tile mean there is no break in the message," adds Beckett. While distinctively different in design, the two-storey VW dealership with its rooftop car storage complements the Audi building. Its "White Frame" design concept

• Cover