Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/755184
DECEMBER 2016 | 37 Architectural Woodwork LULULEMON PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY TOP 40 WOODWORKS LTD. PHOTOGRAPHY BY IHOR PONA/COURTESY AWMAC – BC CHAPTER PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBERT STEFANOWICZ/COURTESY MORINWOOD INC. The rapid growth of architectural woodwork by ROBIN BRUNET T he art and craft of architectural woodworking thrives in 2016 – and there are no end of projects that allow practitioners to exert their full skill, whether it's large-scale work such as the UBC student union building or more intimate jobs for clients like the Urban Smiles dental office. Better still, clients seem to be more open than ever to diverse design concepts, ranging from the use of reclaimed wood to multiple shades of wood in a single space. And to cap it off, many architectural woodworkers in 2016 are seeing slightly improved operating margins as the commercial and residential markets continue to strengthen. Still, the trade is not for the faint-hearted. "For example, cabinet making has to be one of the lowest paying of all the building trades, and it's tough to attract new blood when you can make more money as a drywaller," says Kelly Glanzer, manager of Top 40 Woodworks Ltd. "A lot of things may be changing in the construction field, but one thing remains true of woodworking: you have to have a real passion for it. That's good in terms of advancing the trade and creating fabulous millwork – but it's a challenge in terms of filling jobs." Morinwood Manufacturing Inc. is a prime example of a B.C. firm that has risen to the trade's challenges, partly due to it being an early adopter of Building Information Modelling (BIM) design technology. Principal Tom Morin says the software let his company carve out a niche of collaborating directly with architects: "Because we're on a common platform, we're able to contribute to projects in a way that was not possible before." Arguably, Morinwood's most prominent project over the past decade has been the Vancouver Convention Centre expansion, for which it provided over two acres of robot-built feature walls, clad in B.C. lumber, as well as roughly 52 linear kilome- tres of decorative glulam beams that cover the ceilings (the design gives visitors the illusion they are walking through a stylized 3D stack of lumber). However, 2016 sees Morinwood continuing to be heavily involved in another iconic Vancouver project: Trump Tower. Morin says, "We started on site about 24 Carving A Niche months ago, and it has been a demanding job for a demanding customer, using exotic materials like high gloss eucalyptus veneer. We've supplied and installed the veneered finishes throughout the 71-storey tower as well as the hotel public areas and spa. While occupancy of the tower portion is not far off, most of our focus as 2016 draws to a close is on helping the client get occupancy of the podium levels." Discussing Trump Tower leads Morin to comment on changes in the construc- tion industry. "Increasingly, clients want work on a fast track schedule. Starting con- struction before the design is complete holds the promise of saving time and getting input from the trades doing the work. It's really effective when there is a high level of co-ordination and co-operation among the owner, consultants, builder and sub- trades. My company has been successful with this model because we've developed a process for P3, design-build and design-assist contracts. "But fast track falls on its face when it's done in an old-school, top-down 'hurry up and get it done' environment," adds Morin. "It's clear that owners want this kind of alternative contract delivery. I think companies have to adapt to that reality." Thanks to a prudent business strategy (namely, working in as many different sec- tors as possible without compromising quality) Top 40 Woodworks Ltd. is perpetu- ally busy, and a partial list of clients who secured the company's services in 2016 includes Mac's Convenience Stores, Royal Inland Hospital, BC Hydro and Gabriola Island fire halls, plus multiple projects for native bands. As of October, Top 40 was also preparing to embark on a $1-million dollar project for Delta Garden Hotel in Kelowna and a $2-million dollar project for Cascades Casino in Penticton. The latest software and automation go a long way in enabling Top 40's 65-person crew to handle such an enormous workload, but as projects like Lululemon Athletica in Burnaby's Metrotown attest, woodworkers at the top of their game are more than ever relied upon to advance the artistic merits of the trade (for the trendy retailer, Top 40 created a 90-foot by 40-foot wood storefront covering that mimics the mul- tiple folds and angles found in Japanese origami). Glanzer says of attracting new talent, "We work with all the trade schools, and once we find people who are truly keen about the profession, we support them every way we can." As challenging as recruitment and retention may be, Glanzer says it's not all doom and gloom. "Millennials, despite the negative publicity they sometimes receive, seek employment where they can pursue their passion and obtain work satisfaction, and that certainly describes employment at Top 40." That is also true of Continental Cabinet Company Inc., whose 70 woodworkers are "going full guns with a huge amount of work," according to VP Bruce Donald. "In this business, many talented people live from paycheck to paycheck – and yet, their dedication is such that if you ask them to work overtime, they don't hesitate to do so." Award winning work at the Student Union Building, University of British Columbia, B.C.; Morinwood's millwork-cherry ceiling panels at the Manulife Tower, Vancouver, B.C. Top 40's origami-inspired storefront covering for Lululemon Athletica, Burnaby, B.C.