Canadian Builders Quarterly

november/december 2011
cornerstone architecture, p. 25 Perfecting resort design
architects four limited, p. 78 Working in concert with the landscape
Canadian Builders Quarterly
masonry in ontario
From clay to brick to limestone, the craft continues to evolve its historic influence on the province p. 68
The soluTionisTs
Behind Canadas most complex projects is the work of structural engineers, whose solutions and expertise are often left unsung p. 60
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THE SOLUTIONISTS
Behind each of Canadas most complex projects are structural engineers like blackwell bowick partnership ltd. and read jones christoffersenunsung heroes whose knowledge and wherewithal are providing answers to some of the industrys most difficult questions
By Lisa Ryan
w
Read Jones Christoffersen recently completed an addition to the beaty biodiversity research centre & natural history museum to house its prized mature female blue whale and several other specimens. The 85-foot-long skeleton is suspended from the ceiling with stainless-steel cables. The firms Vancouver structural-engineering team provided engineering for both the building and the elegant whale suspension system.
hile architects may design the visually stunning building, it is the structural engineer who serves as the sites chief problem solver. The profession requires an adherence to the architects vision of what the client has asked for while operating within the financial and pragmatic limits of the project. They must respect and uphold building codes. They must take into consideration public safety. They must meet the architectural challenges unique to each project, and plan for problems both foreseen and not. Its a job with a lot of responsibility, but for those who make it a livelihood, they wouldnt have it any other way. Its a solutions business, and the best know how to deliver efficiently and effectively. For Ethan Ghidoni, a principal of the Toronto-based Blackwell Bowick Partnership, the job is one of facilitation and flexibility. There are a bunch of different things that an engineer can do to contribute to making the construction process run smoothly, he says. One of them is to foresee problems on the site based on the demands of the project, and then come up with good, experiencebased solutions for those. The other thing we contribute is coming up with solutions and approaches while being flexible, and incorporating the thoughts or ideas of the contractors. If were working together, we can usually come up with a great solution thats easy to build. Blackwell Bowick has emerged as one of the leading structural engineering firms in the country, as has Vancouver-based firm Read Jones Christoffersen (RJC). Both firms offer their clients groundbreaking solutions, from the latest, most innovative technologies to on-site problem solving. Thomas Poon, an associate at RJC, says, We help with client development, proposals, and looking after projectsfrom the conceptual design, to the contract-document stage, to construction administration, including design and construction meetings.
Photos: michaelsherman.ca.
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robson Domes, Ice rink & Plaza Vancouver, BC

The two domes of the Robson Domes, Ice Rink & Plaza are a stunning spectacle, transparent and oftentimes illuminated. In order to support the weight of the new domes, the existing cantilevered concrete beams had to be upgraded. RJC, the engineers behind the revitalization, were also tasked with fitting the domes into existing semicircular support structures. The structure of each dome was created using a 3-D REVIT model and SAP program. The firm also took weather load and temperatures into consideration. Approximately 144,000 pounds of stainless steel were used in the construction of the domes. The ice rink was also expanded 10 inches from each end of the former ice rink in order to fit one full sheet for curling, and the existing structures at the plaza were checked thoroughly for the extra weight of the new ice rink. Since its completion, the Robson Domes, Ice Rink & Plaza has won countless accolades. It was awarded the CISC 2009 BC Steel Awards and Award of Excellence, whose judging architect described it as the jewel of the ring.
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Photos: hubert kang, Michael Elkan, and ziggy Welsh.
THE
SOLUTIONISTS
Poon and his colleagues often find themselves tasked with challenging structural designs and must constantly seek out innovative ways to interpret the architects vision. While working with Hughes Condon Marler Architects on Vancouvers Robson Dome, Ice Rink & Plaza, which served as the 2010 Winter Olympics celebration site, the client requested that the team fit an elliptical dome into an existing structure. The new elliptical dome geometry is to suit into existing semicircle beams, Poon explains. We sliced horizontally through a toroidal surface to suit the existing semicircular beam geometry, which provides a constant surface that allows for repetitive glass production. RJC kept the dome members as far apart as possible to achieve architectural transparency. The dome itself is 22 feet, cantilevered from the tip of the existing 25-foot cantilevered beam, to create the sense of lightness that the architect was looking for, Poon says. It was a real challenge to upgrade the existing beam to suit new geometry and loadings of the dome. Poon also points out the location of the dome, at the congested intersection of Robson Street and Howe Street, was a potential roadblock of the project. Lengthy erection of steel is not allowed on the busy streets, he says. The construction team divided each dome into four pieces, which were prefitted in their shop to suit the existing geometry, then promptly dismantled and shipped them to the construction site overnight. The pieces were hoisted and connected to each dome over the course of eight hours spread between two consecutive Saturdays. The end result is stunning, Poon says. The dome is one of the examples of architectural vision and engineering working in unison. Poons colleague Dr. C.C. Yao, a principal with the firm, faced different obstacles while working on the University of British Columbias Beaty Biodiversity Research Centre and Natural History Museum, as the project called for a modern, sleek design while also requiring extra space to
The dome is one of the examples of architectural vision and engineering working in unison.
thomas poon, associate, read jones christofferson
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store the centres fossils and samples. We actually created a basement, Yao says. He and his team designed a large underground storage area for the centres archives and research, and added on a new research wing and office. To allow visitors of the museum to view the specimens, the team created a large pit with a glass covering on top of it in the new basement. The building was recently awarded the Lieutenant Governors Medal for Architecture. Ghidoni points out that, while these obstacles are unique to their respective projects, engineers must overcome similar roadblocks quite frequently and are trained to foresee any and all problems that may arise on a construction site. One of the biggest ways to avoid problems with the construction process is to predict them, he says. When youre doing design in the early stages, you must predict very clearly exactly how the
builder would want to build it. That type of thinking will often give you the best solutions. As Blackwell Bowick was working on the structural design of the 150,000-square-foot Brampton Soccer Centre in 2007, principal Christian Bellini had to consider the potential impact of lateral loads from winds or earthquakes. Bellini utilized a series of structural steel bases to ensure that the indoor soccer field was secure. He also foresaw the potential danger of building on the sites variable soil and decided to replace the soil with engineered fill materials featuring hidden layers of compaction, a veritable invisible ingenuity. In the end, the building was actually built on a layer of engineered fill, Bellini says. Bellini also points out that one of the structural engineers top challenges is to work within the financial
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THE
SOLUTIONISTS
Opposite and left: Blackwell Bowicks innovative solution for the brampton soccer centre involved replacing the sites variable soil with an engineered fill. The threat of wind and earthquakes led to the structures steel reinforcement.
When it comes to knowledge and understanding new technologies and innovative things in the market, we must have a good understanding of them, know how they work, and be able to utilize them at the proper time.
ethan ghidoni, principal, blackwell bowick partnership
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6 evergreen Toronto, ON
When it came to the structural design of 6 Evergreen, a private residence located in Toronto, Blackwell Bowick principal Ian Mountfort worked in tandem with the architect and builder to find the best responses to problems that came up, Mountfort says. For this house, they wanted to achieve a very high-level modern aesthetic, but in the parameters of conventional stud construction. The team decided to use engineered lumber only when they needed it and attempted to stick with conventional platform framing. To achieve the houses sleek look, the team added windows all across the front of the house. Embedded steel-plate columns, sandwiched around conventional wood framing, help the structure resist wind forces. The house could have been all structural steel with wooding, but instead we went to conventional reinforced, Mountfort says. The final outcome is a contemporary, clean, and open house, with extraordinary architectural detail.
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THE
SOLUTIONISTS
One of the biggest ways to avoid problems with the construction process is to predict them. When youre doing design in the early stages, you must predict very clearly exactly how the builder would want to build it.
ethan ghidoni, principal, blackwell bowick partnership
limitations of each project. That means utilizing cost-efficient materials and cutting out excessive, unnecessary aspects of the design when necessary. The engineers must also have open communication with everyone involved in the construction process. When there are problems on-site, or if theres been changes made by the client, we must be able to provide solid, qualitative feedback to the contractor to enable them to make informed decisions about how theyre going to construct something, Ghidoni says. Blackwell Bowick principal Ian Mountfort took such financial restrictions into consideration with the design of 6 Evergreen, a private residence in Toronto. The project was a contemporary house, featuring large windows and a polished design. With the clients fixed on a really tight budget, Mountfort worked with the projects architect and contractor to tackle each of the problems in the most financially sound way possible. In once case, the house has a tall window in the front centre, and the roofs profile originally slimmed right down on it. All of the
framing of the house had to accommodate the window and roof. We developed some workable details to achieve that, and I think the effect is exactly what the architect was looking for, Mountfort says. While such an endeavour could have cost the client a pretty penny, Blackwell Bowick stayed on budget to ensure that the framing was done in a cost-efficient manner. It was the house they wanted in the budget they wanted, Mountfort says. The adaptability exemplified in 6 Evergreen is indicative of the problem-solving nature inherent in the day-to-day workload of a structural engineer. As they are each construction sites problem solvers, structural engineers have to constantly educate themselves on new construction techniques and emerging technologies. Ghidoni says it best: When it comes to knowledge and understanding new technologies and innovative things in the market, we must have a good understanding of them, know how they work, and be able to utilize them at the proper time. CBQ
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Canadian Builders Quarterly - "The Solutionists"

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november/december 2011

cornerstone architecture, p. 25 Perfecting resort design

architects four limited, p. 78 Working in concert with the landscape