Ottawa’s Offices Create High-Profile Appearance with Acoustic, Sustainable Performance
A new 650,000-square-foot, 17-story federal office complex makes its home at 90 Elgin Street on Crown-owned property amongst Ottawa’s national monuments and institutions. The $250 million landmark building features ceiling systems throughout its lobby and offices. In addition to helping create an attractive workplace, these ceiling systems also support requirements for comfort, including acoustics; safety, including seismic conditions; and sustainability, including LEED Gold criteria.
As the 90 Elgin Street’s development manager, GWL Realty Advisors Inc. ensured the building would be worthy of its prominent placement and national significance for the Government of Canada as the landowner and The Great-West Life Assurance Company as the building owner. Designed by the joint venture of DIALOG and David S. McRobie Architects (DSMA), the building’s stature and style are consistent with other significant federal buildings surrounding Confederation Square.
Bringing this vision to reality, Ron Engineering and Construction (Eastern) Ltd. served as the design-builder and began construction in 2011. “Maybe about every 25 years a building this big comes to Ottawa. This one takes the cake,” said Mike Tang, superintendent at Ron Engineering. “It’s a very large building with a very large lobby. It takes a team effort.”
Morin Bros. Building Supplies’ vice president, Gerald Morin, CTR, agreed, “Like us, Ron Engineering had a long-time relationship working with DSMA and they had great faith in the design-build team members they gathered. It was a good group of people around the table.”