The 90 Elgin Street Redevelopment Project will include 60,000 m2 of office and ground floor retail space accessible from Elgin, Albert and Slater streets. The new 17-storey building has been designed and will be constructed to meet a LEED® Gold certification. (CNW Group/Great-West Life Assurance Company)
A targeted LEED(R) Gold landmark on Ottawa’s Ceremonial Route
The Great-West Life Assurance Company has been awarded the redevelopment of the Lorne Building, a Crown-owned property at 90 Elgin Street in downtown Ottawa. Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC), made the announcement last week. The redevelopment calls for the demolition of the existing eight-storey building which will be replaced by a new 17-storey, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED(R)) Gold office building that will be leased by the federal government for 25 years, after which ownership will revert to the Crown. Exterior demolition work is scheduled to commence June 1, with full completion and occupancy by the government scheduled for late 2014.
The development team for the 60,000 m2 building includes: GWL Realty Advisors Inc., a subsidiary of Great-West Life, as development manager; Ron Engineering and Construction (Eastern) Ltd. as design-builder, and DIALOG McRobie Architects as prime consulting architects.
The vision for this property is grounded by several key objectives:
– To integrate the new building within its historic surroundings through materials and scale. The development team’s care in the selection of materials, including natural stone combined with glass and aluminum, will resonate with metals and stone displayed in adjacent historic buildings. The building is composed in two parts: an eight-storey pavilion of monumental scale fronting Elgin Street, consistent with other significant federal buildings surrounding Confederation Square, integrated with a 17-storey tower to the west, responding to the scale of high-rise buildings within the urban core.
– To visibly demonstrate sustainable design principles. Consistent with PWGSC’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, the development is targeting LEED(R) Gold certification by the Canada Green Building Council. Special sustainable design features include a high-performance building envelope, green roofs at all lower levels, a living wall within a skylit atrium at the Albert Street entrance, generous access to natural light within all workspaces and a six-storey exterior green wall bordering the Slater Street plaza.
– To enrich the urban quality of the building’s surroundings by enhancing the pedestrian’s experience on Slater and Albert Streets. This will be achieved through design for pedestrian scale, provision of multiple public building entrance points, easily accessible and varied street-fronting retail uses, and the introduction of a substantial landscaped public forecourt accessible directly from Elgin Street.
90 Elgin Street is centrally located on an urban site surrounded by iconic and historic landmarks including the National War Monument, the National Arts Centre, the British High Commission, and the Lord Elgin Hotel.
About Great-West Life
The Great-West Life Assurance Company is a leading Canadian insurer, with interests in the life and health insurance, investment, savings and retirement income and reinsurance businesses, primarily in Canada and Europe. Great-West Life has more than $199 billion* in assets under administration and is a subsidiary of Great-West Lifeco Inc., a member of the Power Financial Corporation group of companies.
* as of March 31, 2011
Project information follows:
————————————————————————
Project Information
————————————————————————
Gross Building Area 60,000 m2 (above grade)
————————————————————————
Building Height 17 storeys
————————————————————————
Parking 300 underground stalls
————————————————————————
Land Owner The Government of Canada
————————————————————————
Building Owner The Great-West Life Assurance Company
————————————————————————
Development Manager GWL Realty Advisors Inc.
————————————————————————
Design-Builder Ron Engineering & Construction (Eastern) Ltd.
————————————————————————
Prime Consulting
Architects DIALOG McRobie Architects
————————————————————————
Structural Engineers Adjeleian Allen Rubeli
————————————————————————
Mech./Elec. Engineers Goodkey Weedmark & Associates
————————————————————————
Civil Engineers R.V. Anderson & Associates
————————————————————————
LEED & Sustainability Morrison Hershfield
————————————————————————
Landscape Architects James B. Lennox & Associates
————————————————————————
Development Team:
GWL Realty Advisors Inc.
GWL Realty Advisors Inc. is a leading real estate investment advisor providing comprehensive asset, property and development management and other specialized real estate services to pension funds and institutional clients. GWL Realty Advisors Inc. has $12 billion in assets under management and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Great-West Life Assurance Company. For more information visit: http://www.gwlra.com/
Ron Engineering and Construction (Eastern) Ltd.
Ron Engineering and Construction (Eastern) Ltd. is a leading Canadian Design Builder, Project Manager, Construction Manager, and General Contractor. Since its inception in 1958, the company has been involved in a diverse range of complex and high profile projects in the commercial, residential, heavy engineering, industrial and institutional sectors, many of which are visible landmarks in the national capital area. For more information visit: http://www.roneng.com/
David S McRobie Architects Inc.
David S McRobie Architects Inc. (DSMA) is an award-winning architectural firm based in Ottawa, Ontario. Founded in 1989, DSMA offers architectural, interior and urban design services for a wide range of commercial, institutional, retail, recreational and transportation projects. For more information visit: http://www.mcrobie.com/
DIALOG
DIALOG has a track record of award-winning collaborative design excellence. Founded by the merged firms of Cohos Evamy + Hotson Bakker Boniface Haden + Mole White Associates + Office for Urbanism, DIALOG is committed to the practice of sustainable design with a focus on the success of clients and communities. Working from studios in Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver, DIALOG credits its strength to its outstanding multidisciplinary team who deliver excellence and a collaborative approach to the provision of architectural, engineering, interior design, planning and urban design services. For more information visit: http://www.designdialog.ca/
For further information: Marlene Klassen, APR Assistant Vice-President, Communication Services, 204.946.7705
