Ontario Construction Report staff writer
Pomerleau says has been awarded a design-bridge-build contract for the construction of a new residence hall at the University of Toronto (UofT) Scarborough. The contractor declined to outline the value of the design-build contract for the project to be completed in time for the fall, 2023 semester.
The 746-bed structure at 3300 Ellesmere Rd. will occupy approximately 265,000 sq. ft.
“The project is a CCDC-14 design-build contract awarded for $106,069,906 to Pomerleau Inc., the university said in a statement in late June. “Questions about indefinite/fixed are answered by referring to the CCDC-14 document.”
This is Pomerleau’s first design-bridge-build project in the Toronto market, meaning that a large portion of the architectural design was elaborated before design-build bidders were brought to the table, Pomerleau says. The owner’s design architects team, composed of Core Architects and Handel Architects, will be complemented by the Pomerleau’s design-build team which includes IBI Group, MCW, RDH, and EXP.
“We are very proud to be partnering with the UofT Scarborough for the delivery of this unique Passive House building, which is set to be one of the most eco-efficient in the country,” Patrick Stiles, vice-president and regional manager at Pomerleau, said in a statement.
“Our focus on building innovative and sustainable buildings has never been stronger, and we are excited to work with the UofT Scarborough to create a safe, healthy and inspirational living environment for its students. The future of construction is here, and we are very excited to be undertaking this flagship project for many generations to come in the GTA.”
This project is one of the first in its category to be constructed to the Passive House standard, which couples low energy use with high efficiency building and window insulation, orientation, ventilation and functionality.
The building bedrooms in a variety of formats, as well as a servery, a dining hall, a kitchen, a collection of mixed-use spaces for workshop-style learning, as well as offices. An outdoor roof garden and terrace will complete the living spaces.
The Pomerleau team expects to be breaking ground later this summer.
Throughout the construction process, the latest in estimation and building information management technology (BIM) will be used to maximize precision in material usage, energy efficiency planning and timeline management. The site will also leverage the services of Spot, Boston Dynamic’s robot dog, to document site progress and support health and safety and quality standards management.
“We are very pleased to solidify our presence in the Ontario education building market segment,” said Eric Gaulin, Pomerleau’s executive vice-president – Canadian building operations.
“We have developed an excellent collaborative relationship with the UofT Scarborough, with whom we concluded our first virtual contract award process, a first for both our organizations. It demonstrates our commitment to overcoming the logistical challenges of the current pandemic to ensure the successful start of the project,” he said.