Building engineering awards - 2010

RBC Centre, Toronto

The first major commercial development in Toronto’s vibrant downtown core in more than a decade has been recognised by the Ontario Concrete Awards programme. The 42-storey RBC Centre received the Sustainable Concrete Construction Award at a recent industry event which acknowledged excellence and innovation in projects in which concrete materials were used effectively to minimize economic, social and environmental impacts.

Halcrow Yolles provided the structural engineering services for the development, which was designed to achieve LEED Gold. Relevant features of the project include the specification of concrete and other materials with a high recycled content and diversion of almost 100% of construction waste from landfill sites.

The Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts, Ontario

The striking new performance venue in Richmond Hill, Ontario received the Jury’s Choice award at the recent 10th annual WoodWorks! Awards. Sponsored by Ontario Wood Works and the Canadian Wood Council, the programme recognises people and organisations that are advancing the use of wood in construction.

The Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts is an important cultural centre in the community. The 630-seat facility has been designed to be flexible so as to meet the requirements of the wide range of events – from live stage events to public functions – that it will host. The design preserves and integrates the former Richmond Hill High School, a listed heritage building in the town’s historic core.

Wood plays an important role in the theatre, both acoustically and aesthetically. Wood veneer panels on the interior of the horseshoe-shaped auditorium disperse and reflect sound from the stage, and wood presents a warm visual element on the walls of the public lobbies.

Halcrow Yolles provided the structural engineering services for this important contribution to the town’s cultural legacy.

Broadcasting Place, Leeds Metropolitan University

Broadcasting Place, Leeds Metropolitan University

The Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), the world’s leading body dedicated to the field of tall buildings and the recognised international source for information in this field, has awarded its prestigious Best Tall Building Overall award to Leeds Metropolitan University’s impressive new complex, Broadcasting Place. The striking student accommodation and teaching facility had previously been named CTBUH’s Best Tall Building – Europe.

In a year in which an exceptionally large number of tall buildings were completed, Broadcasting Place was honoured not for its 23-storey height, but for its outstanding job in creating a sense of place. The jury felt that the building succeeded in this on a number of levels, with its addressing of city and urban context, its respect for the surrounding heritage buildings and the richness of its architectural design.

The iconic building, with its unusual, angular shape and ‘rusty’ exterior of naturally corroded steel that captures the essence of Yorkshire’s rugged landscape, is a true product of its urban environment – connecting the new with the old. Described as “humble”, “economical” and “environmental”, Broadcasting Place greatly impacts the university campus and the skyline of Leeds.

Halcrow Yolles provided structural, civil and geotechnical engineering and BREEAM services for the project.

Broadcasting Place, Leeds Metropolitan University

Broadcasting Place, Leeds Metropolitan University

The impressive new complex at Leeds Metropolitan University, has added another award to its portfolio. Selected from a shortlist of four to receive the LEAF Awards 2010 for the Mixed-use Building of the Year, Broadcasting Place was one of the noteworthy projects honoured by the awards programme for innovative designs and solutions.

As structural engineers for the project, Halcrow Yolles overcame a number of design challenges. The result was an iconic building which captures the essence of Yorkshire’s rugged landscape with its ‘rusty’ exterior of naturally corroded steel. The 23-storey complex, with its striking angular, faceted façade, comprises facilities for student accommodation, teaching and religious worship.

The Ledge at Skydeck Chicago

The Ledge at Skydeck Chicago

The thrilling new observation platform at the iconic Willis Tower, continues its winning streak with its newest industry recognition.

The innovative project was awarded the 2010 Excellence in Structural Engineering Award in the Other category by the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations in the US.

The award programme recognises creative achievement and innovation in structural engineering. .

South hotel blocks and villas

Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort

Anantara’s striking new development has added to its list of industry kudos with two new awards from Hospitality Design Magazine. The recognition as Best Luxury Public Spaces and Best Hotel Spa was part of the prestigious Hospitality Design Awards for Creative Achievement. This annual programme, a keynote event in the hospitality industry, celebrates hospitality designs and developments that use new materials and creative designs. The project was chosen from more than 360 submissions from around the world, and was the only project from the Middle East or Africa to win.

Located in the world’s largest stretch of uninterrupted desert, the resort’s fort-inspired design blends seamlessly into the surrounding environment and, along with the interior design, reflects the traditions and history of the region.

Halcrow Yolles is proud to have provided structural engineering, building services, and construction supervision for the project. Overcoming design challenges such as the need for extensive retaining walls, with solutions rarely used in this environment, allowed us to make a significant contribution to this truly regional landmark.

The RCM

The Royal Conservatory of Music Telus Centre for Performance and Learning continues to win critical acclaim as it receives the prestigious International Architecture Award.

Sponsored by the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies, the award programme annually recognises the most important new buildings, landscape architecture and urban planning. This year’s competition attracted hundreds of submissions from more than 45 countries. Winners were selected by a jury of Mexican architects under the auspices of the Colegio de Arquitectos de la Cuidad de Mexico.

The winning projects will be presented and exhibited at The City and The World Conference in Madrid in November, before travelling to a number of other locations throughout Europe and the United States.

Halcrow Yolles provided full structural engineering services for this impressive new facility which was designed by Kuwabara Payne McKenna Architects.

The Ledge

The Ledge, the observation deck at the Willis Tower in Chicago, USA

The jewel-like viewing deck joins state-of-the-art glass technology with almost-invisible structural and mechanical systems. Its transparent bay windows give visitors a heart-racing lookout point. At 413m high, The Ledge’s glass boxes extend 1.5m from the skyscraper’s Skydeck on the 103rd floor, providing never-before-seen views of Chicago.

Halcrow Yolles provided full structural and glass engineering services for the project which was recognised as Jurors’ Favourite at the 2010 Excellence in Engineering Awards sponsored by the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois.

The Ledge was also a finalist in the Construction under US$10 million category at the recent Chicago Building Congress’s 2010 Merit Awards. The annual merit awards recognise outstanding projects in the Chicago area, and are part of the Congress’s aims to advance the art, science and technology of buildings.

The Royal Conservatory of Music

Royal Conservatory Telus Centre for Performance and Learning

Halcrow Yolles projects took four of the top five spots in the commercial / institutional category at this year’s People’s Choice Awards for Architecture (PUG Awards) in Toronto. Known for the fact that it pays tribute to Toronto’s worst new architecture as well as its best, this much anticipated annual event gives the public a chance to vote for their favourite new Toronto buildings.

Halcrow Yolles provided structural engineering services for not only the Royal Conservatory Telus Centre for Performance and Learning, which took top spot, but also for RBC, Bloorview Children’s Rehab and the Bay Adelaide Centre which took second, third and fifth place respectively.

130 Bloor Street West, Ontario

130 Bloor Street West, Toronto

The project represented a very ambitious effort to combine residential suites, a heritage, listed penthouse, and high-end retail and commercial space within, and above, an existing structure originally built in 1960.

Significant structural work was required to update and reinforce the existing structure, and, with virtually every design challenge, the application of structural steel provided a solution that was significantly better than the alternative design options.

The existing retail and office spaces were operational throughout the construction process, and the existing, designated, penthouse suite was left intact. The new residential units above provided the client with maximum design flexibility and unique floor plates at every level.

Halcrow Yolles provided full structural engineering services for this unique development.

Leeds University, Broadcasting Place

Leeds University, Broadcasting Place

Leeds Metropolitan University, Broadcasting Place, UK

The award, which is also presented regionally to buildings in the Americas; Asia and Australia; and the Middle East and Africa, recognises outstanding tall buildings for their design and technical innovations, sustainable attributes and the enhancements they provide to the cities where they are located and the lives of their inhabitants.

Broadcasting Place was selected from an unprecedented number of entries by a distinguished jury of design professionals. Halcrow Yolles provided structural engineering services for the iconic building, which captures the essence of Yorkshire’s rugged landscape with its ‘rusty’ exterior of naturally corroded steel. The 23-storey complex, with its striking angular, faceted façade, comprises facilities for student accommodation and teaching, and includes a church.

The Halcrow Yolles Manchester team, led by Neil Currie and Yuksel Adkins, provided solutions to a number of design challenges which resulted in significant value for the client and the architect, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios. These included:

CTBUH is an international organisation sponsored by architecture, engineering, planning and construction professionals to facilitate exchanges among those involved in all aspects of tall buildings. The leading body in the field, CTBUH is the recognised source of information on tall buildings, the arbiter of building height, and the determiner of the winner of the title for the world’s tallest building. Barry Charnish (Toronto) serves as Canada’s representative on the Council.

The Bay Adelaide Centre, Toronto

The Bay Adelaide Centre, Toronto, Canada

Halcrow Yolles provided full structural engineering services for this challenging project, which involved the integration of the existing substructure with new construction to create new commercial space and a retail concourse. The building’s heritage façade was retained by being re-constructed in place.

Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat

The Royal Conservatory of Music

Halcrow Yolles is proud to have collaborated on three of the projects recently awarded Design Excellence awards by the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA).

The awards are given annually to recognise the innovative skills of Ontario architects in creating spaces, buildings and communities that respect and enhance the environment and enrich human activity. Selection of the winners takes into consideration factors such as creativity, sustainability, and legacy. Projects chosen also embody OAA’s ‘good design is good business’ philosophy.

Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat, Ottawa
Maki & Associates in collaboration with Moriyama & Teshima Architects Halcrow Yolles provided the structural engineering, structural glass design and building envelope services.

The Royal Conservatory of Music, TELUS Centre for Performance & Learning
Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects Halcrow Yolles provided the structural design services

University of Toronto, Gerstein Science Information Centre, Gerstein Reading Room
Diamond & Schmitt Architects Inc. Halcrow Yolles provided structural engineering services

The innovative Crystals project in Las Vegas

Crystals at CityCenter, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Halcrow Yolles provided full structural engineering services for the 500,000 sq ft high-end retail, entertainment and dining complex and for several of its high-end retail tenants.

The Crystal’s defining feature is its extraordinary roof structure, formed by the intermingling of 19 separate planar and arcade roofs. Thousands of immense leaning columns, curving trusses and straight members made of 16,455 uniquely fabricated pieces of steel overlap and lie askew to provide the striking roof shape. In total, 13,900 tons of steel were used to construct the six arcade roofs and 13 planar roofs, which connect at different angles to converge at the height of the building. The arcade roofs also include skylights that set off the distinct and elegant interior through natural lighting.

All steel used for the project was recycled, helping Crystals to earn its LEED Gold certification.

The AISC’s Ideas2 awards recognise projects where steel has been utilised in an innovative manner, taking into consideration applications of design approaches, the project’s aesthetic and visual appeal, and uses of architecturally exposed structural steel.

Jury member Jennifer Redmond, VP of Project Management for Novel Iron Works in Greenland, N.H., remarks: “This design shows that, when using steel, the only limit to what can be created is the imagination.”

The project’s growing list of awards includes the Specialty Contracting award from ENR’s Best of the Best and Southwest Contractor Magazine’s Best of 2008 awards for Nevada.

Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto

Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto

Halcrow Yolles provided full structural engineering services for the Royal Conservatory of Music’s Telus Centre for Performance and Learning which was recently awarded the Governor General’s Medal in Architecture.

The beautiful new facility is the final phase in the Master Plan to build a new home for the Conservatory. It is a unique hybrid of teaching / rehearsal facilities and a destination concert venue.

Sponsored by the Royal Architectural Institute (RAIC) and the Canada Council for the Arts, the medals recognise outstanding design in recently built projects by Canadian architects

Queen’s Quay Terminal in Toronto

Queen’s Quay Terminal in Toronto

This vibrant mixed-use development on the waterfront was a long-derelict warehouse which was converted, in 1983, to retail shops and restaurants, offices, a performing arts venue and rooftop condominiums.

Halcrow Yolles provided structural engineering services for the Terminal, including the design of a dramatic eight-storey atrium which creates a visual link to the water and bathes the area in natural light.

The OAA’s Landmark Award recognises a project built prior to 1985 that demonstrates architecture’s beauty, endurance and lasting contribution to the community.

The West Lothian Civic Centre

The West Lothian Civic Centre has won the coveted Best Corporate work place award at the British Council for Offices (BCO) Scotland awards. The centre has been designed as a multi-user facility combining the operations of various local authority units including West Lothian Council, Lothian and Borders Police and Scottish Courts Services. The project was delivered by a multi-disciplinary design team which included Halcrow Yolles as civil and structural engineers and planning supervisor.

The winning buildings have been hailed as being pioneering examples of combining innovation of design with restoration of disused spaces, or in the case of the West Lothian Civic Centre, completely reimaging the operation of civic services.

John Shepherd, BCO judging chair for Scotland, said: "The focus of the awards is to judge buildings from a multi-dimensional point of view, combining elements such as design and architectural construction with the end result for users of the space. We had a very high standard of entries from Scotland across both the public and private sectors that have really delivered fantastic workspaces for the end user and I'd like to congratulate our winners."

Bell Trinity Square, Toronto

Halcrow Yolles has played a part on two of the projects recognised by the awards. The programme honours outstanding achievement in the commercial real estate industry, and recognises the use of innovative and creative solutions, practices, initiatives or processes.

The firm provided LEED consulting services for Bell Trinity Square which was shortlisted in the Green Award category. This Class A office building was the first LEED EB Gold Certified building in Toronto and the second in Canada. The winner in this category was the RBC Centre, the first major office development in Toronto’s financial district in more than a decade. Halcrow Yolles provided full structural engineering services for this project, which was also recognised as a shortlisted building in the Office Development category.

Halcrow Yolles is a trusted partner to commercial firms who are progressive on their stance on sustainable issues. They recognise that our integrated and collaborative design approach, and an understanding of their objectives, ensures that essential sustainability issues are fully understood and addressed.

Royal Botanical Gardens – Camilla and Peter Dalglish Atrium, Canada

The award recognises Ontario projects with a construction value between $5m CDN and $25m CDN for such attributes as innovation, sustainability and customer satisfaction.

Halcrow Yolles provided structural engineering services for this elegant facility which provides a gateway to the botanical gardens and adds a dramatic multi-purpose space for this living museum with its vision to develop and promote public understanding of the relationship between the plant world, nature and humanity