EllisDon: Winnipeg Airport

Fortifying the infrastructure┬áDiscover how the new terminal for Winnipeg International Airport fits into a nationwide focus on CanadaÔÇÖs infrastructure. April Terreri sits down with an EllisDon vice president to learn more. Despite the present state of the worldwide economy, the construction industry in Canada is quite strong. No one knows this better than EllisDon, one of the largest construction companies in North America and the general contractor for the redevelopment of Winnipeg International Airport. The company is involved in a number of other major Canadian construction projects, leading one to ask what is causing all this activity in Canada.Mark Fazio is vice president of the Eastern Ontario Region for EllisDon. He notes that major investments are currently being funneled into the Canadian infrastructure. ÔÇ£Canada has been somewhat remiss in this area over the last few decades, and this is why there has been a huge influx of investment from the federal and provincial governments to assure the infrastructure within the country serves the needs of the population,ÔÇØ he explains. ÔÇ£If you look at the bulk of the work EllisDon has done over the last decade, it has been directed to fortifying the infrastructure with a lot of work in redeveloping airports and in building new hospitals. Although the Canadian economy suffers from some of the same issues as the American, we still enjoy a viable economy.ÔÇØThe redevelopment of Winnipeg International Airport is an example of this policy of revitalizing the countryÔÇÖs infrastructure. EllisDon began construction in early 2007 on a brand-new 600,000-square-foot terminal at a cost of C$300 million. The terminal is being built to LEED Silver specifications and is scheduled for completion in June or July 2010. This project is part of an overall $600 million redevelopment program at the airport.The current terminal is over 40 years old, and the building is worn, with tight and crammed spaces, reports Fazio. ÔÇ£With WinnipegÔÇÖs strategic location in the middle of the country, itÔÇÖs a major hub for connecting flights and logistics. The airport was dealing with increased traffic flow for both passengers and cargo, and the Winnipeg Airports Authority was considering either renovating and updating the current terminal or building a new terminal. They decided to build new because of the significant cost involved in renovating.ÔÇØIn addition to the crescent-shaped terminal, EllisDon will also build two new roadways to run the entire length of the terminal, which is about 600 feet long. One road will feed into the lower level arrivals area, and the elevated roadway will feed into the upper level of the new terminal, serving departures. Two bridges will be constructed to connect the new terminal to the new parking garage, already built as part of the overall project.ÔÇ£The building will feature dramatic high ceilings, with a number of skylight clusters that are quite unique for an airport terminal,ÔÇØ Fazio says. ÔÇ£We will use a tremendous amount of glazing that will allow in natural light.ÔÇØ The terminal, with its open spaces, is designed to enhance the passenger experience so as soon as people walk into the terminal, they immediately understand where they have to go. The design focuses on the ease of passenger movement, enhancing convenience and accessibility. The building was designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects (the primary architect) and Stantec Architecture.At the outset of the project, the availability of suitable manpower was somewhat of an issue for EllisDon. ÔÇ£In 2007 the country was booming, and there were large sums of money being paid to people willing to work in the petrochemical industry in Alberta,ÔÇØ explains Fazio. As that industry experienced a marginal slowdown, available manpower was freed up to the point that it is no longer an issue in the construction industry.The LEED components in this project relate to the energy efficiencies designed into the building, in particular the glazing systems and a highly efficient mechanical system. ÔÇ£This is where the bulk of the LEED points will come from,ÔÇØ Fazio notes. He adds that over the last five years or so, EllisDon views LEED certification as more of a commonplace requirement in the many construction projects it has been involved with. ÔÇ£There are fewer and fewer buildings of any kind being built that do not have a LEED requirement of one level or another.ÔÇØEllisDon has on staff a department that assists in the evaluation of the criteria necessary to meet LEED certifications. ÔÇ£This department also manages the ongoing monitoring process throughout the construction phase to assure everything the builder needs to do to achieve specific points is being done correctly,ÔÇØ Fazio explains. The LEED process requires the ongoing collection of documents that are handed over to the Canada Green Building Council at the end of the project, so it is imperative that each phase is done right. ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs important for a company like ours that works on large projects over a long period of time to have this kind of internal expertise to assure everything is done properly along the way, since there is no mechanism to get interim reviews.ÔÇØFazio notes that this project has given EllisDon the chance to establish a presence in the Winnipeg and Saskatchewan market. ÔÇ£This is one of the reasons why the project falls under my overall supervision here in Eastern Ontario. The Winnipeg Airports Authority wanted competitive pricing for this project rather than going with the construction management model. So they visited us in our Toronto office and asked if we would be interested in bidding on this job. At the time, the Toronto office was very busy with other projects, but our executives perceived this as an opportunity for the company. I looked at the job, and my office was the low bidder and we were awarded the contract.ÔÇØEllisDon has since hired a regional manager to handle the Winnipeg office. ÔÇ£It took us a while to find the right person to manage that office,ÔÇØ explains Fazio. ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs always better to find someone who is connected to the local market, and our new regional manager there, Darryl Fife, is a Winnipeg native. So now we have a permanent office in Winnipeg to serve the local market and eventually the Saskatchewan market. WeÔÇÖre optimistic about the economy there, and weÔÇÖre already bidding on work in that region.ÔÇØ ÔÇô Editorial research by Joe Louis┬á