The operating engineers facility is a renovation of a bowling alley into a high-end office space, meeting area and training centre for the Operating Engineers Local 955 in Fort McMurray. The project includes wickets for member service, training areas, staff offices and a union meeting hall to seat 200 members.

Bird optimized the budget on the project by proposing several unique features. The exterior walls were cavity filled with spray foam that allowed the team to combine the insulation and vapour barriers scopes into one crew for a decreased cost and duration. In addition, the requirement for an elevator was negated by providing a chair lift access from the main floor to the basement hall area with a stair-mounted chair lift. Also, the decision to re-use the steel superstructure of the existing building saved the client the cost of full demolition, new foundation construction and structural steel installation while simultaneously decreasing the overall duration of the project by approximately six months.

The new building is now an innovative and attractive facility that fully services the client’s requirements for years to come.