July 2, 2012

West rules the National Steel Design Awards

ROBERT LEMERMEYER

The Art Gallery of Alberta in Edmonton received top architectural honours in Canadian Institute of Steel Construction's 2012 National Steel Design Awards.

The west was the best in this year’s Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC) biennial National Steel Design Awards competition.

Western Canadian projects swept the architecture, engineering and sustainability award categories.

The 2012 award winning projects were The Bow, in Calgary for engineering, The Art Gallery of Alberta, in Edmonton, for architecture and the Dawson Bridge Rehabilitation for sustainability, also in Edmonton.

The CISC said the Art Gallery of Alberta is a stunning addition to Edmonton’s cultural landscape.

“The Alberta Art Gallery has become an iconic building for the city’s artistic identity,” explained the CISC in a statement.

“Sinuous stainless steel surfaces and complex curving geometry inspired by the aurora borealis were key features that contributed to the project’s selection as the winner.”

The art gallery’s project stakeholders were architects Randall Stout Architects Inc. and HIP Architects, Associate Architect, structural engineers DeSimone Consulting Engineers and BPTEC-DNW Engineering Ltd., CISC fabricator/detailer/erector and engineer Empire Iron Works Ltd. and BPTEC-DNW Engineering Ltd. and general contractor Ledcor Construction Limited.

The Bow tower in Calgary was the top engineering project.

It was described as iconic by CISC and that it is “unique on the continent in its application of a triangular steel diagrid system to a curved building.”

The rehabilitation of the Dawson Bridge, also in Edmonton, was selected as the best project in the sustainability category.

“Open structure, sustainable functionality and striking aesthetics were key features of the project that contributed to its selection as the winner,” added the CISC.

The Bow tower’s architects were Foster & Partners / Zeidler Partnership Architects, structural engineer was Halcrow Yolles, a CH2M HILL company, CISC fabricator/detailer/erector was Supreme Steel LP / Walters Inc. Joint Venture and the construction manager was Ledcor Construction Limited.

The Dawson Bridge Rehabilitation project included the significant repair of the century-old bridge, which spans the North Saskatchewan River.

It was selected as the winning sustainable project.

“The design team’s use of  a lightweight composite steel plate and elastomer deck system and innovative technology to restore the bridge to the glory of its past while strengthening its structural performance for future use were key sustainable features  that led to the project’s selection as the winner,” explained the CISC.

The engineer for the bridge’s rehabilitation was DIALOG, the fabricators/detailers were Empire Iron Works Ltd. and Steel Design and Fabricators Ltd., and the steel erector was Steel Design and Fabricators Ltd.

JOC NEWS SERVICE

The Bow in Calgary was the top engineering project.

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