Group Eight Engineering Limited - Nursing home renovation, Macassa Lodge Phase II

Region of Hamilton-Wentworth, Hamilton

Nursing home renovation, Macassa Lodge Phase II

Group Eight provided all structural, mechanical and electrical engineering services for the Phase II renovation project at Macassa Lodge. The assignment included planning, design, specifications, contract administration and general site review work.

The renovation completely rebuilt Wing A, which includes bedrooms for 64 residents, dining-rooms, cafeteria, activity rooms and administration offices for the whole facility. The overall size of this project was 74,500 ft² with new construction making up 61,000 ft².

The design team took into consideration the Region's Vision 2020 mandates for sustainability, the new ASHRAE standards for energy efficiency, asbestos abatement and "at source" separation of debris to promote recycling of construction materials.

A "valance" heating/cooling system was utilized in the resident areas which provides a uniform and energy efficient heating/cooling system. Domestic water is heated by heat recovered from the chiller compressors through a heat recovery system. Energy efficient lamps and ballasts are used throughout the facility. To maximize energy efficiency, the mechanical systems are controlled by a central energy management system.

The project posed co-ordination challenges because the work was in a centralized location and many of the existing building elements had to be incorporated in the new design. To further complicate construction the facility would be fully occupied with an aged and fragile population. As a result, temporary building links were established, portable buildings for administration and storage were added and new temporary parking was established. At various stages of construction, temporary walls were added so that daily operations were not affected.

Group Eight Engineering Limited

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