Project Detail
Modifications to a Heritage Property
Making changes to a Heritage Building comes with its special set of challenges. This fire hall is part of a multi-purpose municipal building that houses administrative and Licensing offices. The focus of the project was to change the doors of the barracks to accommodate the new fire truck purchased by the City of Saguenay and to achieve this, we had to raise the ceiling and change the doors.
The structure of these doors was designed with masonry block, making the renovation work complex. By the same token, in the same tender, the City wanted to upgrade several sectors inside the building.
This meant a redesign of the administrative office areas, dormitories, the dining room, the break room, the lieutenant’s office, and more. The scope of the modifications impacted mechanical and electrical systems as well as the structure of the building and were undertaken according to the norms in force and the risk coverage plan of the City.
While performing the work, we found asbestos. The timetable was pushed back from a planned 6-week completion to 12 weeks to safely remove the asbestos from an entire floor.
Also, on this project, we designed the new tower casings together with the CSST, OHS and the Fire Department of the City, so firefighters can operate more safely and efficiently when in the tower.
Throughout the project, we had to ensure that no service interruption was imposed on the City’s License Offices, located above the barracks and noise pollution and impacts in the construction area were minimized. In addition, we had to replace the concrete slab of the garage to suit the weight of the firetruck and to meet current standards.