VANCOUVER 9/18/07 2:06 PM Page 174
VANCOUVER CONVENTION CENTRE EXPANSION
hold conventions in the city,” it says. This
project will triple the center’s capacity
and will generate an additional $107 mil-
lion annually, it continues.
The existing convention center is in use
during construction, he says, but so far,
that has not impacted the project. “It has-
n’t been difficult at all,” Podmore says.
“We are coordinating all of our work
with the requirements of the clients using
the facility.” The two facilities will be inte-
grated with a glass-walled connector,
which will also provide harbor views.
Green Features
To fulfill LEED Gold requirements, the
new Vancouver Convention Centre will
have a 6.5-acre green roof, Podmore says,
the largest in Canada and one of the larg-
est in the world. It will be irrigated with
purified water recycled from the facility’s
black water treatment plant.
The building will utilize sea water in its
climate control. “We wanted this build-
ing to be a demonstration of sustainabili-
ty building practices and green technolo-
gies,” he says.
The interior walls will feature hem-
174 ■ CONSTRUCTION TODAY ■ OCTOBER 2007
lock. “[British Columbia is] a major pro- The Art of Superior Value
ducer of this product and this project is PCL family of companies is a group of
an opportunity to highlight and show- independent firms that work in Canada,
case some innovative uses of our Prov- the United States and the Bahamas.
ince’s forest products,” he says. The companies focus on the building,
infrastructure and heavy industrial sec-
Price Hike tors. “We believe in the art of bringing
The main problem the project has faced is superior value to the construction
price escalation – which went from $565 process – for all clients – from project
million in 2003 to $883 million today – start to project finish,” the company says.
mainly due to the rising costs of materi- The company has more than 2,500 full-
als such as structural steel. “We are in a time employees and performs about $5
tight construction market,” Podmore says. billion worth of projects per year.
“Alberta, especially and British Columbia, It has received recognition from
have strong construction volumes and that Fortune’s Top 100 Best Companies to
results in higher prices.” Work For, Canada’s Top Contractors,
The corporation negotiated a fixed Engineering News-Records’ Top 400
price contract with PCL Construction val- General Contractors and Canada’s Top
ued at $499.5 million as a way to control 100 Employers. It also won the 2004
costs, he adds. National Safety Award from the
Part of the center is being built over Bur- Canadian Construction Association.
rard Inlet adjacent to the building’s for- “We continually receive awards of
mer rail yard site. After the rail yard was excellence for quality, innovation, safety
decommissioned, old equipment and de- and community spirit,” according to the
bris were dumped into the harbor, he says. company says. ■
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