Background and Design Process
Construction of a downtown headquarters building was integral to the 2002 purchase agreement between Manitoba Hydro and the City of Winnipeg for purchase of the formerly city-owned electric utility, Winnipeg Hydro.
Manitoba Hydro representatives toured to Europe to identify examples of energy efficient design a year prior to beginning the architect selection process.
Subsequently, the company assembled an integrated design team comprising members from the corporation itself along with the design architects, the architects of record, energy engineers, building system engineers, cost estimators, and project contractors — selecting the Design Architect first: Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects of Toronto. Smith Carter Architects of Winnipeg was the Architect of Record.
By December 2003, the design team had selected the final site, and by 2004, Manitoba Hydro unveiled a series of design concepts for the building, having created a design brief for the building:
Manitoba Hydro’s new head office building in downtown Winnipeg will be a functional, state-of-the-art energy efficient (Power Smart) cost-effective structure that embodies and demonstrates Manitoba Hydro’s commitment to sustainable development. While meeting the business needs of Manitoba Hydro, the office building will have a positive impact on the future of Winnipeg’s downtown and be a source of pride for Manitobans. (Client Brief, 2004)The brief was developed into a project charter defining the projects core principles and against which design concepts would be measured: that it would be flexible and adaptable to new technology and workplace changes, offer world-class energy efficiency, offer a signature design to enhance the image of the company and the city, help strengthen the city downtown, and be a solid financial investment.
The company committed one year to developing the building concept, using another year to ensure the concept integrated the key elements, including architectural, structural, energy performance, cost, constructability, and LEED factors. Sixteen alternatives were developed, subsequently reduced to three options from which the final concept was selected.
Read more about this topic: Manitoba Hydro Place
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