Halifax’s Tribute Tower, built to resist progressive collapse, earns LEED Silver

The Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN’s) new Tribute Tower project for Stadacona at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Halifax received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification earlier this year.

The project, which combines 12 storeys of accommodations with three levels of dining and mess facilities for RCN junior ranks personnel, achieved the certification in May through the Canada Green Building Council’s (CaGBC’s) LEED Canada NC 2009 Green Building Rating System. The designation has come to represent a minimum design target for many federal government buildings where construction is valued at $10 million or more.

In this project’s case, RCN awarded a $65-million construction contract to a design-build joint-venture partnership between SNC-Lavalin and Aecon Atlantic. SNC-Lavalin also collaborated with Protection Engineering Consultants (PEC) to meet the Unified Facility Criteria (UFC) 4-023-03 standard, Design of Buildings to Resist Progressive Collapse. In fact, Tribute Tower is the first structure in Canada to be built to this standard, which was developed in the U.S.

When Aecon Atlantic—a subsidiary operation—was sold, both firms sold their interest in the project to Pomerleau, which completed construction. As the designer of record, however, SNC-Lavalin remained involved until project completion, with its Halifax office leading a team of mechanical, electrical and structural engineers with specialized experience. This team involved Toronto-based Sigmund Soudack & Associates, while architecture and LEED consulting services were provided by Halifax-based Architecture49.