Alberta Court of Appeal Office Redevelopment

The 26th and 27th floors of the TransCanada Tower have been renovated for the relocation of the Alberta Court of Appeal. Total floor area is approx. 58,000 square feet, of which about three quarters was demolished. The remainder including the core area was left as is from the previous tenant. The new finishes incorporated the existing and salvaged material. The mechanical and electrical systems were stripped back to base building and completely re-done. The renovations included two new courtrooms, mediation room, registry, library, judicial offices, and various other offices and support areas. The prime concern for the project was quality of environment, due to the sensitivity of the user group from exposure to toxic mold in their previous building. Many factors were considered during design such as V0C (volatile organic compound) levels of materials, finishes that encapsulate VOC's and are non-microbial, air movement, quality of filtration and maintenance problems. Other items unique to this project were the high level of sound ratings for almost all partitions (47 to 61), and the additional security system for the two floors separate from the building security. This project requires involvement and approvals from numerous stakeholders including the user group (Justice Dept.), owner (Alberta Infrastructure), the base building contractor (PCL-Maxam, a Joint Venture), building owner (H & R Property Management) and the prime tenant (TCPL) as well as base building structural, mechanical and electrical consultants and subcontractors. This was a construction management, fast-tracked delivery method, with the drawings released in five separate tender packages. Changes and fine tuning, especially of the electrical components, continued throughout the project.