The Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC) announced the winners of its biennial National Steel Design Awards competition during its Annual General Meeting & Convention in Ottawa last week.
The prestigious CISC National Steel Design Awards are open to architects, engineers, developers, owners, contractors and other stakeholders involved with a building, bridge, industrial or other steel work project in which engineering demands, architectural considerations or sustainability requirements influenced the designer's choice of steel as the most appropriate structural solution.
The awards are a culmination of a two year competition that brings together regional winners from across the country in three award categories: Architecture, Engineering and Sustainability.
The award winners for 2012 are:
1. Engineering: The Bow, Calgary, Alberta
This iconic, crescent shaped office tower is unique on the continent in its application of a triangular steel diagrid system to a curved building. Open structure, sustainable functionality and striking aesthetics were key features of the project that contributed to its selection as the winner.
Architect: Foster & Partners / Zeidler Partnership Architects
Structural Engineer: Halcrow Yolles
General Contractor: Ledcor Construction Limited (Construction Manager)
CISC Fabricator/Detailer/Erector: Supreme Steel LP / Walters Inc. Joint Venture
2. Architecture: The Art Gallery of Alberta
A stunning addition to Edmonton's cultural landscape, the Alberta Art Gallery has become an iconic building for the city's artistic identity. Sinuous stainless steel surfaces and complex curving geometry inspired by the aurora borealis were key features that contributed to the project's selection as the winner.
Architects: Randall Stout Architects, Inc. and HIP Architects, Associate Architect
Structural Engineers: DeSimone Consulting Engineers and BPTEC-DNW Engineering Ltd.
CISC Fabricator/Detailer/Erector: Empire Iron Works Ltd
General Contractor: Ledcor Construction Limited
3. Sustainability: Dawson Bridge Rehabilitation, Alberta
After almost a century of use, the Dawson Bridge needed significant repair. The design team's use of a lightweight composite steel plate and elastomer deck system and innovative technology to restore the bridge to the glory of its past while strengthening its structural performance for future use were key sustainable features that led to the project's selection as the winner.
Engineer: DIALOG
Fabricators/Detailers: Empire Iron Works Ltd. and Steel Design and Fabricators Ltd.
Steel Erector: Steel Design and Fabricators Ltd.
Project profiles on the winning projects can be found at: www.cisc-icca.ca/awards/national/2012.