University of Alberta
Chemical Materials Engineering Building (CMEB)

Project Description

MCW Hemisphere has provided mechanical and electrical engineering services for the renewal of the existing 20,000 sq.m., ten-level CMEB building built in 1966-1968. This project has involved design and construction administration for removal of all hazardous materials, demolition of all interior improvements including all electrical and mechanical systems (stripped back to the interior of the building structure), followed by complete rebuilding of the building envelope, and all systems in order to convert the existing mixed use building into 100% wet-laboratory usage. Each floor is designed to contain only wet laboratories for advanced research and teaching purposes. The design and construction has been made significantly more complex by the need to stage the project in several phases with the requirement to keep the balance of the building operational and occupied during each project phase.

The first phase, involving the complete functional renewal of CMEB floors 4, 5 and 6, along with the development of a portion of the mechanical and electrical building systems, was completed on schedule and on budget in March 2012 while meeting an extremely demanding timeline required by the Government of Canada Knowledge Infrastructure Program. The building is targeting LEED® Silver. Floors 2, 3 and 7 were completed in 2016, with the balance of the project targeting late 2016/early 2017 for completion.

LEED:

Levels 4, 5 and 6 LEED Gold Certified