Ron has over 30 years of construction experience in the commercial, institutional and industrial sectors. After working in the field, Ron joined MM Dillon Consulting Engineers as an inspector before joining Butler Building Systems in 1980 to design building solutions for projects across Canada.

In 1988, Ron joined Internorth Construction and, later, Trumbley & Hampton as Vice President, with responsibilities that included overall project proposals, presentation, award and implementation, overseeing design consultants and project managers. Ron continues in this role with Cooper Construction.

With 298 locations in 30 countries, KWE is a leading provider of global and domestic air and sea freight, customs brokerage, surface logistics and distribution (3PL) services.

Building B, Wellington Crossroads Business Park, Guelph, Ontario, leased by Kintetsu World Express (KWE).

With neighbours such as Tim Horton’s, Denso and Sleeman’s, Building B occupies a 9-acre site and is constructed with Flexwall exterior precast cladding, 28-ft clear height, 12 x 14 ft drive-in doors, and 38 x 37 ft bays.

Cooper Construction is currently awaiting site plan approval to construct similar buildings just to the north. Ideally located outside GTA gridlock, south of the City of Guelph, Ontario, Wellington Crossroads Business Park offers prime development opportunities on 178 acres of prestige industrial/service/commercial land – with development charges and land costs about 60% lower than for other GTA municipalities, and easy access to transportation corridors and Central Canada and United States markets.

Cooper Construction wishes to thank Peter McKenna of Colliers International for the successful completion of this lease transaction.

Canada Green Building Council has awarded LEED® Canada Certified rating to the Cooper-built 3M Distribution Facility at 2751 Peddie Road, Milton, Ontario.

Built and originally owned by Cooper Construction, the 318,805 s.f. building was sold to Artis REIT in April 2011, with 3M Canada as the sole occupant.

LEED® Certification is awarded to buildings that achieve stringent standards under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Canada Rating System.

Gallery of Cooper LEED Certified buildings

The low-rise building clad in green-accented curtain wall on the southwest portion of the University of Waterloo’s campus ring road, known as Environment 3 (EV3), is one of Canada’s most innovative and green buildings to date. In fact, it is set to attain LEED Platinum certification – one of a handful of public buildings in Canada to do so.

EV3 is also receiving attention for its unique structure. It is essentially a large four-storey addition, separated into north and south components by a narrow four-storey atrium space. Four storeys of student program space are located to the north, and to the south the existing two-storey EV2 building is topped with two storeys of space for the School of Planning and the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development.

LEED elements are apparent throughout. Landscape features include an extensive green roof, constructed wetland, two courtyard gardens and cisterns for rainwater collection. Fair-trade coffee and locally grown alternatives to standard campus fare will be served at an eco-cafe, which has a custom floral graphic printed on the exterior glazing.

The cafe opens to the four-storey, sky-lit atrium. A two-storey living wall is located along its south side adjacent to the exposed red brick of the existing EV2 building. A four-storey staircase with glass balustrades and a bamboo handrail connects all four floors, spanning the first and second storeys in a straight run and then boldly cantilevering out over the atrium space in a switchback stair that connects the top floors.

The building contains glazing, which provides light and views from perimeter spaces, and operable windows.

Some of EV3’s additional LEED elements include R30 wall and R40 roof insulation, high-efficiency lighting and lighting controls, high-efficiency washroom fixtures, low-impact furnishings, audiovisual systems/equipment for teleconferencing, mobile and regular video-conferencing and smartboards, and green energy systems. Millwork is made from bamboo, a renewable material. The project team moved from its original goal of LEED Silver certification to Platinum.

Building on top of an existing building meant there were issues with space, both in terms of situating the new building and the process of constructing it. It was important to respect the existing environment, not only in terms of LEED standards, but also to maintain the function of the university itself. “Space was a concern on the campus,” says Dan Parent, the University of Waterloo’s staff architect. Development stayed within the ring road, which was closed for several weeks to accommodate construction laydown space.

The south side addition is built over the top of the existing EV2 roof, but does not structurally rest on the existing building. Instead, two columns per side, rising 65 feet, support an elaborate truss system, which required three cranes to work cooperatively to hoist the trusses into place. Design and assembly of the trusses was a project in itself, says Nigel Thompson, project manager for the Walter Fedy Partnership, the structural, mechanical and electrical consultant for EV3.

“Suspending two floors above the existing structure was accomplished by designing and fabricating two large trusses that are 10 metres high and span 47 metres. These trusses support five other intermediate trusses that are five metres high and span 30 metres. The third floor is then hung from the intermediate trusses,” he says. “Additional challenges included designing foundations to support the high reaction loads, framing around the existing mechanical space on the EV2 roof, and reinforcing the existing building roof to support the snow loads, and providing a column-free lecture space.”

The university, and the Faculty of Environment in particular, has experienced significant growth recently. The EV2 building was built in 1981, and the number of graduate and undergraduate students doubled over the past several years. “In terms of infrastructure, we weren’t keeping pace. We didn’t have a specific plan but when funding came along, it was a great opportunity for us to speed up the process,” says Mark Seasons, interim dean with the university’s Faculty of Environment.

The school was awarded $14 million through the government’s Knowledge Infrastructure Program (KIP) program in 2009. Since substantial completion of the project was required by March 31, 2011, it needed to happen quickly.

First, Dan Parent was brought on board and, in conjunction with stake-holder groups, a concept and plan was developed. Akitt, Swanson + Pearce Architects Inc. (AS+P) and Cooper Construction Ltd. were awarded the design-build contract in fall 2009. Construction got underway in April 2010. Both companies’ expertise with regards to the LEED program would prove to be invaluable.

“With a very tight schedule and budget, the building form needed to be kept as straightforward as building on top of another building could be, and materials and systems selection needed to facilitate construction and cost efficiency. The look of the building needed to be professional and playful, provide access to natural light and views, express the original EV2 and where the faculty came from, and create an identity that says ‘Faculty of Environment,’” explains Kevin McCluskey, principal in charge of the project for AS+P.

Collaboration with stakeholders was key. According to Seasons, the Faculty of Environment has a tradition of collaboration, so stakeholders expected to be heard. That part of the process spanned about a year as the project evolved. Design of the landscaped areas, including the front entrance area, south green space, third-floor green roof and two fourth-floor courtyards was opened up to students from the Faculty of Environment as a summer course and open competition. Some of the winning concepts from the student designs formed the basis for the conceptual development of these spaces that were then built on by Brodie & Associates Landscape Architect Inc.

While the building’s form is a relatively straightforward rectangular mass, the architect introduced a lot of play in the colour, pattern and material of the skin, comprised of curtain wall, metal siding and aluminum composite panels. “Most striking is the introduction of a vibrant green colour in the aluminum panels and spandrel glass to give the building a strong identity as the ‘environment’ building. The remaining material palette is neutral to allow the green to really ‘pop’ and bring a bit of playfulness,” says McCluskey.

“It’s a really sharp building, and the colours are dynamic,” says Seasons. “It takes us into a new era. We’ve had older buildings that are solid and well maintained, but this has a lot of innovative features. People are thrilled with it.”

Reproduced with permission from Award Magazine. Photos by Harold Clark Photography.

CICADA DESIGN

Located in Waterloo, Ontario, the new CIGI Campus (at The Centre for International Governance Innovation), which is scheduled for completion in September, 2011, will support Research in Motion (RIM) co-CEO Jim Balsillie’s goal of strengthening Canada’s role in international affairs.

The new three-storey building will house a group of distinct schools and programs, including the existing Balsillie School of International Affairs – a collaborative partnership between CIGI, the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University.

“The new CIGI Campus will be a hub of excellence in research and study in international affairs,” says Fred Kuntz, CIGI’s vice president of public affairs. “It will become a unique ‘incubator’ of ideas about international governance and global issues. With the addition of an international law program expected over the coming year, the campus will be a powerhouse of relevant and policy-oriented research.”

The Campus is bound by three Governor General Award-winning buildings: the former Seagram Museum (now The Centre for International Governance Innovation offices), the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics and the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery. “The neighbouring structures pro- vided a strong incentive for us to match the high standards that have been set,” says Kuntz. “We asked for a design that sets us apart and fosters collaboration and intellectual creativity. We are very satisfied with the marvellous building that emerged.”

Toronto-based KPMB Architects designed the Campus based on Balsillie’s desire for an academic courtyard building with a bell tower, similar to the University of Toronto’s Massey and Trinity Colleges and others in the Oxbridge style. “We designed a contemporary reinterpretation of an academic courtyard building,” says architect Shirley Blumberg, KPMB’s partner in charge of the project. “This is an institution with huge global and local ambitions – Balsillie and the building committee wanted the Campus to be a valuable addition to Uptown Waterloo. The project makes a major contribution to the increasing urbanization of the precinct. The understated brick exterior references Waterloo’s rich industrial heritage.”

CICADA DESIGN

The courtyard is enclosed on three sides by academic bar buildings that contain classrooms and offices. A two-story glass auditorium building forms the fourth side o9f the courtyard. This auditorium building is the principal entrance to the campus, denoted by a super-scaled wood entrance canopy and stone bell tower. “From the large entrance lobby,” says Blumberg. “You can see three Governor General’s Award-winning projects: the Perimeter Institute, CIGI and the Clay and Glass Gallery and the universities. By looking through the courtyard, one has the feeling of a broader campus. When entering from the south, one is on axis with the Bell Tower. The experience of the building is carefully choreo- graphed. It’s an understated form outside, but the interior is very animated and highly transparent – all floors have views of the courtyard.”

“Jim Balsillie wanted both a sanctuary and a vibrant learning environment,” says Blumberg. “To do this, we created nodes along the corridors such as the fireplace lounges and study areas around the courtyard.”

Durable building materials for the exterior and interior were chosen. The ground floor has wood and stone elements, while the upper floors have dry- wall (white), sandblasted glass for the fronts of the offices, concrete toppings and cork flooring for the offices.

“We wanted a warm and inviting environment and we employed a very limited palette,” says Blumberg. “The stone and the brick are similar in terms of tonality and the wood used throughout the building is fairly dark.” The selection of materials, she adds, was based on the interplay with natural light that pours into the auditorium lobby and hits the exposed corridors, dark concrete floors and white painted drywall.

The landscaping also blends in with the exterior, with trees (birches, maples and London plane trees) and plants chosen to ensure that the traffic on Erb Street was minimized and that the courtyard, which consists of mature trees, will provide colours throughout the four seasons. An art piece created by Richard Fleischner will be placed in the courtyard.

While the building is not LEED certified, Blumberg says that design exceeds many LEED standards. “We’ve gone beyond LEED,” she says. “It is a highly energy efficient building – we’re probably at 50 per cent energy savings. We are also using Bubbledeck concrete slabs that reduce the amount of concrete by 30 per cent.”

KPMB received the commission to design the Campus in 2008. Blumberg says the structure has exceeded their expectations. “You design a building by imagining a myriad of possible scenarios, and when you’re actually on site and it looks like you imagined it or better, it’s a great feeling,” she says. “The team is very excited.”

Cooper Construction Ltd. received the contract to construct the Campus in May 2009, with construction starting in August. Cooper’s project manager Bruno D’Aloisio noted that several challenges were encountered from the start, including the soil conditions. “We had very wet and silky sand here due to being in a floodplain,” says D’Aloisio.

Save for the use of the Bubbledeck slab system, the construction followed traditional techniques. “It was a little bit of a learning curve for us and it took a bit longer,” says D’Aloisio. “There was also the challenge of installing new window systems, in-floor heating and cooling systems with the slab system, and the use of all kinds of wood products throughout the building, including columns, floors, soffits and ceilings.”

Coordination and planning continues to be crucial to maintaining the construction schedule. “We’re in the home-stretch and are working together with KPMB and CIGI to give everybody what they want,” says D’Aloisio. “We have a great team that makes problem solving much easier and ensures a collaborative environment. It is taking a little longer than we anticipated, but at the end, everybody will be pleased the final result.”

Reproduced with permission from Award Magazine.

Foundation work and site servicing for the new senior school is underway on the 20-hectare Hillfield Strathallan College campus at Fennell Avenue and Garth Street in Hamilton.

The privately-funded “Transformation HSC” project is the largest expansion since the 110-year old independent College moved to the Hamilton campus 50 years ago.

Named for HSC graduate and lead donor, Michael G. DeGroote, the new senior school will accommodate up to 480 high school students in a new student-centred learning environment. The new facility, set to open in September 2012, will include a learning commons in place of a traditional library, and a covered walkway connecting the new campus to the old.

Phase II of the project will include a College-wide athletic and community centre and triple gymnasium, as well as an additional enclosed and heated walkway to the rest of the existing campus.

Foundation work is nearing completion for 945B Southgate Drive, in Wellington Crossroads Business Park, Guelph. Structural steel construction is to commence in the second week of July, with building completion targeted for Fall 2011.

The 170,000 s.f. building is divisible from 40,000 s.f. Details include:

• 28’ clear height
• 16 truck-level doors 8’10” x 9’10”
• 2 drive-in doors 12’ x 14’
• 600 volts/1600 amp
• Bay size 38’ x 37’
• B1 Zoning
• ESFR sprinklers
• Landlord can build office to suit
• Interconnected and scalable telecommunication network/services
• Neighbours include Tim Horton’s, Denso and Sleeman’s

Located four minutes from Highway 401, in one of Ontario’s strongest economic regions, Wellington Crossroads Business Park offers easy access to major Canadian and U.S. markets and customers.

For more information and downloadable .pdf please see:
http://www.coopercon.com/wellington-crossroads-guelph.html

WILLIAM CONWAY/PROGRESS PHOTOGRAPHY

Exterior work continues on the Balsillie School of International Affairs in Waterloo, Ont.

General contractor Cooper Construction Ltd. began the three-storey academic facility in September 2009 and completion has been scheduled for August 2011. The project was designed by KPMB Architects. Consultants are: Blackwell Bowick Partnership Ltd. (structural); Crossey Engineering Ltd. (mechanical); and H.H. Angus and Associates (electrical).

Reproduced with permission of Daily Commercial News

Hamilton, ON. June 20, 2011 – A $250,000 gift from Cooper Construction—a family-run company with deep community roots and a longstanding relationship with McMaster University—will create a valuable information hub in the heart of the Ron Joyce Centre in Burlington.

The Cooper Construction Welcome Centre, located on the main floor, is designed to be the first stop for students and visitors alike.

“We are very grateful to Cooper Construction for its enduring support to our university, which makes this gift all the more meaningful,” said Patrick Deane, president of McMaster University. “The Welcome Centre is a gateway to the Ron Joyce Centre, providing a friendly and warm atmosphere for our students and a strong relationship to our community in Burlington and beyond.”

The Oakville-based company was founded in 1905 by William H. Cooper, a Hamilton native and stonemason. For 70 years, Cooper Construction has partnered with McMaster University, working on more than two dozen construction projects on campus.

Most recently, the company completed the four-storey Ron Joyce Centre—home to the University’s MBA and executive education programs—which opened in September of 2010.

“Hard work and determination are the cornerstones of our company,” says Bill Cooper, CEO of Cooper Construction. “These are the same values which are critical to students who are future business leaders. Our hope is that this space will not only create the right environment for learning but will also connect the important work being done here to the entire region.”

In 1987, during the building of the original DeGroote School of Business, Cooper Construction offered critical support to McMaster. Bill Cooper and his wife Gillian have shown a deep personal commitment to the university, including support for the McMaster Museum of Art. Bill is a former member of the Board of Governors and past chair of the Business Advisory Council for the business school. Gillian, who graduated with a degree in Art History in 1994, has served as a member of the Board of Governors, Senate, Chair of the McMaster Museum of Art and as a Cabinet member of two campaigns, among many other contributions. In 2009, she received the Alumni Association’s Distinguished Service Award.

McMaster University, one of four Canadian universities listed among the Top 100 universities in the world, is renowned for its innovation in both learning and discovery. It has a student population of 23,000, and more than 140,000 alumni in 128 countries.

McMaster University press release, reproduced with permission.

On a 15-acre Cooper-owned site at 630 Weber Street, a main arterial road in Waterloo, Ontario, Cooper Construction will develop The Exchange, a state-of-the-art business office campus—comprising three 2-storey buildings of 68,000 s.f., divisible from 8000 s.f., with 34,000 sf floor plates, centre courtyard amenity space, and 4.5 parking spots per 1000 s.f.

Demolition of existing manufacturing building underway at 630 Weber St, Waterloo

City of Waterloo’s flexible zoning allows conversion of properties from industrial use to office, enabling Cooper Construction to demolish the existing 150,000 sf manufacturing building.

“Over the past five years, with continuing growth in the Waterloo Region— particularly in the high-tech and financial sectors—office space vacancy rates in Waterloo have been among the lowest in Canada”, said Bill Cooper Jr., Vice President, Real Estate. “There is a shortage of Class A office space, and we see this project as a strong opportunity to respond to market demand.”

Cooper stated that one important stimulus for the Region’s growth is “… the local availability of qualified graduates from Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier universities, and Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning.”

Ranked by the UK Financial Times as Canada’s most cost-effective business location, Waterloo Region has earned global recognition as an advanced technology cluster—including 150 Research Centres, acclaimed post- secondary education institutions, Canada’s highest concentration of manufacturing activity, and one of Canada’s largest insurance industry clusters. Leading economic sectors in the Region include high tech, advanced manufacturing, automotive, and business services.

Construction start is scheduled for July 2011, with a completion target of first quarter 2012

“The Exchange will be our third major project underway in Waterloo Region”, Cooper said, “together with the Balsillie Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) and the University of Waterloo’s Environmental Building 3.”

WATERLOO — Strong demand for office space in Waterloo has led an Oakville-based construction company to buy more than six hectares (15 acres) of industrial land with plans to redevelop it into an office campus.

Cooper Construction Ltd. has purchased the former Conestogo Plastics property at 630 Weber St. N., near Benjamin Road.

“Waterloo’s office market is performing very well and we wanted to be a part of it,” Bill Cooper Jr., vice-president of real estate for Cooper Construction, said Tuesday.

The company will undertake a multi-million dollar project that involves putting up three two-story office buildings of about 70,000 square feet each.

There will be a total of 210,240 square feet of new office space when the campus is completed. The first office building will be constructed and ready for occupancy by the end of this year, and the others will follow suit depending on how quickly the space gets leased, Cooper said.

There is an industrial building of about 150,000 square feet on the site, but it will be taken down by the end of June to make way for the redevelopment.

Cooper Construction has been involved in a number of projects in Waterloo Region, but this is the first time it has been involved in an office development here.

The company is currently involved in the development of a 73-hectare (180 acres) industrial park in Guelph.

Joe Benninger, senior sales associate at CB Richard Ellis in Waterloo Region, which will manage leasing of the Weber Street campus, said this is one of the bigger office developments that the city of Waterloo has seen in some time.

The strong demand for office space is coming from the high-tech sector, as well as traditional sectors such as insurance and finance, he said.

“There is excellent absorption of office space in Waterloo, a low vacancy rate and a strong rental rate. So the leasing fundamentals have been very strong and yet there has been very little on the supply side. The timing is perfect for adding this type of product to the market,” he said.

This article appeared on the record.com, April 20th, 2011, and is reproduced with permission of the publisher.

Cooper Construction is pleased to announce the sale of the 3M Distribution Facility at 2751 Peddie Road, Milton, Ontario to Artis REIT for $39.3 Million.

Built, owned and maintained by Cooper, the LEED certified industrial building was completed in Fall 2009 and comprises 318, 805 s.f. of leasable space, 100% occupied by 3M Canada.

Artis is a diversified Canadian real estate investment trust, investing in office, industrial and retail properties.  The acquisition is anticipated to close on or about April 20, 2011.

Effective immediately, Bill Luffman will assume the position of Vice President, Development of Cooper Construction Limited.

Also effective immediately, Bill Cooper Jr. will assume the position of Vice President, Real Estate of Cooper Construction Limited.

These appointments recognize the broad responsibilities and vital contributions that these individuals make to our company. We are very appreciative of the strength they add to our senior management team.

Effective immediately, Don Gordon, P.ENG. MBA, will assume the position of Senior Vice President, Operations of Cooper Construction Limited.

This appointment recognizes Don’s broader leadership responsibilities at a senior level within the organization since joining the firm in 1980.

Don has been Vice President of Operations since 1995, with the overall corporate responsibility to ensure that all projects are delivered within our clients’ time frames and budgets. Don is also responsible for the implementation of our corporate health and safety program.

Don has gained substantial recognition within the construction industry as a senior management professional, with extensive “hands-on” site experience, and a broad background of management and administrative experience managing field operations and administration for all construction client contracts.

Ultimately, it is Don’s responsibility to ensure that our clients’ expectations of quality, professionalism, schedule and cost are met or exceeded.

Effective January 17th, 2011, Ken Nevar has assumed the position of President of Cooper Construction Limited, with day to day responsibility as the company plans for its future growth.

William Cooper Sr. will continue in his present role as Chief Executive Officer.

In announcing the change, Mr. Cooper stated: “This will allow me to devote a little more of my time over the next several years to my role as Co-Chair of the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital’s $60-million capital campaign.”

Construction has reached the top floor of the Balsillie School of International Affairs in Waterloo, Ont.

General contractor Cooper Construction Ltd. began the three-storey academic facility in September 2009 and completion has been scheduled for August 2011.

Balsillie School in progress

November 2nd, 2010

August 26th, 2010

June 7th, 2010

This article appeared in the Daily Commercial News, Jan. 12th, 2011, and is reproduced with the permission of the publisher.

WILLIAM CONWAY/PROGRESS PHOTOGRAPHY

Exterior work continues on the University of Waterloo Environment 3 building in Waterloo, Ont. General contractor Cooper Construction Ltd. began the four-storey expansion to the existing building in December 2009. It includes a two-storey bridge over the existing facility.

Completion on the project, which is targeting LEED Platinum certification, has been scheduled for March 2011. The project was designed by Akitt, Swanson + Pearce Architects Inc. and prime consultant is The Walter Fedy Partnership.

This article appeared in the Daily Commercial News, Dec. 15th, 2010, and is reproduced with the permission of the publisher.

Construction continues on the Balsillie School of International Affairs in Waterloo, Ont. General contractor Cooper Construction Ltd. began the three-storey academic facility in September 2009; completion has been scheduled for August 2011.

The project was designed by KPMB Architects. Consultants are: Blackwell Bowick Partnership Ltd. (structural); Crossey Engineering Ltd. (mechanical); and H.H. Angus and Associates (electrical).

This article appeared in the Daily Commercial News, Nov. 2nd, 2010, and is reproduced with the permission of the publisher.

Patented “BubbleDeck” construction technology virtually eliminates dead weight concrete from the middle of a floor slab, by incorporating large plastic air-filled bubbles – the size of basketballs – as a void. They displace concrete without sacrificing structural strength, thereby reducing overall costs while improving building designs and performance.

This marks the first use of BubbleDeck in Ontario, and the first exposure to it for Oakville’s Cooper Construction Limited. According to Don Gordon, Cooper’s vice president of operations and team leader on this project, the BubbleDeck system facilitates up to 50 per cent longer spans between columns. And because the construction does not require beams, it allows architects greater design freedom – tailor-made for the open floor designs found in educational, institutional, and commercial buildings.

“We are certain that designers of future buildings across Canada will be very
interested in case-studying and possibly adopting the use of BubbleDeck, due to the impressive results it has allowed the design team to achieve in Waterloo,” Gordon comments.

BubbleDeck enabled Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg (KPMB) Architects to achieve 40-foot clear spans, essential to creating the building’s “open” space, and gave them the freedom to locate structural columns to suit the programming of the spaces.

“What sold the contract was the fact they could get the 40-foot spans they needed for the classrooms. The other option was to have great big drop concrete beams, or to have steel beam decks,” says Andrew Feener, vice
president of BubbleDeck Atlantic Canada, which holds the Canadian rights to this technology.

According to Feener, BubbleDeck adds efficiency and looks, averaging 31 per cent savings on this job. “This gives you a two-way bending process. It doesn’t need a wall or beam to support it, which makes it different from traditional precast,” he explains. “It gives you the design advantage of a two-way slab.”

But he says the biggest advantage to BubbleDeck is the reduction in overall floor thickness – to 390 millimetres, versus steel (nearly 600 mm.), or concrete (800 mm.) – adding up to substantial savings on, “the most expensive part of your building.”

Concerns about making the Balsillie Campus green also had a bearing on the
decision to go with BubbleDeck – with the cement industry responsible for 5 per cent of global emissions (according to KPMB partner Shirley Blumberg).

The BubbleDeck system also allows for less energy consumption during production, transport, and onsite activities, and the recycled plastic balls can be recovered during demolition.

Invented by Danish engineer Jorgen Breuning in 1997, BubbleDeck has been
ultilized on 400-plus projects in Europe (mostly Scandinavia). Company management says that, because it enables smaller foundation sizes, it typically reduces floor cycles by 20 to 25 per cent, and cuts construction costs by 5 to 10 per cent.

BubbleDeck Atlantic Canada has completed five projects since 2005, and is also currently working on a building at York University, in Toronto. It’s earmarked for applications in hospitals, hotels, educational facilities, and retail stores.

The three-storey, 114,000-square-foot Balsillie Campus is rising up on the former 19th Century site of Seagram Distillery – right next door to the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI). This project received federal and provincial funding totalling $50 million, and that was matched by a $50 million donation from CIGI founder and chair Jim Balsillie, co-CEO of Research In Motion. The City of Waterloo donated the land, valued at $5 million.

Its opening will create a platform for postgraduate education in international affairs – an incubator for ideas, due to the physical proximity of related schools and research centres.

A third-generation family business, Cooper was awarded the construction management contract based on, according to Gordon, its proven track record in successfully completing high-quality, complex projects located on tightly accessed sites, immediately adjacent to existing occupied premises.

The workforce will vary from 30 to 70 tradesmen over the course of construction. This project is a contemporary interpretation of a traditional academic quad building. Architectural highlights include: a bell tower; a 250-seat auditorium/lecture hall; café; informal meeting spaces with fireplaces; an inner landscaped courtyard; a “living” green roof; a birch tree patio across
from local restaurants; and a tunnel to link future residences.

The building also incorporates such unique features as: structured BubbleDeck “box” windows; limestone floors; wood ceilings; radiant cooling and heating; in-floor lighting; occupancy sensors to control lighting; and wireless access throughout.

“This will definitely be a landmark building,” Gordon adds. “It has been
designed by KPMB Architects to prominently stand in the company of three Governor General award-winning buildings – the Centre for International Governance Innovation, the Perimeter Institute, and the Clay and Glass
Museum. The overriding design vision was that this building must be a vibrant sanctuary for creative thought.”

This article appeared in the November 4, 2010 edition of the Mississauga Business times and is reproduced with the permission of the publisher.

Cooper Construction was hired in April 2009 to provide construction management services for a new three-storey structure that will be located next to CIGI, in Waterloo, Ontario. The structure will consist of the Balsillie School of International Affairs, an academic building and an auditorium, all connected to each other. A stone bell tower will provide an anchor to the international affairs building and the new structure will be connected to CIGI’s already existing building. The property will also have two parking lots.

Cooper Construction began operations on the site in August 2009 and is scheduled to finish by march 31, 2011. As of August 2010, all the foundations were complete, except for the service building which was being excavated. The auditorium’s precast wall panels had been erected and supported, and the precast seats were welded in place. In the academic building, ductwork was installed where possible and the bell tower formwork was poured up to the third-floor roof. Footings had been placed and underground services were being installed in the service building.

The Balsillie School of International Affairs building will cover 56,000 square feet; the auditorium will be 14,000 square feet, and the academic building will add 40,000 square feet.

The Balsillie School is home to a critical mass of extraordinary experts; the school provides students with an inter-disciplinary learning environment in which they develop the knowledge and expertise of international issues from the core disciplines of economics, history, environmental studies and related fields. Students prepare for careers in teaching and research in the field of international affairs, as well as for a growing range of careers within national governments, international organizations, the non-government sector and the private sector.

Jim Balsillie, co-CEO of Research in Motion, founded the Balsillie School in 2007. There are more than 60 affiliated faculty teaching in the three programs currently associated with the school — the Ph.D in Global Governance, the Master’s program in Global Governance, and the Master’s in International Public policy — and more than 50 graduate students at UW and WLU currently hold Balsillie Fellowships.

“This project will create a unique hub in Canada”, CIGI Senior Director of Communications Fred Kuntz says. “With the global programs we’re assembling and the proximity of the think tank to other research, faculty and students, it has the potential to change the world.’

The architect of the project, KPMB Architects, called for the use of BubbleDeck® technology in the structure, something Cooper Construction was unfamiliar with. However, the company would not be intimidated by using a new technology and quickly adapted and has been successful with it. The technology is so new to Canada that the campus is only the second structure to use it and is the first in Ontario.

BubbleDeck® technology is a European system wherein hollow plastic balls eliminate concrete with no carrying effect. When the top and bottom reinforcements are linked, the balls lock into place, controlling the reinforcement levels, and the concrete can be poured over the slab.

BubbleDeck Atlantic was involved with the consultants on the Balsillie Campus from the development stage. The building was optimized with BubbleDeck (40-foot spans) giving the consultants open spaces required for the classroom environments. With the use of BubbleDeck®, the overall height of the building was reduced, resulting in a cost-saving of the façade and decreasing the construction time on site. A new method of cooling was also implemented; cooling lines were installed in the pre-cast BubbleDeck® panels, using the mass of the structure to maintain temperature inside the building.

The Cooper Way
Cooper Construction is a third-generation family-owned Canadian construction company that conducts business throughout southern Ontario in three primary sectors: design/build construction, construction management, and commercial and industrial real estate development.

President William Cooper Sr. says the company philosophy gives its clients the right to expect extraordinary efforts to deliver an outstanding project. “We have an obligation to meet their expectations”, he states. “Through dedicated, transparent communication and demonstrated integrity, we build enduring relationships with our clients.”

This article appeared in the Fall 2010 edition of Building & Construction – Canada, and is reproduced with the permission of the publishers.

Oakville, ON (PRWeb) September 01, 2010 – Cooper Construction has completed structural concrete for the 90,000 s.f. Balsillie Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) in Waterloo.

The Centre is the brainchild of Jim Balsillie, co-CEO of Research In Motion (RIM), the company behind the BlackBerry® wireless solution brand.

CIGI’s principal purpose is to address international governance challenges through world-class research. The CIGI campus will make Kitchener-Waterloo the destination for generations of students and innovators from around the world.

This project received federal and provincial funding totaling $50 million through the Knowledge Infrastructure Program and Ontario’s 2009 Budget. The project also received funding of $50-million donation from CIGI founder and chair, Jim Balsillie. The City of Waterloo donated the land next to CIGI for the building of the new campus, valued at $5 million.

Following a competitive bid process, Cooper Construction was named as construction managers for the project – the company’s fourth educational building project in the Kitchener-Waterloo area.

Bill Cooper Sr, President of Cooper Construction, stated: ”We’re very proud to have been selected to manage construction of a facility that will have a strong global presence and will have international influence on the future. We’re also delighted to have the opportunity to pioneer the use of innovative construction techniques, such as bubble deck, in Ontario.”

The prefabricated bubble deck structure is a flat hollow slab that spans in two directions. A rebar cage placed on the slab contains hollow reground plastic balls – replacing the concrete that normally forms the centre layer of a concrete slab but contributes nothing to the structural performance.

Bill Cooper stated “I have no doubt that this is the way of the future for a great many projects, and I’m personally thrilled that some of the world’s best young minds will be coming to learn at a truly outstanding facility built by our company.”

For more information on The Balsillie Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), please contact Don Gordon, at 905.829-0444 ext. 231.

Work continues on the University of Waterloo Environment 3 Building in Waterloo, Ont. General contractor Cooper Construction Ltd. began the four-storey expansion to the existing building in December 2009. The project, which is aiming to achieve LEED Platinum certification, includes a two-storey bridge over the existing facility.

Completion has been scheduled for March 2011.

Announcing that development of the Business Park on the west side of Hanlon Expressway would now proceed, Guelph Mayor Karen Farbridge stated:

“In consultation with Dr. Jim Bogart and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, we have concluded that there is no Jefferson Salamander presence on the Hanlon Creek Business Park lands.”

On behalf of the City of Guelph, Guelph Land Holdings Ltd. and Belmont Equity (HCBP) Holdings Ltd., a comprehensive salamander monitoring program was conducted by Natural Resource Solutions Inc.

Carried out during the salamanders’ peak breeding season, from March 11 to April 30th, the program took in 5.5 kilometres of drift fencing, with 122 minnow traps and 611 pitfall traps to monitor the location and direction of the amphibians’ movement to and from their breeding ponds.

Analysis of DNA from captured salamanders was performed at the University of Guelph, by Dr. Bogart, Chair of the Jefferson Salamander Recovery Team. The analysis found no presence of either pure Jefferson salamanders or individuals with Jefferson-dominated genes.

On May 7th, the Ministry of Natural Resources confirmed that, based on the rigor of the program and its results, development of the Business Park required no authorizations, agreements or permit under the Endangered Species Act.

Responded to the announcement, Bill Cooper Jr of Cooper Construction Ltd. stated; “This is good news — for the salamanders, the City of Guelph, and all involved in development of an important business and employment location for the City. Now we can go ahead with creating and servicing the subdivision.”

Noting that the study had provided information on the location and movements of other amphibians within Hanlon Creek Business Park, Cooper stated: “This information will allow us to undertake measures to protect wildlife during construction.”

Approval for the sub-division’s development was originally granted by the Ontario Municipal Board in November 2006. Mayor Farbridge stated: “We will move forward with our plans to service and develop these important employment lands and grow jobs in our community, while ensuring excellence in environmental protection and restoration. In Guelph, sustainability and prosperity go hand in hand.”

Exterior work has reached the top floor of the new Ron Joyce Centre for Advanced Management Studies, at McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business in Burlington, Ont.

Design/build contractor Cooper Construction Ltd. has occupancy of the educational facility, which has been designed for LEED Silver certification, scheduled for September 2010.

Courtesy of Daily Commercial News and Construction Record, April 5th, 2010

Cooper Construction Limited is delighted to announce that, in partnership with AMB Property Corporation, Colliers International and CB Richard Ellis, the company has received the NAIOP Real Estate Excellence “REX” Award for Industrial Development of the Year for the 1.12 million S.F. AMB Airport Road Distribution Centre.

Ken Nevar, Don Gordon, Jim Petsche and Lisa Schimp were on hand to accept the Award at the annual NAIOP gala presentation night, held at the CBC Headquarters in Toronto on March 4^th, 2010.

The NAIOP Awards night is the premier event of the season for the office and industrial real estate industry in the Greater Toronto Area — unrivaled in the industry for its significance and blue chip attendance.

This tribute is a proud achievement for Cooper as it is the third time that we have been publicly honoured as a leader in the industrial development and construction categories and acknowledged as such by our peers.

In addition to the new campus building, the expansion plan also includes establishing a regional family medicine centre and a resident program and the future affiliation with the Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital.  The City of Burlington and the Region of Halton have each invested $5 million in the expansion.

Local entrepreneur and philanthropist Ron Joyce’ 98 made an early $10-million commitment to the project.  The land on which the new centre will be constructed will be donated by Michael H. DeGroote of Westbury International.

The centre is scheduled to open in the fall of 2010.  It will feature an atrium entrance, a library/learning commons, “high-touch/high-tech” lecture halls and classrooms, lounges and eating facilities, and breakout rooms that can be configured for meetings, tutorials, workshops, interviews, group study or networking activities.

Cooper Construction Ltd., of Oakville, is the contractor selected to carry out construction of the Ron Joyce Centre.

Oakville, Ontario. July 14^th,  2009: Cooper Construction Limited of Oakville, Ontario is to commence design/build construction of the 68,000 sq.ft. Research Advancement Centre Phase II, located in the University of Waterloo Business Park, north of the Central campus.

The Phase II building will closely resemble the Phase I building completed by Cooper Construction in January 2008.

William Cooper Sr, President and CEO, stated: “With Phase One of the project successfully completed a little over a year ago, we’re very pleased to be commencing Phase Two. This is an interesting project that will serve the Canadian research community for many years to come.”

Three floors of combined office and laboratory space will locate offices on the building’s perimeter, with multi-use laboratory space on three floors in the building’s core, including one 2000 sq.ft. two-storey lab. The lab space is designed for separation into up to 14 labs with independent HVAC and lighting. A central service area links all lab space to the penthouse mechanical space, with provision for easy installation of dedicated HVAC and ventilation equipment for special purposes.

The heating and ventilation system is designed to accommodate fume hoods to the labs, with hydroponic heating and cooling to offices and labs and a central computerized BMS system.

Each of the three floors can be set up independently with dedicated lunch rooms, meeting rooms, computer rooms and washrooms. The third floor has a distinctive overhanging premium office area on the south and west sides to accommodate the dedicated needs of the third floor tenant.

The building will have steel frame structure, with pre-cast concrete floor slabs, architectural pre-cast, distinctive three colour curtainwall glazing, one drive-in door with loading dock and two grade-level dock doors. A screened patio will provide secluded breakout space adjacent to the property’s extensive landscaped reserve.

About Cooper Construction

Cooper Construction is a third-generation family-owned Canadian best-practices company in commercial real estate development and leasing, design-build construction, construction management, and property management.

For more information, please contact Bill Cooper, Jr, at 905.829-0444 ext. 222.

Bill Cooper Sr.

As long-time corporate citizens and residents of Oakville, Cooper Construction and its people have a history of pro-active support for the life of their community—currently expressed in president Bill Cooper Sr’s role as co-chair of the major funding initiative for a new Oakville Hospital.

Mr. Cooper stated the issue clearly. “The need for the New Oakville Hospital becomes more apparent every day”, he said.  “The existing site and facility can no longer accommodate any expansion to best serve the growing population of our town. We’re in a period of renewal and planning for growth to meet our long term needs, and the new Oakville Hospital clearly signals our commitment to the community to provide the very best health care possible.”

It is nearly 60 years since a new 50-bed hospital was built on 9 acres of land to serve Oakville’s population of 17,000 people. Today, Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital is a busy acute-care community hospital, but during its lifetime of service the population of Oakville and the surrounding area has grown 10-fold.

Over the years, the hospital expanded to accommodate the rapidly increasing demand—each expansion providing more room, but also resulting in a fragmented structure with clinical services placed wherever space was available.

Now the OTMH can grow no further.  In order to respond to developments in medical practice and the community’s need for convenient, timely care, a larger and more modern facility is required.

The new hospital will be developed on a 50-acre green-field site at Third Line and Dundas Street, with construction scheduled to begin in 2011.

“Our new hospital will be more than double the size of the OTMH”, Mr. Cooper said. “It will have the latest technology and patient services, and I believe it will set the standard for healthcare services in a community hospital.

“I urge anyone interested in learning more, or contributing to the fund-raising effort, to contact Sheilaah Guthrie at the Oakville Hospital Foundation. The number is 905-845-2571, extension 6382.”

The GWL Building B was designed by Adamson & Associates Architects Inc. Consultants are: Stephenson Engineering Ltd. (structural); Andronowski & Associates Ltd. (mechanical); and Mulvey & Banani (electrical). Subtrades include: D’Orazio Infrastructure Group Ltd. (earthworks); M&G Steel Ltd.(structural steel); Hardrock Forming Co.; CBM Aggregates (concrete); Architectural Precast; GA Masonry Ltd.; Plan Group (electrical); Superior Sprinkler (fire protection); Clima Mechanical Contractors; Westmount Storefront (aluminum/windows); and Kone Inc.