Granite Curling Club

Summarize the project's program, features and achievements?

This building brought about a new era began for the Granite Curling Club, with the completion of a 24,200-square-foot modern facility in Ottawa. Designed and built with the design-build delivery model, the new space features four regulation curling sheets, a lounge and dining area, commercial kitchen, locker rooms, games room, and dedicated office and meeting spaces.

Serving as the initial phase in a broader redevelopment effort, this project sets the tone for future mixed-use development while providing a high-performance recreational hub for curlers of all ages. Through collaboration, value engineering, and innovative construction, this facility represents a successful fusion of community heritage and modern design.

What obstacles were overcome related to the schedule, budget, program, specification, site, etc. on this project?

This was the contractor’s first tilt-up concrete project. Embracing a new methodology always carries risk and a learning curve, especially in a cold-weather environment like Ottawa. The team had to develop new strategies for tilt-up sequencing and execution under local site conditions.

Early in preconstruction, the team led the client through several value engineering and budgeting exercises to align scope with available resources. This helped ensure that key program elements—such as accessibility features, community areas, and structural performance—remained intact without exceeding financial constraints.

As the first phase of a larger redevelopment that includes the club's original site, coordination between the future land use plan and current facility construction added complexity. The transition required strategic planning to avoid operational downtime while ensuring long-term flexibility for both sites.

Please communicate any engineering complexities or unique features of the panel design for this project?

This project marked the company’s first use of tilt-up construction. That meant working through design detailing, sequencing, and formwork logistics that were new to both field crews and project managers.

As a public-facing recreational facility, panel design had to balance aesthetic appeal with durability and insulation needs—especially critical in a space where temperature control is key to maintaining curling ice surfaces. The insulated wall panels served dual roles as load-bearing structure and exterior envelope.

The integration of building systems (mechanical, lighting, HVAC) into the panel structure required close coordination between trades and the structural team. Placement of embeds, conduit paths, and fenestration had to be locked down early to avoid costly rework during lifting.