715 Mikinàk Road

Photo courtesy of IBI Group

Building Affordable and Accessible Housing 

Ottawa Community Housing awarded Pomerleau the construction management contract for the new Mikinàk Community development located in Wateridge Village, overlooking the Ottawa River. The property is a part of the legacy of the former Canadian Forces Base Rockcliffe Lands, and is being built to incorporate design-forward residences, retail and office space, amenities, parks, trails, and more.  

A restorative circle was incorporated into the design of the exterior amenity space at the entrance of the community. Restorative circles are based upon the First Nations tradition of Talking Circles.  

Mikinàk Community will offer 271 units in three buildings, including studio, one, two, and three-bedroom apartments with different levels of affordability. The project also includes 57 accessible homes. It includes multiple car share parking spaces that will be available for use by tenants as well as the broader community. 

Pomerleau was responsible for the management of more than 20 subcontractors, consultants and suppliers during the construction process.  

BIM was used extensively on this project, specifically to create a 3D model of the foundations and the underground property, and assist in preparation for extra excavation. The use of BIM helped minimize formwork and reduced clashes and rework.   

Open Space was used to track the progression of work on-site relative to the floor plans at regular intervals throughout the project. This documentation will be turned over to the development’s maintenance team to help them manage the buildings’ systems effectively.  

Pomerleau’s extensive experience with construction management projects was a great advantage. Essentially, in projects of this nature, the constructor comes into the project early to assist with design and to fine-tune approaches before going out to tender for subcontractors, consultants and suppliers. This way, issues are caught before they arise, designs are optimized, and costs are reduced. During the tender period, Pomerleau used its long-established relationships to find the right partners at the right price for the client. 

Mikinàk Community has been designed to be carbon neutral and to meet Passive House standards. In addition, guidelines for WELL stairwells were followed to encourage residents to use stairs rather than elevators. Overall, the construction design targets the highest levels of sustainability and efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and operating costs for both the tenants and landlord.   

Sustainability has been an important consideration: carbon neutral, geothermal wells, solar panels and heat recovery mechanical systems have been put in place to optimize building efficiencies to be greener and more sustainable. 

Permitting  

Obtaining the right permits from the City of Ottawa took longer than anticipated so work had to be tightly coordinated around this. While the building permits were expected to be issued ahead of the planned construction start for all buildings, the review process was not as advanced as anticipated and revisions to the design were required. As a result, Pomerleau, in collaboration with the owner and consultants, re-worked the project schedule to begin work with the first building that received a conditional permit. Furthermore, an agreement to a conditional Site Plan Approval was achieved by all members of the team to mitigate the schedule impact.  

Site Conditions  

Some of the soil conditions were unexpected so more excavation than anticipated was required. The site was altered by 3rd parties between the time the surveying was completed by the owner and the time Pomerleau mobilized on-site. The additional material on-site needed to be removed. It was also discovered that the added material met contaminant tables and as such, tracking of the material removed from site was critical. Given the nature of the work, this affected the critical path of the schedule, but Pomerleau was able to work out a plan with its trade partners and the client to prioritize critical areas.