Holy Blossom Temple Renovation

Client: Holy Blossom Temple
Sector: Cultural and Recreational
Delivery mode: Lump Sum
Location: Toronto, ON, CA
Year built: 2019

Gloriously Bright and Contemporary

Holy Blossom Temple, home to the oldest Jewish congregation in Toronto, undertook an ambitious multi-phase renewal project at its campus on Bathurst Street.

We were awarded the contract to implement Phase 1, which provided the congregation with:

A new three-storey communal atrium.
A brand-new spacious family chapel.
A library.
A youth lounge.
A coffee shop.
A gift store.
Meeting and event rooms.
Administrative offices.
Modern electrical and ventilation systems.

For the project, we performed the following services:

Demolishing an existing building (2,604 m²).
Erecting a new 3,383 m²building to replace the original (including a steel and concrete frame, curtain wall envelope, skylights and stone panels).
Planning construction activities.
Installing a green wall.
Coordinating with the operator and asset manager.
Budgeting and value engineering.
Cost, schedule and quality control.
Procurement and site supervision.
Traffic control and signage.
Construction management, methods and logistics.
Commissioning and warranty follow-up.
Applying and monitoring environmental protection measures.
Applying LEAN methods.

Our Challenges

An Old Building

We had to insulate the pipes and radiators of this building, which was built in 1938, plus remove the plaster and roof membrane that contained asbestos.

Preserving the Original Concrete

By sequencing the work and installing temporary supports, we could retain the original concrete exterior wall of the building, which was the very first institutional project in Canada built entirely of reinforced concrete.

A Confined and Busy Space

We implemented a specific logistical strategy to streamline the demolition and construction phase on this small site located between two fully occupied buildings.