700 University Avenue – Modular Exit Stair
Additional Info
Award Winner : PCL Agile
Architectural Excellence : The exit staircase was purpose-built for KingSett Capital’s commercial office building in Downtown Toronto as adding an exit staircase for fire emergency was required to increase building capacity. The staircase — one of the tallest full volumetric modular buildings in North America — consists of a two-storey below-grade structural support and a two-storey lower structure, which support 20 storeys of stacked stair modules that were made with a repeatable design for ease of installation and increased quality. In consideration of KingSett’s future business plans such as performing further expansions, the staircase was designed to be versatile allowing for additional storeys to be added to the top of the structure as well allowing adjacent structures egress doors to be merged into the staircase. The maintenance-free design features ACM panels colour-matched to the existing building and a revitalized back entrance.
Cost Energy Effectiveness : PCL selected smart materials within the budget, such as LED lighting with a low operations cost and an exterior sheathing board in the façade. The mechanical and electrical systems operate only when needed. A full 3D scan of the existing building determined where to place the mods and considered effects on the structure. This revealed issues early on and allowed PCL to proactively divert potential risk and prepare quick solutions.
Offsite and onsite work were coordinated to provide economies of scale, which reduced overall schedule and project costs. Completing 90% of the work in the shop reduced installation costs and relieved the cost of shutting down a main street and city-owned parking stalls. PCL changed the installation schedule from weekends only for 2 months to a condensed 3-week shutdown to do it altogether. Erection was completed in 2 weeks, allowing for a shorter shutdown and additional cost savings due to the accuracy of the modules and quality assurance completed offsite.
Design Firm Name : MMM International Architects Ltd.
Engineering Firm Name : Entuitive
Green Building Description : The lighting and electrical systems were optimized to be self-contained as much as possible within the modules. The electrical items are sensor-based, only to kick in when people are using the staircase, including the LED lighting. Mechanical portions like the heating are also sensor-based thermostat that automatically reads the temperature to keep the staircase at the required ambient temperature and have lesser of operation costs. The stair tower is constructed with a 4” thick mineral fiber panel, with seals on both inside and outside of the panel to ensure complete weathertightness with minimal energy loss.
Installer Firm Name : PCL Agile
Occupied Date : 11/16/2020
Owner Firm Name : KingSett Capital
Production Start Date : 1/28/2020
Project Location City : Toronto
Project Location State Name : Ontario
Technical Innovation : The repetitive design made it easy to mass produce a high-quality, easy-to-install product. By using a Bluco modular fixturing system, the welding, steel work and panel installation were all done in shop to perfection. This ensured the model cells were built and volumized to the maximum height, staying within millimeters of accuracy, to save time and money upon installation. PCL ensured the mods would clear the powerlines with 10-15 mm to spare and left out the stair railings to avoid inference. The roof module was engineered and constructed to allow temporary support beams for the swing stage that ensured workers could go up and down the 200-foot structure safely while completing the building envelope seaming. The roof mod, in conjunction with the 19th floor mod, was used as a safe work platform capping of the structure at each day, protecting the workers from working at heights as well wind and rain while coring and tying back the stair tower to the building at every third floor.
Total Square Feet : 4896
Category : Permanent: Special Application: under 10,000 sq. ft.