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L/AVENUE Condominiums – A look at construction

L/AVENUE Condominiums – A look at construction

L/AVENUE, AN ICONIC SILHOUETTE

Located in the heart of downtown, directly facing the Bell Centre, L/AVENUE condominiums is slated to be the tallest mixed-use residential building in Montreal. Rising 50 storeys, L/Avenue will become one of the most recognizable silhouettes in the skyline. The main tower will be composed of three rectilinear volumes sculpted in a dramatic stepped form and featuring a contemporary union of metal, concrete, and glass. At street-level, the adjoining podium of the building will add further architectural richness to the surrounding area.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE – as of March 2015

We broke ground for the construction of the L/Avenue condominium development in January 2014.

The project reached street level at the end of February 2015 and work is already well underway on the structure for the ground floor.

UNIQUE CONSIDERATIONS

Every work site has its particular challenges, but for the construction of L/Avenue condominiums, one of the most unique challenges is the presence of numerous other major construction sites in the immediate area.

It is no secret that the construction of L/Avenue is taking place alongside other large-scale projects. In fact, the construction sites for two large towers are directly neighbouring on the L/Avenue site and two other tower construction sites are also located within a short distance.

The juxtaposition of these work sites necessarily requires additional coordination between the different project teams. This was particularly true during the work required to establish the support structures for the various buildings. The supports for L/Avenue's retaining systems and for the retaining systems of the adjacent structures extend and intersect underground. This meant for careful and diligent planning and collaboration between the teams of all the nearby projects.

The proximity of these other projects also means the sharing of public spaces. During the process of construction it is often necessary to use street-side public space, which needs to be reserved in advance. Once again, it is necessary for the teams of the different projects to organize and adapt their individual work schedules around the availability of these public areas.

Another unique consideration for construction in this particular locale is the presence of the Bell Centre. The L/Avenue cconstruction crews have to be mindful of their popular neighbour, particularly when events are scheduled at the arena. Again, careful planning is required for the reservation and use of the public spaces on Avenue-des-Canadiens, the street bordering the Bell Centre's façade.

BUILDING IN WINTER

An additional challenge for builders in Montreal is, of course, the cold winters. Environment Canada stated that this year Montreal endured the coldest February ever recorded. The city averaged a temperature of -15°C last month, beating out a 1979 record of -14.5°C. Cold weather, ice, and snow can sometimes cause delays in progress, but these types of challenges are always anticipated when you are accustomed to building in Canada. As the developer and builder of L/AVENUE condominiums, Broccolini Construction is particularly well acquainted with winter construction, having been in the business and building properties in Montreal since 1949. In the case of the construction of L/Avenue during this particularly frigid winter, work crews continue to compensate for any interruptions by putting in time on the week-ends and evenings, whenever the elements are more accommodating.

UPCOMING MILESTONES

Despite these challenges and special considerations, construction of the L/Avenue 50-storey tower continues to progress at a very good pace.

The construction team expects to reach the 8th floor of the structure, completing the entire podium, by mid-July, before the Construction Holidays. Following that, crews will begin closing the envelope of the building, installing the curtain walls and implementing the masonry work.

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