Ottawa Construction News staff writer
The City of Brockville’s new main pump station will have a “Traditional” design.
Council voted on four proposed designs for the structure at a meeting last week. In March 2024, City Council made the decision to construct the city’s new main pump station as an above-ground structure.
J.L. Richards, a design and engineering firm, was hired to create conceptual architectural renderings.
- Option 1 – Traditional : inspired by the local historical buildings with the lower clad of the building in heavier darker stone being contrasted with the lower clad in a lighter white stone.
- Option 2 – Cascade : inspired by architectural gargoyles, traditionally used to shed water off roofs. This design creates cascading roof planes to move water and includes planters lining the building’s street face.
- Option 3 – The Sail: inspired by the St. Lawrence River and utilizes a curved roof line to reduce the visual impact to local residents. The roof’s curvature is reflected in the building facades which incorporates textured stone at the base of the building and smoother limestone cladding finishes along the top.
- Option 4 – Terrace: blends the building within the local landscape of the park. This option proposes the use of green roofs that terrace from the building into the landscape, obscuring the building’s presence.
Although the public expressed a slight preference for Option 3 – The Sail, council accepted staff’s recommendation to proceed with Option 1– Traditional.
The Traditional design was the lowest cost option at $20.4 to $25.4 million compared to $23.3 to $28.3 million for option 2, $23.5 to $28.5 million for option 3 and $24.5 to $29.5 million for option 4.
“The Traditional design will resolve all the existing operational and design issues associated with the current station while providing an attractive, aesthetically pleasing exterior finish at the lowest estimated cost,” Peter Raabe, Director of Engineering & Infrastructure Services said in his report. “While the other three design options also resolve the operational and design issues, the enhanced features and exterior design comes at a higher cost.”
A full detailed design including landscaping and exterior features will be undertaken in 2025.
