The Delaney

Williams Engineering (WE) provided structural, mechanical and electrical engineering services for The Delaney located at 829 – 17th Ave NW, Calgary, Alberta. This project was designed by Zeidler Partnership Architects, which is a private/public partnership project by Trico Residential. Built in the community of Mount Pleasant, the Delaney helps fulfill a need for accessible and affordable housing in Calgary, Alberta.

The Delaney is a 44-unit residential building with over 3,000 square feet of commercial space. One of the objectives for this mixed-use building was to provide additional affordable housing in the Calgary community. Twelve of the 44 units will be rented at 10 percent below the average market rate. Ten of those units are built barrier free for wheelchair accessibility, while keeping with the design standards of Trico Residential properties. Part of the commercial space will be leased to Accessible Housing, a local not-for-profit organization at a rate below-market value.

One challenging aspect of the Delaney was that the project was being built in the inner-city on a compact site. In this case the building foot print extended to the boundaries of the property to achieve the largest buildable square footage. The building was cast in place with concrete up to the second floor along with 5-storey of wood frame which was built above the commercial space. WE incorporated shoring walls into the foundation wall using a short track wall system to stabilize the surrounding soil for the foundation. Design elements included balconies with significant overhang and the clients preferred not to use posts for support, which meant incorporating steel beams and longer laminated beams into the design to provide support to the balconies.

The Delaney opened its doors in September 2018. This outstanding mixed-use building is a shining example of the commitment to affordable and barrier free housing that both Trico Homes and the Government of Alberta have dedicated themselves to supporting in Calgary.  WE is proud to have contributed to this project and looks forward to the continued relationship with Trico Homes.