Located in downtown Calgary’s west end, the West Village Towers is a large-scale, mixed-use micro-community consisting of three high-rise towers. These luxury residences boast breathtaking views of the Bow River and Rocky Mountains, balconies for each unit and various onsite amenities. These amenities include a rooftop fitness facility, private amenity room and the Sky Lounge designed for the West Village community to connect with one another. Towers A and B are an impressive 41-storeys high, and the third tower, Tower C, currently in construction, consists of 29 storeys.
Cidex Group retained Williams Engineering (WE) in the early design stage to understand the intended building design, building systems, and how the building would be conditioned and provide feedback on suitable building envelope and roof assemblies with the design team. WE also played a critical role in reviewing options for tower glazing systems. These efforts included detailed system design reviews to review overall constructability and long-term durability, site visits to manufacturing facilities to confirm quality assurance processes, and a review of system testing to ensure performance for installation in Calgary’s climate.
Given that the project is being constructed in phases, a portion of the building was exposed to the elements before the last phase of construction continued to enclose the space as part of the interior. As a result, this presented challenges in design and construction when reviewing an area requiring added protection from the exterior environment for an extended period before construction is completed. WE provided options that would ensure the necessary level of protection for the building while meeting budget constraints and allowing for future work to proceed with minimal interruption.
During construction, WE reviewed the continuity of the building envelope through quality assurance site reviews and reports. Interior finish work proceeded as the building envelope was being enclosed on upper levels—temporary measures needed to be taken to prevent moisture ingress during this period between floors. In addition, drywall finishing was proceeding in the cold winter months. With temporary propane heating, which generates high amounts of moisture along with the drywall finishing, additional measures had to be taken to control the condensation on the exterior of the building to prevent damage to the interior.
The striking architectural design, particularly at the roof level, also presented challenges concerning drainage, snow loading, and ice build-up. Based on findings from a specialized Falling Ice & Snow Consultant, as well as wind uplift studies completed on the building, WE worked with NORR to confirm the building envelope design for a sloped roof system that would provide necessary access for maintenance and redundancy in the design for long-term durability.
The West Village Towers is Calgary’s tallest multi-residential mixed-use development and an iconic addition to the city’s skyline. These luxury towers feature over 500 residential units. Residents can enjoy a variety of amenities in a community where convenience, comfort and modern living come together in one place.
