90 Elgin Street

Officially dubbed the James Michael Flaherty building after Canada’s late Minister of Finance, 90 Elgin is characterized by a modern design approach and dedication to sustainability. The office building is set to accommodate about 2,500 federal government employees from the Department of Finance and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. The building’s façade is an artful mix of glass and metal panels and natural stone to obtain both maximum light exposure and energy performance. The T shape of the building is also an intentional design element that minimizes heat gain. The 17 storey tower atop the 8 storey pavilion steps back from the street to prevent it from becoming an overbearing presence. The pavilion mimics the height of adjacent buildings, seamlessly integrating the office into its surroundings.

Pro-Bel Technical Solution

For this building, we designed a conventional system of anchors, a Horizontal Lifeline (cable) System (HLL), rigging sleeves and stabilization to provide fall protection and safe window washing access. The anchors are located on the main roof, 18^th storey roof (mechanical floor) and on the 9^th, 3^rd, and 2^nd storeys to accommodate stage and bosuns chair work. We also designed a total of 7 horizontal lifeline systems on the mechanical roof, 8^th storey and 2^nd storey. These lifelines provide safe access and egress from fall hazard zones (restrictive areas) near a vertical drop. Rigging sleeves at the 9^th floor overhang on the east façade provide safe access to the windows set back under the overhang. Intermittent stabilization anchors (ISAs / stabilization buttons) help provide safe vertical access to the façade.