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Paclo

Paclo

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McMaster University Student Activity & Fitness Expansion (SAFE) is a 4-storey sports facility, student community centre, prayer room and academic building designed by MJMA for McMaster University on the northeast corner of Stearne Drive and Michell Crescent, and west of Forsyth Avenue on McMaster University's main Hamilton campus. The facility had a 'soft opening' in January 2023 and as of May 2023 has been fully completed and opened.

Renderings from MJMA:
McMaster-University-SAB_01.jpg
McMaster-University-SAB_02.jpg
McMaster-University-SAB_03.jpg


Progress as of January 2023, via Triumph:
McMaster University Student Activity & Fitness Expansion (SAFE) 0-7 screenshot.jpg
 
It was fully opened in May? I still had guys there putting up panels in May.
What a shitshow this project was. It was supposed to be ready Q4 of 2020. Stuart Olson shit the bed, then Bird had to come in and save it.

It's also sinking on one side.

Sawtooth panels look good though. 👍
 
JoeParez said:
It was fully opened in May? I still had guys there putting up panels in May.
What a shitshow this project was. It was supposed to be ready Q4 of 2020. Stuart Olson shit the bed, then Bird had to come in and save it.

It's also sinking on one side.

Sawtooth panels look good though. 👍
Click to expand...
I'd love to know more...Bird did buy them out, in the end. I had good experience with SO on a project not in Ontario, but different office and different team(s).
 
I was next to this last week and it is surely not done. Perhaps the inside is done, I just went by while dropping off my partner at work so I only saw the exterior. There is still work going on though.
 
ProjectEnd said:
I'd love to know more...Bird did buy them out, in the end. I had good experience with SO on a project not in Ontario, but different office and different team(s).
Click to expand...
Well, as I mentioned, the building is sinking/sunk on one side. However, I think the nail in the coffin for SO was that they infilled the west elevation before they connected the sewer to the main line. That caused a 4 month delay as they had to dig up the grading they already did. When we did the East Building, we had to tear down all of our interior siding because they forgot that there was A/V wiring and TVs that needed to be installed in the gym.

Nothing was ever ready when it was supposed to be ready. I can't tell you how many times we had to pull our crews off the job because they had very little work to do. And the communication wasn't the best. It took a while for Bird to get it going again and I'm not even sure Bird did a good enough job to save it. So many things in that west building went wrong.
 
Paclo said:
Anyone have more recent photos of this?
Click to expand...
I didn't take photos, but the main floor didn't seem open. When I went by last on Nov 13. I don't go on campus much, but my partner works there so I'm occasionally there to pick her up or meet for lunch so next time I'm there I'll grab photos, perhaps of the inside if they're open.

Actually I did get a photo showing it was still active construction on Nov 13:
1000002018.jpg
 

Building is now completed! 🎉
Looks like there is quite a bit of open space. Though it is well needed. Study areas in the university were busy/full most times, and this should make things much better as the facility can hold 500-1000 students. https://www.mjma.ca/Portfolio/All-Projects/McMaster-University-Student-Activity-Building-and

In addition, it was mentioned there is a grocer in the facility - which is probably a convenience store run by the MSU.
 
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McMaster has learned a lot at building functional useful spaces these days, unlike the days where it built White Elephants like the Student Centre. This looks like a very nice build here.
 
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