Building the City We Aspire To Be
Ottawa is facing many challenges: we need more housing that achieves better sustainable density to create homes for families and support small businesses for a diverse economy. We need to build more #PlacesForPeople that reflect the goals of our city plans.
We need to build better, build faster and building lasting value.
Architects DCA has a history of providing the sort of infill development that achieves the goals of our clients while contributing positively to our city. Some of our earliest work included what was, at the time, the tallest wood building in the city. Since then we have added numerous contemporary projects on our (virtual) drawing boards. Our work meets our client’s objectives for quality, on-time and on-budget solutions.
We advance progressive approaches to good investment with better life cycle cost analysis. Investing up front in design helps reduce operating costs and create a more durable building that leads to less maintenance and better performance. This leads to better tenant retention, reducing vacancies and improving the bottom line while creating better places for people to thrive.
Some of our current work includes mass timber buildings that focus on quality and cost effectiveness. Typical apartment building projects may require expensive tower cranes, street closures and present months or years of disruption to neighbours. A mass timber project, however, can be installed in a matter of weeks or months, not years. Mass timber buildings can reduce the cost of drywall, speed up construction and improve the finished quality, resulting in a faster return on investment.
Architects DCA has mass timber buildings currently in design and construction in Ottawa, Petawawa and Gander, NL. These buildings are designed and built with Canadian lumber, relying on no steel or other components that may be the subject of tariffs in an on-going trade battle. That improves stability for our clients, helping ensure predictability and budget certainty while also improving their return on investment.
Quality is key. Investing in design helps ensure our clients get the best results by making sure we have the time and resources to design well, think of solutions and resolve conflicts on paper before trades arrive on the scene. That investment might mean spending a tiny bit more up-front on professional fees but can result in fewer changes and delays during construction.
As Ottawa looks to address falling housing targets, our city is still trying to meet provincial or federal funding goals. It is essential that we address the housing crisis in ways that don’t undermine the quality of life for existing and future residents. Building super tall towers in a sea of single detached homes creates conflict; at the same time, when we have a neighbourhood of highrises, we shouldn’t hold up development of remaining land in the area that is arbitrarily set at lower density. We should plan, and zone, for the city we aspire to be.
If we can find ways to build better, build faster, use less material and become less dependent on imported materials, we can create the sustainable, healthy, affordable city we aspire to be.
Design is key. At Architects DCA we focus on the key issues to make projects a success. We work closely with trusted planners, engineers and clients to design projects that meet their objectives, delivering proven results and outcomes.
Our city is facing multiple challenges: we need more housing and sustainable results; we need buildings that work with their communities and provide the homes and businesses our city needs; we need outcomes that are on budget and deliver lasting value.
Architects DCA is a trusted partner to find those solutions through creativity, collaboration and technical skill.
By Toon Dreessen
Originally published in The Ottawa Business Journal.