+ Dominus Construction Group has encountered few hiccups as it delivers another Cityzen masterpiece – the L Tower in downtown Toronto. By Brian Salgado
Dominus Construction Group – L Tower
www.dominus.ca. Project cost: $150 million Location: Toronto
Scope: 800,000-square-foot luxury high-rise condominium tower
The 62-story, 800,000-square-foot L Tower is a luxury condominium structure that will open at the end of 2012.
Construction of a gargantuan luxury high-rise condominium development in a tight urban setting might pose a challenge for an ordinary contractor, but not for Dominus Construction Group. The company is set to deliver the L Tower in downtown Toronto by the end of 2012 after breaking ground in May 2010 with nary a hiccup along the way thus far.
“There’s nothing too challenging about it – it just has to get done,” Project Manager Kevin Tiburcio says. “We had to do some homework and thinking about the constructability due to the footprint of the tower being very small. So, logistically, it has been fairly difficult to accept deliveries of concrete trucks, etc., while maintaining the public roadway and sidewalks.”
Dominus Construction was performing structural concrete formwork on the L Tower during the winter. As of Dec. 21, the company was at Level 2 with this process after starting below the ground three levels down.
The L Tower is an 800,000-squarefoot residential structure with some of the most luxurious amenities found in Toronto. The multimillion-dollar development is a joint venture between Cityzen, Fernbrook and Castlepoint, three partner-developers that specialize in urban in-fill multifamily structures throughout Ontario.
Of the 62 stories for this tower, 58 will be habitable while the other four are dedicated to housing the structure’s >>
Dominus Construction is building the L Tower for the joint venture between Cityzen, Fernbrook and Castlepoint.>>
Mechanical systems. The 600 for-sale units will include 408 two-bedroom units, 182 one-bedrooms and 10 bachelors. Residents will have access to a swimming pool, whirlpool, gym, theatre, party room and a massage room.
The most challenging aspect of the L Tower will be the construction and installation of the structure’s north façade. The entire building will be clad in a curtain wall and window wall system, but the north façade features a curved section.
This means the slab edge will change at every level. At the midpoint, the slab extends six meters from the rest of the building at its furthest point and curves inward toward the structure all the way to the top.
Yuanda Canada Enterprises Yuanda Canada is pleased to be part of the Dominus team on the L Tower project. As the largest curtain-wall manufacturing company based in China, Yuanda is proud to provide design, engineering, fabrication and installation service in the development of the exterior façade of L Tower. With a closely cooperation, the final result will be a landmark project in Toronto that both Dominus and Yuanda can be proud to have participated in. Once again, congratulations to Dominus and its dedicated staff. Our website: www.yuanda.com.cn
Although this portion of the job will prove challenging, it is nothing Dominus Construction hasn’t handled in the past. In fact, the company constructed a similar façade for the Absolute World condominium development in Mississauga, Ontario. The company is in the midst of the fifth phase of Absolute World, which is being topped off with concrete and finished with glazing.
Along with the L Tower itself, Dominus Construction is responsible for building a portion of a performing arts centre. The tower is adjacent to an existing section of the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, and 21,000 square feet of this structure will be below grade under the L Tower.
All that was required for this process was an extra layer of planning, according to Tiburcio. Bringing together an experienced construction team to handle processes like this is the best course of action. “Through a lot of planning and from the experience between all the parties on the site and the project management team for this project, all obstacles were
overcome,” Tiburcio says.
Partnership is Key
Dominus Construction is the construction arm of Cityzen, which is a commercial and residential real estate developer that focuses on the province of Ontario. “Cityzen and Dominus are recognized as an outstanding developer and builder dedicated to producing the highest-quality products and services, while remaining mindful of the need for being sensitive to community and environmental concerns,” Cityzen says.
Dominus serves as a development and construction manager for Cityzen projects as well as for other developers throughout southern Ontario. The company believes its comprehensive approach to providing myriad services gives it the competitive advantage as well as a strong foothold in the marketplace.
Residential Experience
Dominus Construction and Cityzen have delivered a variety of residential projects throughout
Southern Ontario, including:
* The Essence Kingsway – The six-storey mid-rise condominium structure is located in the
Kingsway region of Ontario and features terrace and penthouse suites.
> London on the Esplanade – This project consists of two towers joined by a five-storey podium. The East Tower features historic industrial warehouses segmented into lofts. The West Tower houses spacious suites with terraces or balconies.
> Waterlilies – This town home development located in Oakville, Ontario, is situated next to a community park and pond.
“Through a lot of planning and from the experience between all the parties on the site and the project management team for this project, all obstacles were overcome.”
As a development manager, Dominus says it provides comprehensive services that include procurement of government and development approvals; hiring and coordination of consultants, professionals and other service providers; negotiating and monitoring performance obligations; coordination of drawings; and preparation of budgets and schedules.
As a construction manager, Dominus’ services include preparation and review of budgets and schedules, oversight of working drawings, value-engineering, permit procurement, contract preparation and negotiation, and subcontractor hiring and management.
“Dominus provides cutting-edge management and accounting systems in every facet of our day-to-day operasors in an effort to add bottom line value and expertise to our construction and development activities,” the company says. “Our proprietary technological tools and knowledge-leveraged analytical approach help us make sound decisions, conduct accurate analysis, and better manage the financial aspects of our construction and development operations.”