Projects

This Petawawa housing project was a design build of a new two-storey, twelve-unit wood frame apartment building for the Canadian Forces Housing Agency in Petawawa, intended to house army personnel. Each unit is a 2-bedroom unit with a complete kitchen and 3-piece bathroom. Each unit also has its own individual mechanical and electrical systems while maintaining high efficiency across the board, which required coordination amongst all trades alongside specific equipment.

The exterior finish is made up of a blend of brick and composite wood siding with colour palates selected from nearby buildings so that the apartment building would blend in with the surrounding neighbourhood. A complete site work package was also done including parking and landscaping.

The project targeted achieving 3 Green Globes and has done so.

This project was completed in 2 separate phases. Phase 1 involved the renovation of Towers A & B which totaled construction on 52 floors. The scope of work consisted of the revitalization of corridors and common areas throughout the floors and saw the painting of door frames along with the installation of new hardware on the doors, new wood trims, floor finishes, vinyl wall coverings, ceiling fit-ups, and the rehabilitation of light fixtures. Phase 2 of this project was a renovation to the 1500 square foot lobby on the ground floor of the condominium tower at 1500 Riverside Drive in Ottawa. The scope of work included redoing finishes, new doors & hardware, storefront curtainwall, specialized millwork, and mechanical & electrical systems. The replacement of doors and windows was also part of the project. Additionally, the condominium was expected to remain open throughout the duration of construction on both phases. As a result, a phased approach was implemented to complete work during non-peak hours, with the intent to not disrupt the building’s tenants.

The Ottawa Rotary Home is a respite home meant to provide children and adults who endure disabilities with temporary accommodations. The facility is located on a five-acre site with an 18,000sf. wood framed structure and divided into three distinct areas. The first building is the administrative area which houses staff offices, two large multipurpose rooms for both adults and youths, two fully equipped kitchens, craft rooms, washrooms and bathing rooms. Branching off of the administrative building is a wing which is accommodated with 13 beds for junior occupants. The final building provides 8 beds for adult occupants. This project included the wood framed structures on poured concrete foundations, siding veneer, shingle roofing, various flooring material (i.e. carpet, ceramic tiles), and mechanical & electrical systems.

This construction management project for the City of Ottawa was completed in phases as to not disrupt the users.  The project included a 560m2 addition that will expand the administration area as well as the kitchen.  An interior renovation upgrades such areas as the washrooms and office spaces.

As per our recent completion of the Goulbourn Recreation Centre this project is also designed for LEED Silver status.  A tire wash centre was provided to ensure no debris will leave the site as well as silt fencing installed around the perimeter.  Dust screens and Merv filters will be provided to minimize dust distribution in the interior.  MBC phased the interior disruptions as to not affect the building user’s day to day activities.

This arena project was a Design Build involving all of our core engineering team. This approach allowed us to promote the entire life-cycle costing of the building by looking at various energy efficiency programs. The design also integrated a 10,000sq. Ft. community center into the arena facility. The project also exceeded the 25 energy reduction and  received a CBIP rebate from NRCan. The new slab  was formed, reinforced with rebar, and poured in place; a 2-inch up stand was required, in order to achieve the mandated height of the boards that the city required. The installation of dasher boards was also part of the scope of work along with T5HO light fixtures, a Zamboni room, and lobby entrance. This saw masonry block and brick to complete this.

The existing building at 334 Churchill Avenue North is a 2-story 6,000 square foot structure complete with an
existing parking lot built in circa 1970. Sokka Gakkai International (SGI) acquired this building as means to
accommodate their growing needs. With a fast-tracked schedule in mind, SGI retained MBC as Construction Manager
for the project. Construction began in November 2019 and was substantially completed in October 2020, while
accommodating the impacts from COVID-19. The scope of work for the renovation included the complete demolition
of the interior fit-out. The ground floor and basement slab, along with the stairs, were opened and altered with the
footings to allow for the installation of a new low-use elevator. A new sumpit was also introduced to accommodate
the new elevator pit. The building envelope received an overhaul which saw perimeter wall spray foam, the
installation of a high performance fiberglass window, new curtain wall entrances/exits, all complete with a high
performance conventional 2 ply modified bitumen roof system.

The interior received all new finishes, complete with state-of-the-art audio-visual systems to enhance the
connectivity of the multiple worship spaces. New finishes throughout ranged from various flooring materials, as well
as select use of architectural wood and custom millwork for the reception and book store areas. New high-efficiency
ventilation systems enhance the comfort of the space regardless of occupant capacity. The exterior scope of work
ranged from a drainage connection to the city infrastructure, complete with new asphalt, subbase and an associated
landscaping package with lit walkways.

The Bruyère Senior Residence is made up of three wood-framed residence buildings. All buildings are three levels
and include a full basement. In total, the floor area of the buildings is 100,000 square feet, used for eighty-two
units alongside lobbies and leisure areas.

The building envelope includes brick veneer, cement panel cladding and asphalt shingle roofing. The heating and
cooling energy source is from a state of the art geothermal system located beneath the parking and landscaping
areas; this was particularly challenging as it involved the drilling of twenty four individual wells at 180-meter depth
into bedrock. The ventilation system sucks warm air down into the wells to be cooled, then it circulates it back to
the buildings. This circulation is constantly happening all year round.

At the time of its completion, the Bruyère Senior Residence was the most Eco-friendly residence in the national
capital region. The consultant team elected to centralize the geothermal heating and cooling plant, resulting in a
massive increase in efficiency and decreasing enterprise heating costs.

McDonald Brothers Construction was retained for the work of a classroom addition on École Élémentaire Publique Carrefour Jeunesse. The elementary school underwent a two-storey addition of approximately 9000 ft² which included eight new class spaces, a library and new office areas. The addition also saw extensive landscaping and earthworks development.

The interior is constructed with load bearing block partitions, as well as polished concrete slabs for durability. Acoustical ceiling baffles were also installed to reduce sound transmission between classrooms. The exterior hosts a combination of masonry veneer and glazed curtain wall systems complete with coloured glass. New mechanical, electrical and fire suppression systems were also installed during the addition.

The project was to construct a new stand-alone building to be used as a training accommodation and event centre for Turkish Community with a conference hall, meeting rooms and daycare, and offices.

The new 12, 562 square feet building is a one storey wood frame structure with pre-engineered wood trusses with asphalt shingles roofing system. Standard concrete foundation with a slab on grade. The exterior finish is EIFS with the bottom of the walls to be masonry veneer. The interior finishes are a drywall finish, custom accoustic ceiling, resilient and carpet floor finishes. The building also has a sprinkler system. The HVAC system has 3 AC Units with associated electrical work. The site work is a ponding area and parking area with some landscaping work.

This 60,000 square foot facility with 40’ clear ceilings houses an indoor arena soccer field with a surrounding  running track. The innovative technology used on this project allowed for a permanent steel building to be erected without posts or columns, meaning students could benefit from uninterrupted play and maximum enjoyment. The design incorporates a fitness area nestled behind the change rooms for privacy in an open feeling area, as well as a physiotherapy centre with separate access. A climbing wall was incorporated, and was structurally designed into the existing wall. The building is connected to the CJ Sanders fieldhouse complex by means of an enclosed link which makes it easily accessible in winter months.

This project illustrates our abilities to rely on our established systems to ensure a project in Northwestern Ontario achieved the same level of quality as a project in the southern regions of Canada. Using almost exclusively local trades, we were able to effectively coordinate all tender processes and communication through our website and project management software and overcame several design barriers to deliver a functional and appealing building.

The Centretown Community Health Center are a nonprofit, multi-service Community Health Centre that has played an active role in the City of Ottawa since 1969. This project consisted of a complete renovation to the ground floor of the medical facility level, which total about 30,000 ft.2.  The scope of work for this project included the complete removal of all wall assemblies, flooring, ceilings, M&E systems.

Additionally, a complete new layout was provided for the main lobby, in order to optimize a fully functional clinical space. The narrow hallways of the 1-storey facility have been widened and the majority of the rooms have be enlarged. Other areas apart of this renovation includes the housing for related staff members, the community kitchen area, the community children’s room, as well as many other flexible meeting spaces. New mill-work features were also provided throughout the facility.

Furthermore, the health centre was required to remain operational throughout the project renovation. As a result, phasing was implemented which saw evening and weekend work to minimize noisy work.

McDonald Brothers Construction was awarded the bid for a new standalone two-storey elementary school, consisting of 65, 434 ft² of usable space. The building structure of the school was comprised of tilt up concrete panel structure complete with steel joist and related decking. The interior partitions are comprised of metal studs and drywall.

Included in the design are new classrooms and a new fully equipped gymnasium. The entire building is complete with a cutting edge sprinkler system and associated mechanical and electrical work.

The goal of this project was to construct a new Mosque for South Nepean Muslim Community. The new building includes a prayer space, community hall for two parallel events, library and classrooms, indoor youth sports facility.

This building is constructed with a structural concrete foundation and suspended concrete slab over the full basement. The upper portion of the structure is a structural steel framing with metal stud framing for the exterior walls and a conventional mod bit roofing.

The exterior finishing is mostly masonry veneer with some EIFS finish and curtain wall windows. A structural steel frame mezzanine is on the second floor. There is a elevator with a masonry elevator shaft to be built. Roof top Air handling unit for the HVAC and heating. Sprinkler system is provided throughout the building and all associated electrical work.

Our Design-Build team developed a design incorporating the Honco frameless building system. The new facility receives granite from large semi-trailers, and individual slabs are maneuvered using a 10-ton crane into custom racking. Adjacent to the warehouse area, a granite transformation plant shapes slabs into smaller custom pieces ready for various installations.

This project, located in Barrhaven, consists of three mix use buildings that have commercial spaces on the ground floor, office spaces on the second floor, and residential condominiums on the third floor.

The central unit building is equipped with an underground parking area to help expand the limited surface space available on site, while the other two buildings have full basements to provide storage, mechanical, and electrical rooms.

All three buildings use a combination of cast in place concrete, steel frame, and engineered wood elements. Exterior finishes include masonry veneer with pre-cast sills and features, curtain wall with punched aluminum windows and traditional modified bitumen roofing membrane.

This two-phase project saw the existing Caledon Community Complex expanded into two NHL sized arenas, associated change rooms, and a variety of functional community spaces. This project involved a fixed funding envelope in which the design build group initiated and achieved innovative solutions. The arena envelope uses enhanced levels of insulation, a very durable low ceiling, as well as T5HO lighting to reduce operational costs.

The project was completed in two phases, It is a facility created for a municipal entity, using a highly specific building method for the intended use, and as such required a collaborative and malleable design approach.

This development includes three new multilevel town homes, providing a total of 27 units under the City of Ottawa’s mandate for affordable housing. It also incorporates a purpose-built community house. The structure itself is a 3-storey building with the concrete walls acting as a foundation; all of which maintain fire-rated assemblies as well. The exterior is comprised of brick masonry units and siding veneer. In addition, the project included a site works package that saw completion of landscaping, and asphalt paving for parking and driveways.

The design of the building is also intended to be environmentally friendly. All three buildings feature enhanced insulation levels, as well as thermal windows and doors, in order to minimize excessive heating and A/C costs. Low-flow appliances were also installed to reduce water consumption.

The property is located in a residential sector of East Ottawa near to similar OCH townhouses. The project was completed in three phases to accommodate the parking needs of tenants and contractors during the build, as parking in the surrounding area is limited.

The town homes are a mix of two, three, and four bedroom units. There is one unit which is reserved as a community space and is used for after-school programs, courses, and services. Occupants of this building, as well as other OCH buildings, are able to take advantage of this comforting resource space.

Located in Orléans, this phased project involved the creation of over 140,000 ft² of new retail base building on adjacent sites. The main complex included 135,000 square feet to house Walmart, while an additional free-standing 8000 ft2 was used for multiple tenants. Structural steel framing was used in all cases, with pre-cast cladding and some architectural masonry.

Retained as general contractors for the main complex, we were asked to submit a design-build team for the adjacent structure, and delivered the two projects under different contractual formats. As such, we employed two different superintendents for each project, as well as two different bases of trades. Coordination was obviously needed between the two sites to ensure consistency. The civil portion of work was completed from July of 2004 to November 2004, at which point the site was shut down to avoid costly winter heating. The site was re-opened in March to adhere to the fast-track schedule which saw the building turned over in the first week of July 2005.

The Casselman Volunteer Fire Station project consisted of constructing a new 4-bay volunteer fire station for the Municipality of Casselman with a building area of 737 m2. The building also has staff accommodations for overnight shifts and includes offices, lunchrooms, storage areas, associated washrooms, and a kitchen area.

The building consist of a structural steel frame with exterior metal stud framing. The base of the exterior walls are cladding stone veneer with balance of the wall clad in metal siding. The administration side of the building comprises of several offices, a meeting/training room, kitchen, support room for equipment storage & maintenance as well as an oxygen fill station and compressor. Both male and female washrooms with showers and lockers, as well as a single universal washroom, was also included in the facility.

The tender scheduled for the building called for an April 15th 2021 completion. MBC however presented a fast track schedule and despite delivery setback due to COVID-19, we were successful if turning over the building 4 months early in December 2020.

This was a renovation project focused on building life cycle and building code upgrades to a one-hundred year old,
three-storey building made of stone-brick. The Devonshire Community Public School building has a heritage
designation from the city of Ottawa. This project saw asbestos abatement, selective demolition and masonry work
(repainting, cleaning and restoration) done to the school. Additionally, new windows and a new entrance were
installed.

New HVAC, sprinkler, plumbing and electrical systems were integrated into the building with carefully coordinated
cutting and patching to maintain the integrity and continuity of interior finishes and trim. Those finishes include
drywall, mill work, acoustical ceilings and the renewal of 100-year-old hardwood & terrazzo flooring.

The project also added barrier free improvements requested by building code/city requirements including new
washrooms, handicap door operators, a new traction elevator and ramp access to all areas of the school. These
changes brought the old building into a more modern era, while maintaining its historic value.

The ramp addition and elevator shaft used a combination of structural steel elements in conjunction with load
bearing masonry.

In need of a new satellite station to accommodate the increasing growth of South Ottawa, VIA Rail tendered the design and construction of a new satellite train station to help service the growing market. The new facility is also integrated into the OC Transpo municipal public transportation hub. The new building was designed and constructed using traditional concrete foundations on spread footings, a mix of structural steel, and wood frame and post and beam elements for its basic structure. The use of a vertical design elements and signage acts as a beacon to help create a focal point and guide the public to the station.

Working activity was conducted in proximity of the active tracks and necessitated strict protocols and guidelines to permit time slots in which construction activity could be undertaken as several trains would have daily and varying scheduled runs by the new facility.

This address at 211 Lees previously held a different building with fourteen residential units. However, its
superstructure was demolished following a substantial fire and McDonald Brothers Construction Inc. became the
acting construction manager for a new sixteen unit residential housing development project on behalf of the Ottawa
Community Housing Corporation.

This three-storey wood frame construction used the existing concrete foundations of the old building, which were
restored for redevelopment after McDonald Brothers Construction protected them for an entire winter. The rebuild
remained a wood frame construction and included radiant polished concrete topping throughout with two
accessible units. The cladding comprised of masonry stone and brick veneer as well as concrete panel siding.

The project won the Ottawa Urban Design Award in 2017.

As Ottawa continues to grow, Canada Post required a new letter depot and distribution centre for the increased population base. As such, they worked with HOK to design an innovative and environmentally sustainable building that is designed to meet LEED Canada Silver certification.

LEED certification is particularly challenging when designing a one-storey industrial building with traditional building materials such as structural steel, masonry veneer, and metal cladding. The final result is an efficient building, with particular focus on attaining maximum natural daylight intake to allow the building to be as environmentally friendly as possible.

This catholic elementary school design is unique and forward-thinking. In addition to traditional classrooms, the school has extensive branching areas for study, with benches, chairs and couches. Instead of square rooms, the building tries to use multiple other shapes to encourage creativity and movement among students.

The entire school was constructed to facilitate learning of all kinds, including teaching about architecture. Windows looking into the building systems were strategically located throughout the facility, allowing students active views into electrical and mechanical rooms and into the plumbing inside walls. There are also open ceiling spaces as well as a glass floor looking into the foundation assembly.

The building is approximately 49,374 ft². It consists mainly of a structural steel, with the exception of the gymnasium which used load-bearing masonry walls, long span open web steel joists and acoustic deck. The exterior finishes include masonry veneer with glazed block accents, curtain wall and composite metal siding. The interior finishes include resilient flooring, and painted drywall finishes.

This 600 ft², two-storey addition and renovation provides the synagogue with added space for a larger foyer and additional meeting rooms.  The expansion also enhances accessibility to all areas of the facility by means of a new hydraulic elevator and shaft assembly.

Additional men’s and women’s barrier free washrooms are also integrated into the project. Temporary walls were erected, in order to minimize disturbance to a functional and operational synagogue, work schedules were coordinated as to not impact the congregation’s use of the facility.

McDonald Brothers Construction provided design-build services to construct an anechoic satellite-testing chamber inside the David Florida Lab clean room and supporting facility. Before satellites can be launched, they need to be tested to ensure that they can survive the harsh conditions of space. The facility takes delicate precision satellite technology and shakes, spins, cools, and heats it, to test it under conditions similar to those it may encounter in space.

Phase I involved a de-mountable aluminum compartment 20’x20’x20’ equipped with an azimuth-positioning table to facilitate satellite testing. The satellite deployment table was anchored to a seismic slab and significant accurate tolerances of five thousandths of an inch were critical for the success of this project. We had to maintain a class 100,000 clean room atmosphere during the course of construction.

We returned for a second phase of construction in 2003. Work consisted of creating a steel mezzanine/walkway connecting the overhead office spaces. This resulted in having less traffic through the decontaminated area.

The scope of work for this project included some selective demolition of the existing concrete flooring, sandblasting and recoating of the existing structural steel in corrosion resistant finishes.

Additional masonry, concrete unit masonry, structural steel, steel framing, PVC roofing repairs, sealants and interior painting was also carried out, as well as building envelope upgrade and the rehabilitation of pool equipment.

The  Goulbourn Recreational Complex has come to be known as a central landmark in the Ottawa area. This new 22,000 ft² addition consists of a new double gymnasium, complete with male and female washrooms, change rooms, and shower rooms. A multi-purpose hall, over two floors of fitness areas, and a combination of offices, meeting rooms, and storage rooms make for a state of the art facility. Finally, a full site works package including additional parking and landscaping was also done, in order to complete functionality and aesthetics.

The building structures are primarily load-bearing masonry wall assemblies and steel structures, completed with brick and stone veneers. The building incorporated a wide range of sustainable design features which will reduce energy consumption and improve occupant health and comfort.

As per the City’s mandate to incorporate sustainable practice, this facility expansion is designed for LEED Silver Certification.

The Sherwood Park Manor required an 18,000 ft² addition to the existing long-term care facility located in the city of Brockville. The structural components consisted of steel, load bearing masonry, precast concrete slab and carpentry materials with an enhanced post & beam entrance.

The existing facility was kept operational throughout construction and detailed scheduling and coordination was required to complete the renovations. Major site work included the new ring road, loading facility, additional parking spaces, elaborate landscaping and new secure terrace with cedar lattice.

This project consisted of a two-storey 8000 ft² addition to an existing retirement facility, increasing its capacity by 12 suites. Other renovations renovation within the existing facility were incorporated into the work package including a theatre, beauty salon & reception area. The suites were also upgraded with a nurse call system for in-house assistance.

Building systems and finishes mirrored what was used in the original main building, which included wood framing on concrete, with a mix of stone, masonry and EIFS as exterior.

This project was completed in an occupied environment, which mandated precautions in ensuring construction activities were separated from building occupants. Noise and disturbances were required to be kept to a minimal.

Working closely with our consulting team, McDonald Brothers Construction was able to provide a winning design that best suited the needs of our client. The building was constructed by using structural steel, insulated metal panels and cedar cladding to give it a unique curb appeal. The curtain wall system was strategically positioned to increase the showroom experience.

Large overhead doors were provided on either side of the building to allow the users easy maneuverability of trailers or RV’s through the showroom and shop areas. The interior’s large two-storey showroom display and mezzanine also houses the sales and administration offices. The exterior was given an architectural element with the added stained cedar panels to the front facade that tied into the curtain wall system.

MBC’s project team aggressively pushed the construction schedule through the harsh winter months in order to provide the owner with a complete functional building for their peak spring sales period.