Nestled in a remote, mountainous region of British Columbia sits Mica Generating Station and Dam, which is BC Hydro’s largest facility on the Columbia River. In 2022, the electricity supplier identified a need to upgrade accommodations for employees who stay onsite.

Pursuant to a long-standing Master Services Agreement with BC Hydro, PCL’s SP team in B.C. has successfully completed hundreds of smaller-scale projects of varying complexity for the client. For this one, BC Hydro needed a 40-unit building with improved longevity, soundproofing and energy performance. The challenge: the building needed to be ready within one year.

Engaging PCL’s Solution Provider approach, the Special Projects team quickly mobilized, developing a strategy to prefabricate modular units off-site, to accommodate the tight eight-month construction window within the remote, mountainous location that is prone to early winters. Given the location and limited number of qualified bidders, the SP team self-performed schedule-critical work packages, including the concrete foundation work and the construction of wooden roof structures and canopies atop the modular structure.

Over a three-month period, the modules were fabricated in Calgary, then transported over the Rockies to the site. By August, the SP team was ready to install the modules. Over four days, the team stacked all 20 modules in place. Three days later, the five truss sections were craned into place and secured. In just over a week, the structure had taken shape. From there, multiple crews completed finishing work on the roof, building envelope and interior hallways.

The PCL team handed over phase one of the project – what would typically take 18 months to complete using traditional methods – ahead of schedule and only eight months after it began construction. This allowed employees of BC Hydro to move into the first 20 units as scheduled. The remaining 20 units were completed with move-in eight months later.