The Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Transfer Station is a 2,450-square-meter newly constructed facility on a greenfield lot at the East Calgary Landfill. This highly specialized building is equipped with systems that sort, process, package and ship residential hazardous products. The facility also features designated secure spaces for safely storing hazardous materials, preventing cross-contamination of physical and airborne products. The project includes office spaces and essential support infrastructure to streamline and efficiently manage operations.

The City of Calgary commissioned a facility designed as a Class 1 Division 2 building that would ensure an explosion-proof environment — an essential requirement for safely handling, sorting and processing hazardous household substances. From the start, the project encountered major challenges. With approximately 35 tradespeople working on-site, the project team required specialized equipment and robust building systems to minimize risks from electrical wiring and potentially explosive gases.

Early in the design phase, the plans fell short of meeting the enhanced safety codes required for the specialized facility, leading to permitting hurdles. To adapt, the facility was de-rated from its original classification, which would allow for the installation of spark-causing equipment. This adjustment resulted in a 12-week delay of the timeline. However, PCL took proactive steps to mitigate the impact. Through an approved change order, the project team recovered some of the costs associated with the delay.

PCL focused on collaboration throughout the project by organizing preconstruction partnering sessions and holding biweekly meetings with the client, design team and trade partners. This approach enhanced open communication and enabled issues to be resolved quickly. To strengthen project monitoring, PCL employed drones to capture progress photos after regular landfill hours, ensuring no civilians were included in the footage. Additionally, sensors monitored air temperatures during construction.

The project was completed on time and within budget by the team, which resulted in a considerable portion of the owner's contingency fund staying intact, despite the challenges.