Lord Shaughnessy

The Lord Shaughnessy is a unique building. Constructed in the 1980s in Victoria, British Columbia, the 4-story residential building’s structure is concrete rather than the usual wood frame. The concrete structure permits dramatically cantilevered, angular balconies. The combination of these dramatic balconies with thoughtfully orchestrated materials, textures, and colors presents a clear, coherent, and welcoming architectural statement.

The owners of Lord Shaughnessy first became acquainted with our team when we prepared a depreciation report. The building conditions we observed while conducting our depreciation report site review suggested potential problems with the building enclosure. More information was needed than could be gleaned during a depreciation report, and the owners engaged us to conduct a building enclosure condition assessment. Our work confirmed that after 30 years of service, the original windows, sliding glass doors, and stucco and tile-clad walls were leaking water and bleeding heat. The owners realized that the windows and doors needed to be replaced, and that targeted repairs were no longer a cost-effective approach to maintaining the original exposed concrete, tile, and stucco.

Working with the owners, our design team developed a renewal strategy that not only addressed the necessary repair and replacement work but also honored the Lord Shaughnessy’s original architectural character.

With the plan in hand, the owners chose our construction project management team to implement the project. They wanted the transparency and level of control afforded by our construction management approach that a general contractor does not provide.

While the changes to the Lord Shaughnessy appear subtle from the street level, the renewal project has transformed the building in terms of comfort and durability. Well-considered construction detailing has remedied the water ingress issues. The incorporation of exterior insulation and a well-detailed exterior air barrier has increased occupant comfort by improving the building’s thermal performance. The new double-glazed vinyl windows and sliding glass doors noticeably reduce street noise in units and further contribute to the building’s overall energy efficiency. After the first winter following completion of the renewal project, several owners remarked about their lower utility bills.

Three years following the enclosure renewal, the owners of the Lord Shaughnessy were faced with another renewal project: replacing the waterproofing membrane on the building’s underground parkade podium. The owners selected RDH once again to design the podium membrane renewal, and they insisted that RDH’s construction management team implement the project.

The extensive excavation necessary to access the parkade podium required us to coordinate with a geotechnical consultant to establish safe parameters for excavation and with a landscape architect to design what would be a completely reconceived landscape. Our negotiations with the District of Oak Bay resulted in an unprecedented agreement for the replacement of the sidewalk along the building, resulting in significant cost savings to the owners. With the podium renewal complete, the ceiling of the parkade is no longer subject to leaking, rebar corrosion, and concrete deterioration. The owners now enjoy a low-maintenance, more open, and light-filled landscape.