Non-Occupied

Artworks in publicly accessible spaces need structural engineers to ensure a location can physically support the proposed artwork and, in larger cases, ensure that the artwork can physically support itself. One of our more extreme examples is Cohos Evamy's 'The Trees' in Calgary. The 10 tripod-like steel structures along Stephen Avenue Walk are stylized into tree shapes, reaching heights of 21-26 metres, and required extensive analysis to ensure the structures would respond to wind loading as designed. Another example, 'XOXO Downsview Wind Rose,' in Toronto, features 32 square arches draped in flags, and also required structural analysis for public safety despite the much smaller scale.

Structural assessment of billboards, neon signs, digital displays, and other types of signage is critical to public safety. Our best-known example from our project catalogue is the 'media tower' overlooking the northwest corner of Yonge and Dundas, which was first installed in 1999 and began the area's transformation into a multimedia space.

Parks often include unoccupied features such as retaining walls, planters, and shade structures that require structural consultation. They are frequently situated above an underground parking garage, in which case the structural engineer must confirm that the parking garage can safely withstand the loads imposed by the park. Our project at Strata Park in Vaughan was planned from the start to have an underground parking garage serving the park's visitors, ensuring a smooth coordination process between our design of the park's structural components and the landscape architect.