CENTRAL CONDOMINIUMS : CONSTRUCTION PROCESS

It's fascinating to see how a high rise building takes shape and changes the landscape of a neighborhood. Not too long ago, this corner of Bank and Gladstone essentially consisted of a parking lot. Now you can see a 9-storey building taking shape.

The goal of this series is to share the process of constructing an urban condo downtown Ottawa step by step and share my findings. So I'll take you from the plans all the way to the final product : A completed condo unit. Hopefully, I'll also be able to show you the common rooms and the commercial spaces that will be on the main floor.

So far the main structure on the north section is completed and the concrete slabs are being poured on the south section. There's obviously a lot of preparation that needs to be done before pouring the concrete and then the concrete walls and columns are poured.

The fitting of the condo units will be an interesting process to follow as well. During my first couple visits, I noticed that the location of the interior walls were marked up (shown as red lined on the floor) and then the base of the interior wall structures attached.

In this case, the demising walls are built first. Demising walls are basically the walls that separate one residents's space from another, and from the common corridor. You can see them in the picture below.

I also learned an interesting fact about the numbering system in a condo unit. Typically, the numbering will start from the left of the elevator and continue in a clockwise fashion. This has  to do with making it easier for the visually impaired to find a unit. I like how each unit number is marked on the floor so it's a bit easier to figure out where you are.

Another interesting fact that I discovered is that construction workers have the best view. The following two pictures were taken from the future mechanical room area of the building.

I hope you'll find this new series interesting and informative. Comments and questions are welcomed, as always. Stay tuned for some more.