RING RING

Its not often you get a call from the largest airline in Canada, asking if you would like to design and renovate their interior space at Vancouver International Airport. Fast forward a couple of years later, and today, we are proud to announce a very cool project that we completed late last year - the Air Canada Cargo Refresh Project at YVR.

Here is a bit more background behind this project and what it took to take this 1980s reception space and turn it into something suitable and presentable for the next 30+ years.

THE EXISTING SPACE

THE INITIAL IDEA

When we were asked to design and renovate this area, we envisioned what a contemporary airport check-in terminal might look like.  We had to keep in mind a couple of things, firstly, this space needs to last! The cargo environment is demanding to say the least. Secondly, we had to keep in mind this is a cargo facility and not a passenger terminal. Our initial renders took the idea of curved drop ceiling with wood paneling in the ceiling.

FIRST DESIGN

DESIGN ITERATIONS

We eventually settled with a more conservative design, while ensuring it looks amazing.

One of our goals was to open up the space, create an inviting and welcoming environment for customers. We identified that the walls on either side of the desks space could be removed to open up the space. We also improved the expanded use of the space by designing it with an extra weight scale station and designing the space with two stations per scale set.

FINAL DESIGN

TAKE OFF TIME

Once we settled on the design we set about the process of gaining permit from YVR Airport. This process ensured that we covered all the mechanical and engineering requirements in this complex building. We also invested significant effort in the efficient redesign of the counters for modern day equipment needs and ergonomic considerations for staff.

Eventually with a greenlight, we started the build process. We stripped down the ceiling to raise the ceiling height, demolished all the existing millwork and worked through all the various elements, electrical, mechanical, flooring, drop ceiling and drywall to achieve the design.

Working in an operational space such as this also posed challenges working with the requirements of Air Canada Cargo and other tenants of the building to ensure their continual operation and success.

DURING CONSTRUCTION

MILLWORK CENTRIC

The millwork itself was the center piece of the design and required various stakeholders to ensure the design met requirements in terms of operational use and space optimization, human ergonomics, Air Canada Cargo branding and obviously the design that features the beautiful combination of wood and black acrylic paneling.

A key design element we had to include was a station accessible to wheelchair users, featuring a table set at a height suitable for those in wheelchairs.  We designed a foldable bench that can be raised and lowered as required.

ACCESSIBLE STATION

FINAL APPROACH

Once we completed the public reception area, we were able to commission the new space with the Air Canada Cargo operations team so that they could use it, while we moved into the hangers for phase two.

In the hangar space we decommissioned the old millwork and with our trade partners, we went about installing the millwork that we had premanufactured off site. Due to security protocols, we are unable to share photos of this section of the project.

The design followed the same consistency that we set about in the main public reception areas with beautiful wood detailing and upgrading the countertops to durable and long-lasting quartz countertops for both the desks for the public as well as operational storage and workspaces.

THE FINISHED PROJECT

It’s fair to say we are immensely proud of what we achieved here for Air Canada Cargo. It was a privilege to work with them to create this newly renovated and refreshed space. Just looking at the before and after photos of this project, you can see such a significant difference in the lighting and space feeling we created. Very cool!

If you have any commercial renovation requirements, whether it’s a medical space, an office, a shop or showroom, or a cargo facility, talk to us about what we can do for you to create a space to wow your customers.