As the company has continued to grow worldwide, so has IMAX Canadian headquarters in Mississauga, ON. In an earlier blog post, we profiled the initial phase of the expansion project, which started in 2015.
“Darwin Fisher completed their scope of work for the project on time and budget,” said Lorna Howieson, Senior Director, Global Facilities and Administration, IMAX Corporation. “That is why they were invited back for Phase Two of this project.”
After the successful completion of Phase One, Darwin Fisher was asked to provide a variety of flooring installation, for 20,000 more square feet of the facility. Darwin Fisher will be focusing on flooring for the reconfiguration of the balance of the existing offices, which includes meeting rooms, boardrooms, washrooms and additional breakout areas.
Phase One Darwin Fisher installation at IMAX headquarters
IMAX Flooring Renovations Phase Two Players
Vestacon Ltd. is the general contractor and Gensler is implementing design. Phase Two flooring manufacturers include Milliken carpet, LSI Floors, Tarkett Commercial Flooring and Mosa tile.
To ensure the project runs smoothly from a flooring installation perspective, Darwin Fisher pre-ordered all materials which are stored at the company’s warehouse. Pre-ordering ensures proper die lots, colours and patterns in required materials.
“Similar to Phase One, having materials ready to go is a critical part of the project,” says Doug McDonald, President of Darwin Fisher. “Not having to worry about manufacturer lead time allows for more flexibility. For example, some materials are shipped from overseas and require a 12-week plus preorder time. We need to be ready on demand as delays can create a domino effect on other trades.”
McDonald further explains, “It’s a fine balancing act coordinating with all of the differing trades and dealing with ever changing schedules, but things have been moving forward very seamlessly.”
Phase One Darwin Fisher flooring installation at IMAX headquarters
Phase One IMAX Headquarters Renovation Summary
As was the case in Phase One, Darwin Fisher also makes it a priority to send in the same crew for each installation. This guarantees familiarity with the complex site. It also ensures the installation crew understands health and safety requirements.
Phase One of the Canadian headquarter development required changes to meeting rooms, boardrooms, main reception, two theatres, more than a half dozen washrooms and break out rooms. Each of these areas had different flooring needs.
Phase One Darwin Fisher flooring installation at IMAX headquarters
Over 40,000 feet of various flooring materials were required. Of that total there was 3,000 yards of carpet. For the first Phase Darwin Fisher worked with Noran Industries Ltd., a construction management and commercial contracting firm, who was the general contractor for the project.
Phase One was spearheaded by Quadrangle Architects, who was the prime consultant and lead for the project. The flooring installation took place over a 12-week period. Darwin Fisher worked with a variety of flooring vendors including Milliken Carpet, Tandus Centiva, LSI Floors, Johnsonite Commercial Flooring, Stone Tile International and Mosa.
Darwin Fisher supplied and installed carpet tile, ceramic tile, natural stone tile and resilient flooring through out the renovated facility and newly developed areas, including the atrium and main reception.
Phase One Darwin Fisher natural stone installation IMAX headquarters
Installation included a new theatre which required broadloom. Located in front of the IMAX building, the area offers seating for 200 people. It is also used for research and development. A second theatre, designed to demonstrate the IMAX home system also required broadloom.
About IMAX and IMAX Workplace
IMAX, an innovator in entertainment technology, combines proprietary software, architecture and equipment to create experiences that take audiences beyond the edge of their seats to worlds never imagined. Top filmmakers and studios use IMAX theatres to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways and, as such, IMAX’s network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe.
IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, with additional offices in London, Dublin, Tokyo, and Shanghai. As of September 30, 2018, there were 1,443 IMAX theatre systems (1,346 commercial multiplexes, 13 commercial destinations, 84 institutional) operating in 79 countries. On October 8, 2015, shares of IMAX China, a subsidiary of IMAX Corp., began trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code “HK.1970.”
Stay tuned for photos from Phase Two!
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