Few times in our company history have we encountered such a fascinating case for building rejuvenation as with the RA Centre House of Sport. Under new visionary leadership, the RA embarked on a building program in 2015 that would see it become a world-wide pioneer and case study for corporate shared workspaces, effectively leading the trend that is now transforming how companies view culture and work environment.
To make this project a reality, the RA re-purposed 36,000 square feet of its antiquated and underutilized west wing and, at the same time, attracted 22 cost-conscious national sports organizations to embrace a model of shared infrastructure and amenities. An old gymnasium, a bowling alley, and mothballed spaces were transformed to state-of-the-art meeting rooms, quiet areas, collaboration nooks, and flexible workstations.
In order to carry out the extensive work while operation of the RA Centre continued as usual, the project was broken down into several phases. Dust control and sound mitigation within the construction areas were a significant daily focus for our team in order to maintain the comfort of the RA staff, clients, and visitors.
Completed in 2017, a dramatic new vision for the RA Centre has been realised. The heart of the facility contains a dynamic work environment with increased natural light. The enhanced lighting and air quality are helping drive productivity and minimize sick days for all employees. The building has seen many critical building code and accessibility upgrades, as well as new base building mechanical and electrical systems.