As part of the West Block Rehabilitation, Walters worked with partners to create a roof over a previously open courtyard to create a new, naturally lit interior space which served as the temporary House of Commons while the center block was being completed.
Walters supplied, fabricated, and installed steel “trees” and “branches” to support glass and steel “pillow-top” roofs.
Tapered architecturally exposed steel branches needed to be held together with hidden bolted connections. The shapes, which are both geometric and organic, created challenging tolerance issues that needed to be resolved before installation began.
Using 3D software, we were able to identify and resolve potential interferences – places where glass fittings, mechanical elements or other features conflicted with one another.
Our modelling also revealed paths where conduits could run up through the trunks and branches, creating additional functions beyond structural strength.
