Walters Group Supports Canadian Health Research Through OmniaBio Project at McMaster Innovation Park

October 16, 2024

Walters Group’s role in the construction of the OmniaBio facility at McMaster Innovation Park in Hamilton was one built on collaboration and coordination through an innovative new partnership model.

Walters Group’s construction services played pivotal roles in bringing this 90,000-square-foot structure to life by fabricating and erecting its structural steel while also taking on significant project management duties, ensuring the owner’s tight timeline was achievable.

When complete in 2024, the building will be home to OmniaBio, a commercial cell and gene therapy leader that partners with life sciences companies to manufacture their products and advance medical innovations in Ontario.


Choosing Canadian Steel Fabricator Walters Group

The OmniaBio project was launched on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic, when every major business in the manufacturing sector was incredibly busy, and supply chains were stretched thin. But the project needed to hit its deadline.

Walters Group was able to make this happen for a few reasons:

  • Although Walters’ larger fabrication facility was busy, there was room for additional structural steel fabrication.
  • General contractor Multiplex had previously collaborated with Walters Group on projects in New York and Toronto. 
  • Multiplex knew that Walters Group had experience taking on some of the best-known steel projects in the world and had a team of talented in-house professionals to make every step of the steel fabrication role seamless. 
  • Walters Group’s experiences with two other firms associated with the project—ARUP and Arcadis IBI Group —helped to foster an environment of cooperation.
  • Lastly, Walters Group proudly supports Canadian educational institutions, including McMaster University, which is right in its backyard. The team appreciated the opportunity to support local.

Walters Group’s Role Extended Beyond Steel Fabrication and Structural Steel Erection

Although most of Walters Group’s projects include fabricating and erecting structural steel columns and beams, the OmniaBio facility needed far more engagement and coordination, starting at the very first meeting.

The project kicked off in late 2021 and launched with many tasks that Walters Group jumped at the opportunity to assist with: planning, budgeting, design-assist, engineering and change management.

The early engagement helped Walters make decisions that moved the project forward while maintaining Walters’ high-quality standards. It also helped the team better understand the challenges of working with different vendors, trades, project partners and project coordinators. 

This additional responsibility was unlike most other projects that Walters had been involved in and is a key component of a construction partnership model called “Integrated Project Delivery.”

Steel Fabricator Became a Key Member in the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) Model

The OmniaBio project used the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) model, which requires collaboration among stakeholders sharing risks and rewards. This method is quite different from the traditional design-bid-build project model, where the owner has separate contracts and serves as a middleman between the businesses. 

It was not the first time Walters had used the IPD model, having had experience with it in Kingston’s 1.2-kilometre Third Crossing Bridge (now called “Waaban Crossing”). 

IPD is built on cooperation and coordination and involves many different players in decision-making at all times, working closely from the project’s inception to completion. Extensive coordination took place with other trades, including electrical, mechanical and structural teams.

Regular all-team in-person meetings called the “big room” are part of the concept in IPD and helped throughout the OmniaBio project to solve challenges, achieve milestones, share resources and foster a positive workflow.

Despite not typically working with these trades, Walters Group established a cooperative working relationship, contributing to the project’s success.

Overcoming Material Shortages for the OmniaBio Facility

One of the key factors in the success of Walters Group’s role in the OmniaBio project is the addition of project manager Emma Zahmatkesh. Joining shortly after the project’s launch, Zahmatkesh brought a wealth of experience and knowledge from her background in engineering and a master’s degree from Concordia University.

Having key leaders like Zahmatkesh onboard helped address the tight timeline and significant supply chain challenges. One particular challenge was the availability of open-webbed steel joists. Walters Group recommended structural beams, which kept the project on track. 

By the time erection started on December 14, 2022, the coordination between the trades was incredible. Seeing the pipefitters, mechanical crews, electricians and everyone else working together side by side showed the efficiencies and possibilities that grew from a foundation built on collaboration and communication in “the big room.” 

To accelerate structural steel erection, Walters even proposed using a second crane on-site and increased labour shifts to evenings and Saturdays.

Shipping and logistics services complimented Walters’ renowned installation work, which was completed as scheduled in June 2023.

Canadian Structural Steel Growing Tomorrow’s Biomanufacturing Centre of Excellence 

The OmniaBio project had its challenges, but they were efficiently overcome, and the end result was certainly one that showcases success. Zahmatkesh says the IPD experience gained will be instrumental in future projects, including potential expansion at McMaster Innovation Park.

Walters Group is proud of the outcome and knows that whatever the challenge, whether in project management, fabrication or erection, its team can meet them head-on. As the project nears completion for a grand opening in 2024, the OmniaBio project stands as a great example of what is possible when great businesses come together with a vision for excellence.