Experience Profile: Canadian War Museum

Opened in May of 2005, this building commemorates the past and present-day service of women and men in the Canadian Armed Forces.

The Canadian War Museum (CWM) is located on the Le Breton Flats, on the south shore of the Ottawa River. The building is two-storeys in height, and contains a building area (i.e. footprint) of approximately 18,500 m2. The building features extensive exhibit areas for large artifacts, vehicles and art, a lecture theatre, library and research rooms, museum shop and café, as well as other visitor amenities. Significant collections storage facilities, with other service, support and administrative spaces, are located throughout the building. A rooftop Memorial Garden provides visitors with space for solitude and reflection, amidst panoramic views of the Ottawa River and Parliamentary Precinct.

Unique design challenges with regard to exiting, gave rise to the need to address compliance with Building Code requirements, through the development of Alternative Solutions. Among them was an approach to apply the National Building Code of Canada requirements within the context of a municipal plans examination process. Other design complexities involved the approach for interconnected floor spaces, and the determination of the extent of required ratings for support of the rooftop Memorial Garden.

LRI was involved as a sub-consultant to the Project Architect, Moriyama & Teshima Architects, and provided a comprehensive array of fire protection and life safety consulting services. These services included plans review, preparation of reports, development of Alternative Solutions, and consultation with the Authorities Having Jurisdiction, throughout all project phases.