WLU S.C. Johnson building conversion completed...

The former three storey, four vintage CIBC bank in downtown Brantford was successfully converted on schedule into a fully functional Wilfrid Laurier University facility known as the S.C. Johnson Building...

It took some intuitive vision and much planning by Vicano Construction and its consultants to invision the conversion of a three storey four vintage former bank into a university lecture hall and offices facility in the heart of downtown Brantford on the corner of Market and Dalhousie St.

After many months of intense interior demolition and alterations Vicano Construction Limited was able to create an extrodinarily functional university facility for Wilfrid Laurier University with all the modern imenities associated with a WLU building.

Construction challenges included slicing through 3 ft. thick concrete and steel plate walls to create openings into bank safes, creating mezzanine levels with minimum floor thicknesses to achieve proper ceiling heights and manuvering in a basement which can only be described as a dungeon maze.

A 131 person multi-media lecture theatre was created, a five level elevator was installed, private offices, fire stairwells, and IT rooms created all while maintaining the integrity of the existing interior structures such as an impressive caufered ceiling in the main hall. The building was re-roofed and the exterior granite and limestone facade of the building was re-furbished to unify the look of each of the four vintages.

"I cannot believe I am standing in the same building...it's amazing to see" -Bill Januszkiewicz, Wilfrid Laurier University Project Co-ordinator

(please visit the Portfolio section for all the photos)

Architect: Two Row Architects
Structural Engineer: J.H. Cohoon Engineering Ltd.
Mech/Elec Engineer: Brant Engineered Systems Technology