Innovation Centre At Bayview Yards

Morley Hoppner was the Design-Builder, in partnership with Hobin Architecture as the architect, for an adaptive reuse of a 75-year-old city works building at Bayview Yards in Ottawa. Adapting the original building, which was constructed in 1941, the new facility is now a creative hub for entrepreneurs in Ottawa, providing space for more than 150 entrepreneurs, along with space for various support agencies, anchor tenants, professional service providers, and other users.

Completed in 2016, the project consisted of a complete renovation of the 49,000 sq. ft. facility, adapting space within a former industrial area into a new, modern professional environment, while at the same time preserving the historic character of the building and area. The building features a variety of novel architectural features, including exposed concrete and artifacts like wooden garage doors preserved from the original build that collectively reflect and incorporate unique history of the space. More than 85% of the building's original structure was maintained, and the completed facility features a variety of modern sustainability components to maximize the building's efficiency and environmental performance. Ultimately, the project achieved LEED® Gold certification.

The project was the recipient of several awards, including an award for Existing Building Upgrade at the Canadian Green Building Awards in 2020, an Award of Merit - Adaptive Reuse at the City of Ottawa Heritage Awards in 2019, and an Award of Merit - Conservation - Engineering from the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals in 2017.