Projects: Commercial & Industrial
OPTI Nexen Mission Critical Control and Operations Centre
Long Lake, Alberta
Long Lake is located 40 km southeast of Fort McMurray in the Athabasca oil sands region of Alberta. Nexen and OPTI Canada Inc. hold joint working interests in the $3 billion Long Lake Oil Sands Upgrader Project. To facilitate this operation, an Operations Control Centre was needed on the project site.
As Prime Consultant, SAHURI + Partners designed the $20 million Mission Critical Building, which was completed in 2006 and holds potential for future expansion. The 63,356 sf., two-story administration building uses a central axis to connect a variety of functions. Each function can be directly accessed through this physical link. Additionally, a Maintenance Warehouse Building was constructed on the east side of the Administration Building, and is connected by a ground level link, an extension of the central corridor. The central 'spine' also presents the opportunity to bring light into the centre of the building through the addition of a skylight, and creates an inviting internal atmosphere for those working in this remote location.
Eye-catching arrangements of cylindrical columns at each main entrance cast interesting shadows on the building's façade and are reminiscent of the operation's oil sands pipelines. The building houses a control room area with rooms for multiple control functions; a laboratory with necessary utility space; an emergency response area with vehicle bays and equipment storage; administration areas with offices, storage, and conference and meeting rooms; an attached security guard house that includes a large orientation room; and amenities for staff such as training rooms, lockers and shower rooms, and a commercial kitchen and large lunchroom.
The building is an example of the growing trend of attracting and retaining staff by investing in their physical environment, creating a pride of ownership. SAHURI continues to provide consulting services as the Long Lake project moves forward with further development phase planning.
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