Case Study – Bldg Design & User Retention

SITUATION:
A major Canadian gas and oil company approached Smith LaRock Architecture for design of their central control building. They wanted a state-of-the-art, durable, and functional building for the intended control mission.

Moreover, they wanted the building designed to address the issue of operator turnover, and to be something the company and its operators would be proud of for many years to come. It also had to afford the protection inherent in a blast-resistant structure. 

With the increase in oil prices, and a major influx of oil companies tapping into the huge oil reserves in Alberta’s tar sands, top control operators are in high demand and have their choice of employers.

Case in point: during the design, a second gas and oil company approached SLA to design a control facility for their new extraction process at a similar, nearby site. The competitor indicated that they knew SLA was working on the control center project and indicated they wanted a design “light years beyond” the facility SLA was designing for the first company.

The predatory environment created a unique challenge in the specialized architectural design of these spaces, to meet the functional, philosophical, commercial, and emotional needs of the persons tasked with enduring a lifestyle so far from home. These are not typical challenges.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 1:48 pm and is filed under Case Studies.

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