The work of Canadian consulting engineering firms was celebrated online Thursday night, as twenty projects were recognized for excellence during the 2020 Canadian Consulting Engineering (CCE) Awards virtual celebration. R.F. Binnie & Associates received an Award of Excellence for the BCIT North Campus Infrastructure Project in Burnaby, British Columbia.

Recognized as the industry’s highest honours, the awards are presented to projects by Canadian firms that showcase the most remarkable engineering feats. “Though we may not have been able to celebrate in-person this year, these achievements and the incredible work of our members were recognized on a virtual stage” said ACEC President and CEO John Gamble. “Through their ingenuity and innovation, the work of consulting engineering companies connects communities, grows the economy, protects the public and improves sustainability. The impacts and benefits of their work are long-lasting, often immeasurable, and deserve to be celebrated.”

Delivering essential upgrades to electrical and civil infrastructure, establishing foundation for future development

BCIT North Campus Infrastructure Project – The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) is one of the provinces largest post-secondary institutions. With aging electrical infrastructure at the end of its serviceable life at its Burnaby campus, R.F. Binnie & Associates was tasked to deliver essential upgrades to BCIT’s electrical and civil infrastructure while establishing the necessary foundation for future campus development. The project was completed in a short timeline so as not to disrupt access to campus and classes. An Integrated design team was implemented to deliver this project which resulted in nine new electrical substations with 5.5 km of new linear infrastructure, as well as new streetscape and landscape improvements.

Achieving the project objectives in an environmentally sustainable and responsible manner was important for BCIT and the project team, who looked to the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) to verify the project against ISI’s Envision framework. This was the first educational institution to receive an Envision Gold award in Canada. The jury noted how sustainability was a major driver of this large municipal project, and how it was completed while maintaining the school’s operations.

“It is a tremendous honour to receive this award. We are especially proud to support the advancement of BCIT, which as an institution plays an enormous role in developing talented engineers, technologists, and surveyors for our industry and our company,” said Scott Campbell, CAO, R.F. Binnie & Associates.