WCB Building Envelope Retrofit

Designed by Smith, Carter, Searle and Associates, the building was originally commissioned for the Monarch Life Assurance Company and was constructed in 1961. This landmark building, a finalist for the Massey Medal for Architecture in 1964, was carefully designed to express the bold confidence and security of the corporation, its concern for its clients and employees, and its commitment to the economic development of the city of Winnipeg.

Building Description

As with many buildings from the mid-twentieth century, the exterior envelope and cladding system was failing and in need of repair due to deficiencies in the building envelope. A total of 4,044 granite stone panels were removed, repaired, and re-installed in their original location following asbestos abatement and the installation of a new high-performance building envelope system. This resulted in a +/-5” outward displacement of the stone cladding, creating a requirement for new stainless steel “expansion joints” that run the full height of the building in the granite façade.

Selected for its durability and flexibility, an aluminum composite panel was used on the main and sixth floor soffits in lieu of the original stucco. All 192 windows were replaced with new units which included a stainless steel mullion cap to match the original design.

New coping stones, supplied by Coldspring Granite in Minnesota (the original granite quarry that supplied the granite 50 years earlier), were installed around the entire roof to maintain the original detailing at the façade while providing a proper connection to the roof membrane.

The overall approach to the building envelope retrofit was to bring the façade back to its original designed state. This goal was achieved by “undoing” previous, less sensitive alterations, including carefully refining details because of the outward displacement of the building’s cladding system and remaining faithful to the longstanding material palette that was selected over fifty years ago. While many Modernist building façades are being carelessly manipulated due to maintenance issues, economic challenges, a passing design fancy, the restoration of the Workers Compensation Board respects this timeless symbol of a Modernist heritage building.