Sears Vancouver Redevelopment

The original Sears Vancouver building was constructed in 1976 and required significant upgrades to meet current code requirements for the change of use. The project provided substantial structural improvements to the existing building and allowed the adaptive reuse of the retail anchor building. The 125,000 sf, two-story building features multiple tenants, including assembly occupancy for bowling/amusement on the second floor, retail, and restaurant tenants. The project included modifications to both the lateral and gravity system to address the change of occupancy and the required changes to the shell of the building to accommodate the new tenants.

Coffman provided structural engineering on the project, including feasibility studies for the required modifications, and worked closely with the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) regarding the structural upgrades. The structure was modeled using ETABS software early in the process, and the client was alerted of probable required retrofits at the preliminary design stages. To give the client options, Coffman also suggested ways to reduce seismic demands and worked with a contractor during the feasibility studies to determine the most economical retrofit scheme. This allowed for reduced seismic upgrade costs.

Industries:

  • Commercial & Retail

Services:

  • Structural Engineering