Neighbouring the hustle of Montreal’s famous “Quartier des Spectacles” district, the Black Watch Armoury has offered stability to the sector since its construction in 1905. This historical building holds a particular importance to the community due to its spectacular Scottish baronial style architecture. SBSA had the opportunity to contribute to its rich history during the recent roof renovations which necessitated vast structural interventions.
The building is composed of masonry bearing walls supporting a central peaked roof sloping on each side towards adjacent two-story wings comprised of hybrid steel and wood structures. A precise computer-assisted analysis of the main roof frames was performed and helped avoid costly full-scale reinforcements. Many wood and steel elements composing the roof structure we upgraded in order to support the new snow loads brough on by an increase in insulation. The existing stone foundations were also repaired after many years of water infiltration. A systematic coordination between the design team and the building occupants as well as continuous support during the construction phase allowed for this project to be executed on schedule and on budget with limited impact to the activities planned inside the building.