Bike room, showers, and service-space retrofit
With Pentillion Construction, I coordinated the retrofit of vacated tenant space into building amenity and service areas. The new program included bike storage, lockers, three shower stalls, an accessible washroom, an accessible combined shower and washroom, janitor storage with a mop sink, and a garbage room.
The design had to work for tenants, the landlord, building operations, accessibility expectations, and the service needs of the property. A space like this can look simple once it is complete, but the hidden coordination is what makes it usable.
The challenges with retrofitting an existing building
The retrofit involved fire separations between tenants and floors, subgrade plumbing, new washroom and shower layouts, secure access requirements, mechanical and electrical coordination, and revisions to engineered details so the work better suited the actual space.
The existing conditions mattered. Plumbing routes, wall layouts, access points, service spaces, and fire separations could not be solved independently. Each decision affected another part of the retrofit.
Coordinating consultants, trades, and adjacent work
My role was to coordinate between the architect, mechanical engineer, electrical engineer, Pentillion Construction, subtrades, and contractors working in adjacent tenant space at the same time.
I reviewed historical drawings, engineering plans, and architectural layouts to understand the existing conditions and help propose solutions that could satisfy the different stakeholders. The work required balancing design intent with field realities so the retrofit could move forward without creating conflicts for the surrounding construction.
Clean cut finish
The result was a more useful and serviceable set of building spaces. Accessibility, service use, plumbing, fire separations, secure access, consultant details, trades, and active building constraints all had to line up so an underused area could work as dependable building infrastructure.
Custom glass awning redesign and installation
With Pentillion Construction, I delivered a custom glass awning replacement where the design intent was clean and visually simple, but the existing building made the installation much more complicated than the drawings suggested.
The project replaced existing vinyl awnings with a suspended glass canopy system supported by steel outriggers and diagonal tie rods. The challenge was making that system work on the real building, with the right tolerance, alignment, drainage, serviceability, and installation sequence.
The hidden structure did not match the clean drawing
The upper tie-rod anchors were intended to connect back to the structural concrete spandrel beam, but that beam was hidden behind exposed-aggregate precast architectural panels with an inconsistent air gap behind them.
That changed the problem. The anchors could not simply be fastened as drawn, and the inconsistent gap made it difficult to scan the structure and confidently locate reinforcing steel before drilling. The installation needed enough field tolerance to avoid reinforcement while still leaving the finished awning visually aligned from the street.
Making the anchorage adjustable without looking like a fix
I helped investigate the existing condition and separate what was architectural cladding from what was part of the structural load path. That understanding shaped the redesign of the upper anchorage.
The detail needed to bridge through the architectural panel, connect back to the structure, and still allow the installer to shift final anchor locations where needed. The exposed cover plates then had to conceal that adjustment zone without looking like an afterthought.
The tie rods also had to stay visually aligned even when the hidden anchors had to move. The connection evolved toward a more adjustable arrangement using clevises and paired plates, with practical details such as wrench flats and opposite-handed threading so the rods could be adjusted in place.
Letting the glass layout respond to the building
The lower outriggers created another coordination problem. Their locations needed to avoid likely reinforcement while still supporting the glass layout. With the architect’s approval, the glass panel widths were allowed to vary within a controlled range so the steel supports could respond to the real structure instead of forcing a layout that was difficult to install.
The glass support detail also had to be reconsidered. A more fixed pressure-plate approach would have made installation and future service more difficult, especially if individual panels ever needed to be removed. Working with the installer, we moved toward a more serviceable approach that better suited how the glass would be handled, installed, and maintained.
Designing the corner so it could actually be fabricated
The corner conditions added another layer of practical design work. The corner framing had to coordinate glass sizes, steel fabrication, galvanizing, fit-up, and installation sequence.
I raised concerns about field welding galvanized steel and helped move the approach toward details that could be fabricated and installed more predictably. When galvanizing distortion became a concern, I helped look for a simpler framing approach that better matched the typical outriggers and reduced the risk of a distorted corner assembly.
Turning layout into a repeatable field process
A major part of my contribution was turning the layout problem into something the installer could repeat in the field. Because the outrigger and standoff locations varied along the building, there was no simple continuous datum for every cored opening.
I designed and 3D printed a positioning jig that sat on the installed outrigger and held a laser-cut template board for the core-hole locations. The template allowed the layout to shift when needed to avoid reinforcement while maintaining the relationship between the outrigger, standoff, and tie rod.
Dealing with drainage after the slope changed
The project also had to respond to drainage requirements. A late requirement changed the awning slope so water drained back toward the building rather than away from it.
That meant reviewing tie-rod geometry, glass slope, flashing, and gutter details so the finished system could manage water without creating maintenance or building-envelope problems. I helped develop a custom gutter approach that could be installed with the completed steel and glass while remaining serviceable and cleanable.
Keeping the work moving on site
Alongside the design and coordination work, I supported day-to-day site execution. That included coordinating with the architect, structural engineer, fabricators, glass contractor, sheet metal contractor, crane company, tenants, and site team; helping maintain scaffold access; developing site-specific safety procedures; removing existing awnings and flashing; coordinating electrical and signboard-related work; reviewing layout; resolving field discrepancies; and checking installation details as the work progressed.
A clear vision
The finished awning looks clean because we solved a lot of messy problems before they became visible. Hidden structure, reinforcement risk, anchor tolerance, glass layout, galvanizing, drainage, installation access, and future service all had to be handled together.
This project shows how I work between drawings and the field. I ask how an idea will be located, fabricated, adjusted, installed, drained, maintained, and handed off.
Restaurant shell conversion in an existing building
With Pentillion Construction, I represented the building owner through the conversion of a former single-tenant ground-floor commercial space into a demised shell for an incoming restaurant tenant. What began as a landlord-side turnover scope became a broader technical coordination project involving lease obligations, existing building systems, consultant drawings, trade scopes, tenant requirements, landlord requirements, field conditions, older infrastructure, code review, and schedule pressure.
My role was project engineering support and owner-side coordination. I was not the engineer of record, but I investigated existing conditions, developed practical options, coordinated consultant review, and translated technical issues between trades, suppliers, consultants, ownership, and property management. Much of the work was about finding a buildable path through existing-building constraints without overstepping the professional roles of the design consultants.
Electrical capacity without replacing obsolete switchgear
One of the major constraints was electrical capacity. The incoming tenant required a significant electrical service, but the existing switchgear was older and difficult to modify. The expected path had been to remove existing chiller equipment to free up a 600 amp switch for the new tenant service.
Through field review, I identified that some base-building air-handling equipment was connected to oversized switches from an earlier arrangement. I proposed relocating one of the air handlers onto an existing oversized switch already serving chiller equipment, which freed a 600 amp switch for the tenant service.
After review by the electrical engineer, that approach was accepted and implemented. It avoided removing chiller equipment, avoided modification of obsolete switchgear, reduced feeder complexity, preserved future flexibility, and helped keep the turnover moving.
Fault-current and series-rating coordination
The electrical scope also required coordination around available fault current and series-rating requirements. This was not the kind of issue that could be left vague until ordering. If the panel requirements were misunderstood, the result could have been a purchasing mistake or a schedule delay.
I researched the requirements and coordinated between the electrical engineer, contractor, supplier, and manufacturer so the panel selection could be checked against the actual project conditions. My role was to help keep the technical question moving between the right people so the final decision was properly reviewed and documented.
Separating HVAC systems
The ground-floor space had previously functioned as one larger single-tenant area. The turnover required the incoming tenant to be separated from the remaining area so both spaces could operate independently.
I reviewed the proposed HVAC approach and flagged concerns with continuing to rely on shared base-building air-handling equipment. Working with the mechanical team, I helped coordinate a revised approach that redirected supply and return ducting so the incoming tenant could be isolated from the shared air system.
This was a practical example of looking beyond the drawing and asking how the system would actually operate after demising. The issue was not only whether ductwork could be installed, but whether the resulting system would give the landlord and tenants the separation they needed.
Underground plumbing through an existing slab
The restaurant shell also required new underground plumbing through the existing slab. I reviewed historical drawings and consultant drawings to understand likely service locations, then coordinated scanning, slab cutting, excavation, tie-ins, backfill, and concrete reinstatement.
The work had to move carefully because existing drawings can only tell part of the story in an older building. The field work needed enough planning to reduce surprises, but also enough flexibility to respond once the slab was opened and the real conditions were visible.
Hazardous-material sequencing
As the work progressed, hazardous-material concerns had to be identified, isolated, and sequenced without derailing adjacent work. I arranged testing, marked affected areas, brought in remediation specialists, and coordinated the work so the issue could be resolved safely and in the right sequence.
I was not performing the abatement, but I helped keep the issue from becoming an unmanaged project risk. The practical value was recognizing the constraint, getting the right specialists involved, and keeping the surrounding work coordinated.
A practical code path for the equipment platform
One of the more complicated issues involved an internal platform that had been designed and built based on an earlier building assumption. Later review confirmed that non-combustible construction was required. By that point, mechanical equipment had already been installed above the platform, so replacing the supporting structure with steel would have created major cost and schedule impact.
I worked with the architect and code consultant to investigate a practical compliance path. That included researching rated assembly options, identifying a listed rated ceiling and grid assembly for review, checking what had already been installed, determining required changes, and coordinating the accepted solution.
The final path used protected assemblies, Type X drywall, rated ceiling components, firestopping, and revised sprinkler protection. The value was not in bypassing the requirement; it was in helping the team find a compliant way forward that fit the real project condition.
Meter troubleshooting and handoff
After installation, the tenant power meter was not reading correctly. I contacted technical support, sourced a USB-RS485 adapter, connected directly to the meter, and found that the sensing breaker arrangement had changed during tenant-side work.
I updated the programming and confirmed corrected readings. It was a small part of the overall project, but it was a good example of the same pattern at a smaller scale: understand how the system is actually wired and operating, then make the practical correction needed for handoff.
The power of collaboration
The project brought together electrical capacity, obsolete infrastructure, HVAC separation, underground plumbing, hazardous materials, code review, consultant coordination, tenant requirements, landlord obligations, and schedule pressure.
My contribution was helping those issues stay connected instead of letting each one become a separate crisis. That meant looking ahead, asking sideways questions, involving the right specialists, and turning uncertain field conditions into reviewed, buildable paths.
The owner-side coordination value was making sure the right information reached the right people early enough that the project could keep moving.
Veterinary clinic tenant improvement
With Pentillion Construction, I helped deliver the James Bay Veterinary Clinic tenant improvement: a conversion of a former bank into a veterinary clinic of roughly 3,800 square feet, or 353 square metres. The finished clinic included reception, six exam rooms, surgery, dental, storage and equipment space, washrooms, an office, and support areas.
Turning a former bank into a clinical space
The project was more than a standard interior refresh. A former bank and a veterinary clinic have very different operating needs.
The new space had to support public/client-facing reception, clinical workflow, treatment and procedure areas, equipment needs, staff support space, storage, durable finishes, and the building-system coordination required to make those spaces work.
Working through the existing shell
The existing bank condition added complexity, including the constraints created by the former vault and the need to adapt the commercial shell to a specialized tenant use.
That meant the work had to be coordinated carefully across layout, demolition, framing, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, finishes, millwork, equipment coordination, and permit requirements.
Keeping the construction information moving
My role was hands-on project coordination and field support. I helped define scopes, coordinate trades and labour, update drawings, create Gantt charts, support permit coordination, and work through day-to-day field issues as the project moved from drawings into construction.
I was not the architect or engineer of record, but I helped keep the project information moving between the people who needed it. That mattered because specialized tenant improvements depend on timely decisions, clear scopes, and practical coordination between drawings, permit requirements, site conditions, and field labour.
Managing schedule pressure and supply-chain constraints
The schedule also had to be managed through post-COVID supply-chain constraints. Materials, equipment, and trade availability could not always be treated as predictable, so the project needed active tracking, sequencing, and communication to keep the work moving despite delays and changing availability.
A key part of the work was translating the tenant improvement scope into a practical construction sequence. The clinical layout had to become a real space with the right trades in the right order and the right information available when decisions were needed.
Not just a pet project
The result was a completed tenant improvement that turned a former bank into a functioning veterinary clinic. It shows a full commercial conversion with specialized operating requirements, active field coordination, drawing updates, scheduling, permits, and trade sequencing. The drawing set, field conditions, tenant needs, trades, schedule, and supply-chain constraints all had to be kept connected until the space could actually operate as a clinic.
