ATLANTIC CANADA CFB Halifax's LEED-Silver TEME building $71 million project completed on time and more than $20 million under original budget Canadian Design and Construction Report staff writer The successful construction of a new Transport Electrical Mechanical Engineering (TEME) building at Canadian Forces Base Halifax demon- strates how a challenging military construction project can be completed in both a timely and economical manner. The project's success sets the stage for additional, even larger, base construction initiatives, including a $64.8 million junior ranks project. Lt. Col. Dave Lauckner, CFB Halifax's construction engineering officer, says the TEME structure was finished on time, and at a significantly lower cost than originally anticipated. Planners originally expected that the project, to consolidate vehicle and equipment maintenance services in one 11,935 sq. m., two-storey building, replacing nine largely obsolete locations, would require $96.8 million. In the end, it cost about $71 mil- lion. The construction portion, overseen by general contractor EllisDon, also was completed at less than the originally expected $55 million. These design-build project cost savings were achieved without cur- tailing services or building quality, which has been designed to meet LEED Silver certification requirements – an exceptional achievement, considering the building's environmentally challenging function and brownfields location. “There was really good interaction between the defence department director for capital project delivery and the folks in administration, local bases, and Defence Construction Canada (DCC) project managers han- dling the project,” Lauckner said. “There was great management on the ground and with EllisDon.” Construction started in June 2012 and the building was occupied in April, 2014. Commissioning work is under-way. “I don't recall any serious issues or technical challenge in the con- struction,” he said. Despite the site's old industrial uses and a significant elevation difference between the base and city streets below it (requir- ing a retaining wall), EllisDon and sub-trades completed the project with a modest number of change orders – representing less than two per cent of the project's value, Lauckner said. In fact, one reason the project was completed at a lower cost than expected is that planners were con- cerned about possible surprises, and so built contingencies into the budget – which thankfully were not needed. 32 – Summer 2014 — The Canadian Design and Construction Report