CASPIAN.

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CASPIAN CONSTRUCTION – CANADA POST MAIL PROCESSING PLANT

Caspian Construction’s $100 million Canada Post mail
processing plant project will become one of the first
high-tech facilities of its kind.

Working Together as a Team

Caspian Construction, in a joint venture with Toronto-based Aecon Buildings, is completing Canada Post’s
mail processing plant, which will stand out as a high-tech, LEED-certified facility.

By Kate Burrows “We also cannot build retention ponds that would attract

E arning LEED certification on any project requires

dedication and hard work, but earning credits on a
project located in close proximity of an airport –
such as the project Caspian Construction is currently build-
ing adjacent to the Winnipeg International Airport – repre-
sents an even bigger challenge. Caspian and its team are
up to the task as they build Canada Post’s $100 million
mail processing plant in Winnipeg, Manitoba. According to
Program Manager Shaun Babakhanians, this high-tech mail
sorting plant will be one of the few LEED-certified facilities of
its kind when it is completed in December.
Babakhanians says earning LEED cred-
Caspian Construction –
Canada Post’s Winnipeg Mail its for this 275,000-square-foot project
Processing Plant requires many unique considerations. The
www.caspianconstruction.com project is unable to attain many of the
Project value: $100 million
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba available credits because of the limita-
Employees at peak of con- tions of the site. “Since we’re located on a
struction: 250+ site that’s adjacent to the airport, we can-
Specialty: Design/build
Shaun Babakhanians:: “We like not attract wildlife near the runways,”
to maintain a family environment.” Babakhanians says.
wildlife or use highly reflective building materials such as
a light-colored roof or solar panels that may interfere with
aircraft movement above.
“For the LEED points, we are focusing on the credits that
actually add value to the project rather than attain the ones
that have philosophical implications,” Babakhanians con-
tinues. “Our design is striving to attain all the credits under
water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and
resources and innovation and design process. While we are
going for as many as we can under indoor environmental
quality, some of the day-lighting credits are near impossi-
ble to attain in the sorting plant area, for example, where
there is laser operated sorting equipment that is intolerant
of direct illumination.”
Caspian is using regionally extracted materials where it
can, especially Tyndall Stone. Also, in addition to using irri-
gation-free landscaping, the firm is reducing the water
usage by more than 30 percent. “Canada Post’s mandate is
to get the project LEED-certified,” Babakhanians explains.
“LEED, as a concept, is not just about getting the plaque

56 ■ WWW.CONSTRUCTION-TODAY.COM ■ FEBRUARY 2009