Northgate Industries - Past Accomplishments
Northgate Industries has manufactured award-winning modular structures for a multitude of industries. Our success lies in years of experience, superior products and services, and peerless personnel.
Many of Northgate's projects have been honored by the Modular Building Institute (MBI) Awards, an esteemed international trade association representing manufacturers, dealers, and suppliers of modular structures. Submitted projects are judged on architectural excellence, technical innovation, cost effectiveness, energy efficiency, and calendar days to completion.
MBI 2008 Entries
Communications Command Centre
Location: Various remote sites across Canada
A major Canadian oil and gas producer required 3 complete office facilities to allow for live communication between any drilling site and the head office. Northgate Industries equipped the module with complete satellite and radio communication in the factory, prior to shipping. The office areas were supplied fully-functional, with hardwood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, modern furnishings, and residential plumbing fixtures.
Quick and easy mobility was crucial in the design stage of this project. The model was required to move from site to site every 28 days in extreme weather conditions. Through the application of integrated bolting systems, super-strength adhesives, and specially-engineered fasteners, Northgate was able to integrate the entire building framework, as well as the mechanical, electrical, and architectural components, into one internal system that was easy to disassemble and reassemble as needed.
The facility was also outfitted with self-contained utility and fuel storage systems that used high-efficiency appliances to increase cost-efficiency and eliminate the need for remote utility connections.
Bear's Den
Location: Cold Lake, Alberta
This project at the Cold Lake Weapons Range is a perfect example of how Northgate Industries can move beyond traditional dormitory-style design to offer luxury workforce accommodation for clients in any industry. The 538-bedroom facility includes a 12,960-square-foot kitchen, complete with modern kitchen appliances, coffee and deli stations, soda fountains, and a separate dining area. The suites come equipped with semi-private and private washrooms; and the large recreation facility offers gaming rooms, satellite television, high speed internet, a rest lounge, and a physical fitness centre. And everything is accessible 24/7.
Designed to be functional and attractive, the project is also a paragon of environmentally friendly building practices. The client requested the use of Green Council-approved building materials and appliances, which Northgate was capable of implementing without any delay in the installation and occupancy date. Specially designed fixtures for the heating, plumbing, and electrical systems also generated a 90% efficiency rating.
MBI 2007 Winners - First Place
Harsco Technologies
Location: North Carolina, U.S.
Perhaps one of Northgate's most unique projects was to develop workforce accommodation for a custom-purpose railway train for Harsco Technologies. Using a complex grinding system, the 12-car train was designed to recondition railway tracks throughout the U.S and Mexico. Despite obvious design limitations, Northgate manufactured the modules to provide every available amenity and comfort for the occupants. Within 8 supporting cars and 4 accommodation cars, Northgate provided fully-equipped kitchen facilities, private wash stations, and private sleeping quarters with individual temperature control.
Since the modules were mobile, a construction challenge was presented to overcome the jarring track terrain. This was addressed by bolstering the design with an internal 8-gauge steel base on a soft-shock trolley. The steel base housed self-contained potable water, gray-water, and black-water tanks. The gray water was re-used as a fire-prevention system when the grinders were in use, and the black water was disposed of using no-flush burn toilets that deposited the refuse in an ash bin. Despite the shipping distance, all the modules were transported from the factory to the location fully-manufactured.
What's more, because the train was constantly out in the open, it was often the target of vandalism and gunfire. Northgate overcame the problem by outfitting the train with bullet-proof glass and exterior cladding to protect the modules and the employees: Testament to Northgate's unprecedented versatility in designing quality custom projects.
Christina Lake SAGD (Steam-assisted Gravity Drainage)
Location: Northern Alberta
This 269-person facility follows the growing trend of providing permanent workforce housing with amenities equal to or higher than a modern hotel. Aside from a fully-operational office station, the structure comes with 100-square-foot suites, each with a 3-piece private washroom and roomy personal-effects storage space. The rooms were carefully accessorized and colour-coordinated with hardwood and leather furniture, enhancing the overall experience of living in a home away from home.
The Christina Lake facility is architecturally ahead of its time. Besides using energy-efficient plumbing, heating, and electrical fixtures, which all together generate a 90% efficiency rating, the structural foundation itself is a characteristic model of cost-effectiveness in the modular structures industry. Because of the extremely cold temperatures in Northern Alberta, a traditional concrete foundation was impossible to install. Instead, Northgate innovatively used steam pressure to penetrate the thick ground frost, drilling a series of helix-screw pilings to adequate depth and torque, which then supported the entire foundation. Not only did the pilings eliminate the need to defrost the ground, they decreased costs by an estimated three times the amount if concrete had been used.
