Building a state-of-the-art energy-efficient sports complex under a fixed-price design-build formula was the main objective for the municipalities and no small feat. The project was finally handed to and initiated by the Lambda—Lainco Consortium.
The key challenge was to orchestrate a strategy that involved fast-tracking all design, fabrication and assembly work to meet tight construction deadlines. The three partners involved; Lambda, Lainco and Architecte Duquette, had already worked together on a number of sports centre projects. This synergy proved invaluable in speeding up the design process. Lainco’s HIGHRIDGE SYSTEMS™ metal roof concept was used for this facility, to highlight the facility’s unparalleled clearance, to enhance the user experience and to allow for easy integration of all the mechanical elements.
The municipal board assessed the advantages and drawbacks of other soccer centres, and drew inspiration from them to create performance specifications for a soccer complex that fully reflected the wants and needs of the citizens. The team was quick to adjust the original design to meet demand, adapting it to the numerous changes that would be necessary in the future.

The municipal board decided to build the new facility on the same site as the previous private project in 2007, which regrettably necessitated the demolition of the no longer salvageable existing foundations. New foundations were then built to support the building’s impressive structure. In the space of just three months, some fifteen men built the imposing structural frame of the 230-foot (71 m) wide by 525 feet (160 m) long building. To expedite the process, the Sportplex’s main section was built first, followed by the offices, locker rooms and administrative areas, which enabled all finishing work to be carried out simultaneously and keep the project on schedule.
One of the biggest hurdles the consortium had to face was the addition of a new elevator during the construction phase. Temporary supports had to be installed to secure the floor structure in order to allow construction work to advance, as this new request from the city was accommodated. Only when all the details were coordinated and approved by the client, were the foundations and structure of this elevator completed.

As part of the project, the board also inquired about the possibility of adding a jogging track that would be suspended from the roof structure, 3 corridors wide and 1,090 feet (332 m) long around the perimeter of the soccer field. A feasibility analysis and budget assessment were quickly carried out to reach the customer’s approval, which was granted promptly. In fact, following the handover of the sports centre, the track was added without any inconvenience in a subsequent second phase.
Another example of the team’s adaptability was its willingness to include several client modifications throughout the project without impacting the construction schedule. This project is yet another concrete example of the positive impact that good building design, in keeping with the customer’s vision, can have on citizens.
At a municipal trade show, Lainco team members met Alain Gravel, General Manager of the city of Beauharnois, who was responsible for the Sportplex project on behalf of the city at the time. He was raving about the sports centre and was very proud of the result, praising the HIGHRIDGE SYSTEMS™ metal roof concept.