McKenzie Mews, a 15-unit housing development in the River Flats, has received a design award for its use of masonry in construction.--News Photo Collin Gallant
@MedicineHatNews
What will likely be the last major building project to use I-XL brick has earned special recognition for the former owners of the local plant that closed 12 years ago.
McKenzie Mews is a multi-family townhome-style project at the corner of Dominion Street and Washington Avenue in the River Flats, built by Cube Developments of Medicine Hat.
Last week it was awarded a gold medal by the Alberta Masonry Council at its design awards in Edmonton, with Malcolm Sissons, a principal in both I-XL and Cube, receiving the honour.
“For so many years I was on the supply side of the business, so it was interesting to see the other side,” Sissons told the News on Wednesday.
The brick and tile plant off Industrial Avenue closed after it was badly damaged in flooding from high creeks in the early 2010s.
Sissons began working years later on the McKenzie Mews project, which incorporates the McKenzie-Sharland Residence, and itself was restored after river flooding in 2013.
By the time construction arrived in 2020 however, the remaining stock from the plant had long been liquidated.
Sissons said he combed the city to contact private buyers who had bought pallets when the plant closed, and also found a large stock in the storage yard of Moritz Masonry in the city.
“By that time, I ended up buying back my own brick,” said Sissons. “I really did want to use I-XL brick, for obvious reasons.”
But, he says, the result has made the hunt worth while.
Final touches are now being completed on the final three units of the 12-unit property that has housed tenants for several years. The “mews” style layout incorporates a central courtyard with inward facing main entrances. The overall aesthetic, said Sissons, is in keeping with the River Flats Redevelopment plan that calls for traditional architectural aspects.
“It’s not just flat brickwork, and we came up with some details that really made the project,” he said.
The project was designed by Gillian Sissons of Block Group Ltd. The project was managed by Brian Robinson of BR Construction Inc.
The engineer was P.H. McNally Associates. The masonry contractor was Mayzes Masonry.
