Client: Kwan & Son Construction
Location: Toronto
The background
The Mon Sheong Foundation is a charitable organization founded in the 1960s and dedicated to the promotion of Chinese culture through a wide array of philanthropic projects including education, youth development and health and elderly care. Mon Sheong’s long-term care facilities exclusively serve the Chinese community, and offer five-star supported living and residential care within a culturally nurturing environment.
Define
Belroc was engaged by the client, Kwan & Son Construction, to offer expertise in the upgrading of handrails within Mon Sheong’s long term care facility in downtown Toronto. The existing handrail installed in all corridors was made of wood and illuminated using fluorescent strips to give ambient lighting around the clock. Two main challenges were identified; firstly, the porous nature of wood presented a hygiene risk and secondly, the fluorescent bulbs were inefficient and also a potential safety risk for clients. Furthermore, the walls in the corridors were subject to high traffic from staff and clients with beds, wheelchairs and walkers prone to damaging the internal finish.
Direct
A crystal clear brief combined with Belroc’s expertise in this particular sector, identifying the appropriate solution to the challenges posed at Mon Sheong was a swift and simple process. Belroc proposed the installation of Inpro vinyl handrail with a custom continuous wall bracket that would give the required scope to install safe, energy-efficient LED lighting under the handrail. From the underside of the handrail down to floor level, the wall surface would be protected with vinyl sheeting offering a highly practical and aesthetically pleasing finish that is also easy to keep clean.
Deliver
While the installation of the new fittings was to be carried out by the client, Belroc conducted all the site measurements to ensure accuracy and worked closely with the owners at Mon Sheong to bring their vision to life. Belroc’s initial quotation was for a solid colour handrail but after communication with the owner, it became clear that they felt this was unsuitable and a wood effect handrail would be much more sympathetic to the existing interior. With a 20% cost discrepancy, this presented a budgetary challenge, which Belroc was happy to tackle head on. The project manager approached Inpro directly and was successful in negotiating a more competitive price, bringing the wood effect handrail within budget, much to the delight of the client. Installation of 1175 linear feet of the new handrail is on schedule for completion in early 2019. Mon Sheong has two additional care facilities in the wider Toronto area with plans currently in development for a fourth, and Belroc looks forward to working with this client again in future.
