Calgary, Alberta, Canada
The Children’s Cottage Society has been supporting families across Calgary in times of acute need since 1986, providing crisis nursery services, family support programmes and short-term care for children when parents are overwhelmed or in crisis. Growing demand on the existing Crisis Nursery prompted the Society to build a new purpose-designed Child and Family Centre in the north west of the city.
The new building adds 20 beds and purpose-designed spaces, including arts and crafts rooms, play spaces, living areas, kitchen facilities, one-on-one counselling rooms, and administrative offices, everything a 24-hour family support facility needs to operate safely and consistently.
The mechanical services across the building include hydronic heating systems, ventilation and the full range of plumbing and domestic services that a facility of this kind requires. To support the long-term operation of those systems, the Mechanical Contractor DCM Mechanical engaged Dewick & Associates to author the Mechanical O&M Manuals.
By Alexandra Vuksa
Credit: The image has been generated by AI and depicts a conceptual building of the project.
Region
Client
Completion Date
Project Value
The Children’s Cottage Society Child and Family Centre in Calgary was developed to provide essential support services for vulnerable children and families in a purpose-built, community-focused facility. Funded through charitable contributions, the project demanded a strong focus on long-term value, operational reliability and responsible asset management.
The Mechanical Contractor delivered the complete mechanical services installation, including heating, ventilation and domestic water systems. To support a compliant and efficient handover, they engaged Dewick & Associates to produce comprehensive Mechanical Operation & Maintenance (O&M) Manuals that would provide facilities personnel with the information needed to safely operate, maintain and protect these critical building assets throughout their lifecycle.
Healthcare and community support facilities operate continuously, placing significant demands on building services. Reliable heating, ventilation and plumbing systems are essential to maintaining a safe, healthy and comfortable environment for staff, families and children.
The project required Mechanical O&M Manuals that would satisfy multiple audiences. Maintenance contractors needed detailed technical information for servicing, fault finding and lifecycle maintenance, while the Children’s Cottage Society’s operations team required documentation that was logical, easy to navigate and written in plain language.
The documentation also needed to accurately capture the complete installed mechanical scope while supporting industry best practice for building operation and maintenance. In Canada, well-structured O&M documentation plays an important role in demonstrating compliance with the applicable provincial building codes, the National Building Code of Canada (NBCC), and the ongoing maintenance obligations referenced within CSA standards and manufacturers’ maintenance requirements.
Dewick & Associates’ Technical Writing team worked closely with the Mechanical Contractor’s construction documentation, equipment schedules and manufacturers’ technical information to develop a complete Mechanical O&M Manual tailored specifically to the facility.
The documentation included:
Every section underwent Dewick & Associates’ quality assurance process to ensure the information was accurate, complete and suitable for practical use throughout the building’s operational life.
The completed Mechanical O&M Manual provided the Children’s Cottage Society with a single, reliable source of truth for managing the facility’s mechanical infrastructure.
The documentation supports ongoing building operation by helping facilities staff understand installed systems, assisting maintenance contractors in performing servicing correctly, and promoting preventative maintenance that protects equipment performance and extends asset life.
For the Mechanical Contractor, the project concluded with a professionally authored handover package that met the expectations of both the client and the wider project team. More importantly, the documentation helps safeguard a community-funded asset by supporting the safe, efficient and compliant operation of the Child and Family Centre for many years to come.
By combining technical accuracy with practical usability, Dewick & Associates delivered documentation that adds long-term value well beyond project completion.
The content in this case study has been informed by project documentation and client communication provided to Dewick & Associates during and following the completion of the project. Where external sources have contributed to our understanding of relevant standards or industry practice, these are listed below.
The image has been generated by AI and depicts a conceptual building of the project.
Note: Some content in this case study draws on a combination of sources rather than direct quotation. Where this is the case, contributing sources are acknowledged above rather than cited inline.
Technical authoring of D&A format O&M Manuals enabling efficient plant operation and effective maintenance for equipment longevity, including:
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