Stadacona Drill Shed, CFB Halifax: A flagship naval training hub

In collaboration with Bird Construction, Department of National Defence (DND) and Defence Construction Canada (DCC), we designed and built a new Consolidated Seamanship Training Facility (CSTF), also know as the Stadacona drill shed at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Halifax. The multi-level facility includes an administrative office areas, workshops and classroom as well as three key training components. The first is a naval boarding training area which is a 3-storey replica of a ship’s interior that allows personnel to simulate boarding a ship and progressing through hatches, doors and ladders to clear the vessel. The second is a training area that simulates a ship-to-ship replenishment at sea.   The third is a large high-volume Drill Shed, the heart of the school, which acts as an assembly and training space. Working as an integrated team with key base staff, we developed the design through a methodical process of site visits, interviews, client/user concept workshops and coordinated sub-contractor input to ensure the final design would support operations and meet strict DND standards. DND has identified that “this will be a flagship training facility for the Navy as it enables them to train on land and with inside conditions.”