Airbus A220 - Delivery Centre
Airbus A220 - Delivery Centre
Delivered under a design-build contract with a guaranteed maximum price, this aerospace industrial project involved the construction of a facility for showcasing newly assembled and painted aircraft. The Delivery Centre features spacious display halls where buyers can inspect Airbus aircraft in detail. Offices occupy the second floor, while balconies and walkways overlooking the halls provide elevated views of the aircraft. Large Megadoor hangar doors, measuring nearly 50 metres, were installed to accommodate the movement of large aircraft into and out of the display halls. The building was also designed for future expansion to accommodate two additional aircraft.
Magil carefully planned the civil works surrounding the Delivery Centre to maintain frequent aircraft movements nearby. Paving work was closely coordinated with Airbus, whose team commended Magil Construction’s clear, transparent communication and effective logistics management.
Project Complexity, Unique Features and Constraints
Magil Construction developed an unconventional construction sequence for the Airbus Delivery Centre. While structural steel is typically erected before the concrete slab is poured, steel delivery was scheduled only after the slab was completed. Several factors informed this approach.
The concrete slab incorporates a significant portion of the building’s electrical and mechanical systems, including ventilation ductwork. Most of the facility’s advanced electromechanical systems are integrated into the floor, allowing aircraft to receive electrical power through floor hatches. The slab also incorporates radiant heating, adding another layer of complexity. This construction sequence helped Magil maintain the project schedule by mitigating the impact of structural steel delivery lead times.
Outstanding Multidisciplinary Collaboration
This design-build project brought Magil and its key design partners—an architectural firm and a consulting engineering firm—together as a single integrated, multidisciplinary team. Immediately following contract award, a kickoff meeting brought all project participants together to begin developing the drawings and specifications.
With active input from all team members, preliminary drawings and specifications were completed within weeks of contract award, allowing site mobilization to begin quickly. The design-build delivery model selected by Airbus accelerated the project and streamlined design management for the owner.
This strong, integrated team supported seamless coordination between design and construction throughout the project.
