Carleton University: Nicol Building
  • Client: Carleton University
  • Value: $53,487,000
  • Size: 119,000 sq. ft.
  • 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON
  • Completion Date: 2021
  • Industry: Education
  • Delivery Method: Lump Sum

Carleton University’s Nicol Building brought the Sprott School of Business into a dedicated, purpose-built home at the heart of campus. The seven-storey, 115,000 sq. ft. academic building combines concrete and structural steel construction and was designed to support business education through learning, collaboration, entrepreneurship, and exchange.

Located along Campus Avenue, the building occupies a prominent site within Carleton’s academic core and is constructed directly over portions of the university’s underground tunnel system. The project also connects into this network, integrating the new facility with the pedestrian infrastructure linking much of the campus. Its location gives the Sprott School of Business a clear identity while creating an active destination for classes, meetings, events, student services, and informal gathering.

Inside, the building is organized around openness and connection. Flexible classrooms, seminar rooms, breakout spaces, student resource and study areas, a lecture theatre, research areas, professional program space, career centre offices, academic offices, Dean’s office space, and the Innovation Accelerator are brought together within a bright, highly visible academic environment. A central atrium and feature stair connect key levels and encourage movement and interaction throughout the building.

One of the project’s most distinctive structural features is a five-storey cantilever supported by two large welded wide-flange steel beams, each approximately two metres deep. The exterior is clad in precast concrete, aluminum curtain wall, curved glazing, limestone, and aluminum composite panels, creating a strong architectural presence while responding to the technical demands of the structure beneath.

Inside, exposed concrete, stone, wood finishes, glass screens, and acoustic treatments help balance durability, warmth, transparency, and comfort. The project also incorporated BubbleDeck technology to reduce the amount of concrete required, along with demand-controlled ventilation, heat and energy recovery, occupancy-based lighting and thermostat controls, perimeter radiant heating, operable windows, and high-performance envelope strategies.

Completed in August 2021, the Nicol Building now serves as a landmark home for the Sprott School of Business and an important gathering place for business education at Carleton University. The project brought together complex structural engineering, detailed envelope work, campus tunnel integration, specialized academic spaces, and public gathering areas within a highly visible institutional building.

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Brian Funk

Director of Safety & Security

Brian Funk is the Director of Safety & Security, overseeing the development and day-to-day management of HEIN’s health and safety programs. An experienced industry professional, Brian holds an Occupational Safety and Health diploma from Algonquin College, alongside his Certified Health and Safety Consultant (CHSC) designation and National Construction Safety Officer (NCSO®) certification. He works closely with our teams to support the corporate culture of “Constructing Excellence” by keeping safety at the forefront of every project.

Brian’s path into health and safety comes from a very personal place. Having lost two family members to workplace accidents, including his father, he has a deep understanding of why these protocols matter. For Brian, the goal of his work is straightforward: making sure that every single worker on a job site gets home safely to their family at the end of the day.

With a background in the Canadian Armed Forces, Brian draws on his training and work ethic to keep a steady hand and stay focused when situations arise. He enjoys the fact that every day on the job brings something new, but his favorite part of the role is the mentorship. For Brian, it is incredibly rewarding to see site teams and trade partners look out for one another, naturally putting safety first and taking a moment to think before they act.

Amber Tremblay-Chapman, CPA

VP, Accounting Manager

Amber Tremblay-Chapman was appointed Vice President, Accounting Manager in 2022, following a rapid progression through HEIN’s finance team. She joined the company in 2017 as an Accounting Clerk and was promoted to Accounting Manager the following year.

Today, Amber leads all aspects of day-to-day accounting, including accounts receivable and payable, fiscal reporting, and project-level cost tracking. She played a key role in guiding the finance team through the pandemic, maintaining consistent reporting and high standards while working remotely. More recently, she has implemented a digital approach to change management and record-keeping, reinforcing the company’s financial infrastructure as HEIN continues to grow.

Amber holds a Business Administration diploma from Algonquin College and continues to expand her financial expertise through ongoing professional development. She is also a committed contributor to HEIN’s community engagement efforts, including leadership roles with the Ottawa Community Housing Foundation and the Holes for HEIN employee golf group.

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Robert LeVasseur

SVP, Finance, Treasurer, Senior Project Manager

Robert LeVasseur serves as Senior Vice President of Finance and Treasurer at HEIN, where he oversees financial planning, debt management, and project-level budgeting. He works closely with project managers to support job costing and financial oversight, bringing more than three decades of experience and institutional knowledge to the role.

Robert began his career as a site superintendent with a national contractor before joining HEIN in 1991. He became a shareholder in 1999, transitioned to Project Manager in 2002, and was appointed Manager of Operations in 2012. In 2014, he was named a Director, Senior Vice President, and Treasurer, formalizing his role in guiding both the company’s operations and its financial strategy.

With a Mechanical Engineering Technology degree from Dawson College, Robert combines a technical foundation with extensive field experience. He is Gold Seal Certified and a LEED Accredited Professional, reflecting his commitment to both industry best practices and sustainable building standards.

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Barry Campbell

SVP, Estimating & Procurement, Chief Estimator

Barry Campbell is Senior Vice President of Estimating and Procurement at HEIN, where he leads and coordinates all aspects of the company’s estimating and procurement functions. With more than 40 years in the construction industry, he brings unmatched experience and has built systems that continue to shape how HEIN manages its bids and contracts.

Since joining HEIN in 1990, Barry has developed a comprehensive framework for estimating and closing tenders, as well as a standardized system for awarding contracts. This includes the creation of HEIN’s detailed Scope of Work package, which is issued to every subcontractor on every project, ensuring clarity, accountability, and consistency. His team works closely with project managers to review financial details and constructability issues whenever contracts are awarded, creating a seamless handoff from estimating to operations.

Barry graduated from Algonquin College’s Architectural Technologist program in 1984, then worked for a major general contracting company before founding and operating his own firm. He joined HEIN’s estimating department in 1990 and has since grown into one of the company’s longest-serving leaders. For Barry, closing tenders and being the lowest bid is the most exciting part of the position, a moment he describes as a “rush”.

Barry is a Gold Seal Certified Estimator and holds a diploma in Architectural Technology, underscoring both his technical expertise and his dedication to industry best practices.

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Jennifer Brigandi lL.B.

SVP, Corporate Operations, Secretary, General Counsel

As Senior Vice President, Corporate Operations, Corporate Secretary, and General Counsel, Jennifer Brigandi oversees HEIN’s legal affairs, corporate policies, and governance, including litigation and employee relations. She joined HEIN as General Counsel in 2015 and was appointed Senior Vice President in 2018, bringing strong legal expertise to the company’s leadership team.

Before joining HEIN, Jennifer practiced corporate and commercial law for eight years at both national and local firms in Ottawa, including a secondment with the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club’s legal department. From 2013 to 2015, she represented HEIN and several of its shareholders as external counsel before becoming an official member of the team.

Jennifer graduated with honours from Carleton University in 2004 and earned her law degree, cum laude, from the University of Ottawa in 2007. She was called to the Ontario Bar in 2008 and is a member of the Law Society of Ontario. She also serves on the Continuous Quality Improvement Committee at Saint Louis Residence (Bruyère), reflecting her commitment to governance and accountability both within and beyond HEIN.

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Mark Dalton

Chief Executive Officer

Mark has served as President of HEIN since Spring 2014, and is responsible for creating, communicating and implementing the company’s vision, mission and overall direction.

A self-proclaimed non-academic, Mark gained his knowledge of construction through hands-on experience in the industry. An entrepreneur in spirit, Mark had already founded two small construction and renovation companies before joining HEIN (then known as Mueller-Hein Corporation) as a site superintendent at the age of 24.

After nine years of working for HEIN, and working his way up to being a project manager and a minority shareholder, Mark chose to leave the company to pursue other career interests, which included founding and operating Ontario Rental and Supply, an equipment rental and sales company servicing Eastern Ontario. In 2014, after Roland Hein, co-founder of HEIN, passed away, Mark joined with the then-employee shareholders of the company to continue the operations of the business and to expand its growth within Ontario.

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Steve Donley

SVP, Construction Operations

Steven Donley was appointed Senior Vice President, Construction Operations in August 2025 after serving as Vice President and Project Manager for seven years. In this role, he oversees HEIN’s construction operations, mentors project teams, and helps guide the company’s long-term strategies.

Steven graduated from the University of Ottawa in 2008 with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Civil Engineering. Initially drawn to engineering for its problem-solving nature, he discovered a stronger passion for general contracting where he could apply technical knowledge in a hands-on environment and see projects come to life. He began his career as a project coordinator with a national general contracting firm before joining HEIN in 2013. Since then, he has advanced through project management into senior leadership, consistently delivering complex and phased projects to client satisfaction.

He became a shareholder of HEIN in 2016 and was appointed Vice President in 2018. Steven also serves on the Board of Directors for the General Contractors Association of Ottawa (GCAO), where he contributes to advancing the industry and supporting the work of local contractors.

What Steven enjoys most about construction is working with teams to break down challenges, develop a plan, and see it through to a tangible result. For him, the culmination of this effort is leaving behind spaces that change a community and become part of people’s everyday lives.

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Andrew Mulder

Chief Financial Officer

Andrew Mulder was appointed Chief Financial Officer of HEIN in January 2025. He oversees financial strategy, reporting, budgeting, and treasury management, working with senior leadership to align investments with long-term growth and drive IT-enabled efficiencies.

Since joining HEIN, Andrew has strengthened budgeting, forecasting, and treasury practices while supporting new share plans. He fosters continuous improvement with a focus on staff development and adopting tools that improve financial visibility and decision-making.

Andrew began his career in the contract furniture industry, managing finance, IT, and HR while representing leading brands. He later served as Controller at Ontario Rental and Supply and as Director of Finance at Hucks Marine & Resort, building expertise in insurance, cost optimization, process improvement, and analytics. A lifelong learner, he has also completed certificates in analytics, reporting, HR, change leadership, programming, and taxation.

Andrew holds an Honours Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting from the University of Ottawa and earned his CPA designation in 2014. He serves as Treasurer and Board Member of the Brockville & District Hospital Foundation, sits on the Brockville Airport Commission, and mentors CPA candidates.

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Shawn Berube

President & COO

Shawn Berube is President and Chief Operating Officer of HEIN, where he provides strategic leadership and oversees the company’s operations in alignment with its long-term growth and succession strategy. With nearly 20 years of experience at HEIN, he brings strong industry knowledge, proven leadership, and a deep commitment to the company’s culture of “Constructing Excellence.”

Shawn joined HEIN in 2006 as a Site Superintendent after graduating from the Construction Engineering Management program at George Brown College. He advanced to Project Manager in 2017, became a shareholder in 2012, and was appointed Vice President in 2018 before taking on his current role. Over the years, Shawn has developed extensive expertise in the ICI sector, leading teams on complex projects with a focus on quality, collaboration, and client value.

Outside of his role at HEIN, Shawn is a Certified Technician and member of the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists (OACETT). He is a Past President of the General Contractors Association of Ottawa and has been recognized as one of Ottawa’s Forty Under 40 for his leadership and contributions to the construction industry.