A8 Standard Details: Supporting Kirkor’s Commitment To Building Excellence

Building science and technology along with developments in materials are continually advancing with initiatives for sustainability and changing construction methods. Behind Kirkor’s recognition as knowledge leaders in our industry is a proactive and passionate approach to these advancements. One specific example of this is in our commitment to the high-quality production for our standard technical details used in our projects.

Internally known as “the A8’s” in reference to their location amongst our drawing packages, these technical details represent common building assemblies that perform a specific and unique function in a specific location for the building. The details are categorically structured in the following divisions; Foundation Walls, Exterior Walls, Interior Partitions, Floors, Ceilings, Roofs, and Soffits. Each detail contains current standards and best practices in achieving and sometimes exceeding the regulations of the building code, the Canadian Standards Association and other industry standards, and the manufacturer’s recommendations. The information within each detail is also harmonized with our architectural specification manual.

The A8’s have a long history within Kirkor’s 40 years of practice, and they have regularly gone through rigorous reviews approximately every two to three years. In the fall of 2020, Kirkor committed to formalizing a process and designated a team to go through the latest review of the A8’s. The administration, research and development of the details is managed by the Development Team, that submits drafts to an Advisory Committee of internal experts for scrutinizing. The last review and sanctioning is done by the Approving Authorities (Kirkor’s Partnership) that take on the liability for the details once they are issued.

Having quality details can be critical in the success of the development of a building. In addition to workflow efficiency and the consistency that standardization can provide, Kirkor also uses their A8’s as an opportunity to be proactive in an industry that continually advances.

Jon Astolfi