Okanagan College Aviation Campus
R+A Engineering is providing structural engineering services for the new $22M BPL Legacy Aerospace Training Facility at Kelowna International Airport (YLW), developed through a partnership between the BPL Legacy Association and Okanagan College. The 42,000 sq. ft. purpose-built facility will sit adjacent to the KF Centre for Excellence, consolidating a full aircraft maintenance hangar, free-span shop floor, classrooms, auditorium, and amenity spaces under one roof. When complete, it will expand Okanagan College's Aircraft Maintenance Engineering program from 30 to 140 students annually.
MORE DETAILS
Matthew Derkach
As Principal at R+A Engineering, Matthew has led the delivery of structural engineering projects in both the private and public sectors for over a decade. Before moving into structural design, he worked as a field engineer on large institutional projects across Western Canada, gaining a broad perspective on the construction industry. Today, he draws on that experience to design structural systems that balance efficiency, constructability, and value. His portfolio includes institutional, recreational, residential, and heritage building upgrades. Outside of work, Matthew enjoys spending time with his family, mountain biking, and skiing.
DESIGNATIONS
Professional Engineer (P.Eng) | EGBC
Professional Engineer (P.Eng) | APEGA
Member | SEABC
The centerpiece of the facility is a 180-foot clear-span pre-engineered steel hangar, sized to accommodate full-scale commercial aircraft and equipped with a tail-fin door system. The adjoining classroom and administration wing is a multi-storey steel structure with multiple shop spaces and ancillary rooms at grade and classrooms, auditorium, lunchroom, and amenity spaces on the upper level. The two structural systems are integrated at a shared interface, coordinating load paths between the pre-engineered hanger envelope and R+A's steel framing.
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