EP 59 · 2023-07-07 · 26:46

Building Pop-Up Restaurants at Minus 62°C: Remote Construction Lessons from Churchill, Manitoba

Marco Gallo of EightTwelve Building Solutions (Winnipeg) recounts building high-end pop-up restaurants on frozen rivers and in remote Churchill, Manitoba — a masterclass in remote-site logistics, open-book pricing, and building strategically unprofitable projects for PR and referrals.

Marco Gallo

0812 Building Solutions Inc.

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Read the article ▸▶ Watch the 15 clips ▸Read the transcript Open on YouTube ↗

// CHAPTERS — TAP TO JUMP THE PLAYER

0:00Intro: Against the Clock partnership & Raw Almond pop-up concept — Host introduces the Construction Clock cross-series format; Marco explains the Raw Almond concept — a design competition pop-up restaurant on the frozen Forks river in Winnipeg, 20-day season, five-course meals, chefs flown in from around the world.3:20Remote site logistics: Churchill and extreme-cold construction — Marco details the nine total builds (seven Winnipeg, one Gimli, one Churchill); extreme-cold tool failures at minus 25–30°C; Churchill's remoteness (fly-in only); prefabricating with redundant parts shipped by sea can; the bear-guard and daily bear sweeps; tundra buggy as site trailer.8:40Materials, structure, and sustainability design intent — Materials strategy: pipe-and-clamp scaffolding reused on regular job sites; spray-foam panel kitchen reused yearly; recycling and reuse as design constraints; Churchill A-frame LBL structure clad in thick poly for Northern Lights dining; tarp-based diffuse lighting creating unplanned interior effects.13:50Business model: open-book costing and the strategic non-profit project — Marco is candid: these projects don't make money. They operate at-cost with donated time, priced open-book because hard quoting is impossible. Value is in PR, referrals, team satisfaction, and owner identity — 'the romance' of construction. Core revenue comes from regular residential/commercial work.19:30Churchill weather, history, and close-out reflections — Minus 62°C wind chill on landing; wet-cold vs dry-cold comparison; Fort Churchill history as Hudson's Bay Company port; bear life; host closes with broader reflection on northern remote construction challenges for permanent builds.

// THE INTRO

In this 'Against the Clock' cross-Canada episode, host Daniel Arsenault interviews Marco Gallo, founder of EightTwelve Building Solutions, a Winnipeg-based GC with an architecture background. The conversation centres on EightTwelve's seven-year relationship building pop-up restaurants for Raw Almond — temporary fine-dining structures erected on frozen rivers and (for one memorable build) inside historic Fort Churchill at minus 62°C wind chill. Marco walks through the logistics of remote-site construction: prefabricating for redundancy, handling tool failure in extreme cold, running open-book pricing because the job can't be hard-quoted, and using a bear guard to do daily job-site sweeps. He's candid that these projects don't make money but serve as marketing, portfolio, and owner-satisfaction vehicles. The episode sits outside ACP's Atlantic Canada core — guest and projects are Manitoba/Prairies — and was part of a Construction Clock app co-production series that was not continued.

// THE LESSONS

See all 7 lessons ▸

When working in remote or extreme-cold sites, prefabricate aggressively and ship redundant components — assume some will fail in transit or not fit on site.

“let's ship three of those we only need one let's ship five of those we only need two”

▶ Clip 6:17 ▸

Hard-quoting evolving or experimental projects is a trap; open-book cost-plus preserves the relationship and reflects reality when scope is fluid.

“quoting them would be an absolute nightmare... we usually just do it on a cost scenario, everything's open book”

▶ Clip 18:26 ▸

Some projects should be taken on at cost or below as intentional marketing investments — they generate referrals and portfolio credibility that more than offset the margin sacrifice.

“these are the projects that don't make money... good for PR, good for referrals, sculptural but also marketing”

17:34 ▸

In extreme cold, air-powered tools and battery tools are the first failure points; plan tool redundancy and a heated break space to cycle tools back to operating temperature.

“air powered tools we start to get condensation and those just fault out on you... battery life expectancy is horrible”

▶ Clip 4:44 ▸

Design for disassembly from the start on temporary structures: reusable pipe-and-clamp scaffolding goes back to regular job sites; sacrificial elements are planned in, not accidents.

“pipe and clamp scaffolding can just go back to a job site and be used for stucco or low-rise buildings throughout the year”

▶ Clip 9:41 ▸

Owners with design or architecture backgrounds attract unusual, design-led projects that keep talent engaged — the 'wicked and weird' pipeline is a recruitment and retention tool.

“when an architect has a really great idea but has no idea how it's going to stand... we get the call for those”

▶ Clip 16:06 ▸

Recycling and reuse should be treated as a design constraint on temporary builds, not an afterthought — it lowers cost on the next iteration and reduces project waste.

“can this be recycled, can it be taken down and reused or repurposed — those conversations happen early on”

▶ Clip 9:24 ▸

// CLIPS FROM THIS EPISODE

Story · 1:08

“so it's a local architect that started a art gallery in downtown Winnipeg”

Framework · 4:44

“wind is horrible as everyone in the construction industry”

Story · 6:36

“so what about safety wise like as far as safety standards”

Story · 7:36

“I think people think of polar bears like the Coca-Cola commercial”

Framework · 9:08