Designing the future: How Vancouver Shipyards engineers are helping to change what it means to live and work onboard an icebreaking vessel

How does a space influence how you feel?  

For Bianka Labelle-Robert, this question has been top of mind for the past year as she works on a unique project that will majorly impact two of Seaspan’s vessel programs: the Polar Icebreaker and the future Multi-Purpose Icebreaker (MPI) vessels.  

Along with a small group of other Vancouver Shipyards engineers, Bianka, an Outfitting Engineer, has shifted away from her usual day to day tasks to focus on something new: interior design.  

Working closely with the Canadian Coast Guard, Bianka is working to optimize the design of ship cabins and other spaces onboard the heavy Polar Icebreaker currently under construction at Vancouver Shipyards, as well as the fleet of Multi-Purpose Icebreakers (MPI) currently in the design and engineering phase. 

To help the team and the Coast Guard visualize the design, Seaspan partnered with Barrier Marine and Trident Maritime Systems to construct mock-up cabins with ensuite and partial lounge and messroom areas. 

Seaspan also collaborated with Ontario-based interior architectural design company, Launch by Design, to create mood boards and renderings to inspire the interiors.  

Before the cabin renderings could become reality, there was another important step: surveying the people who would ultimately be living and working onboard the ship and collecting their feedback and input.  

So, what went into the design?  

Traditionally, the considerations impacting ship cabin design have mostly been related to at-sea requirements and functionality. Now, things are changing. 

As a Polar Class 2 vessel, the heavy Polar Icebreaker will be able to operate farther north, in more difficult ice conditions and for longer periods than any icebreaker in Canada to date. That means personnel could be facing longer than usual stints onboard. 

“There’s a psychological aspect to design” Bianka said. “We’re going beyond just technical compliance and considering how the cabins and spaces onboard will make the crew feel. When they could be onboard for several months at a time, having a home away from home becomes increasingly important.”  

 

Beyond just being aesthetically pleasing, design plays an important role in everything from crew retention, productivity levels and overall mental and physical well-being. In addition to living spaces, there is also a gym, a library, and other recreation areas to ensure that the crew’s needs are met.  

“The whole team has learned a lot during this process and worked hard to make sure we consulted with crew members and asked them what they need from the ship cabins and spaces.” Bianka explained. “It even came down to small design changes like making sure there are outlets near the beds so that they can charge their devices and stay connected to loved ones.” 

Of course, an important consideration for the project was also material selection for the marine environment. Seaspan worked with Pronautic, a local Victoria based company who supported with custom-built furniture, as well as Launch by Design.  

Construction on the Polar Icebreaker mock-up was completed at the Barrier Marine Warehouse in North Vancouver in April 2024 and the MPI mock-up at Trident’s Warehouse in Burnaby was completed later, in June of this year.  

At the Trident Warehouse in Burnaby, the attention to detail in the custom-built furniture in the MPI single cabin, ensuite, partial lounge and mess mock-up spaces is evident. 

There are latches on drawers that might otherwise slide open in rough conditions, ledges on tables, and chairs are attached to the floor to prevent them from sliding in rough at-sea conditions.  Other features of interest in the MPI mockup spaces include LED lighting and inlaid, dimmable lights and a modern, slatted ceiling in the mess.  

At the Barrier Warehouse in North Vancouver, the mock-up spaces for the heavy Polar Icebreaker include a senior officer day room (office), night room and ensuite. 

Bianka has worked closely with her team to help make this project a success. She has taken the lead on the MPI design while her colleague Karl Jensen, Joiner Outfitting Lead is focused on Polar. They are also working closely alongside Kelly Livanou, Manager of Outfit Engineering, Geoff Simpson, Principal Outfitting Specialist and Luis Bello Garcia, Outfitting Engineer.  

“One of the goals of improving the design is crew retention, but we are also striking a balance between requirements, cost, and comfort. When we approached the Coast Guard with this idea, we were able to reassure them that our engineering team could help make cabin spaces feel more comfortable while staying within budget and meeting at-sea safety requirements.” Kelly explained. 

The engineering team also had support from other disciplines like electrical, mechanical, and HVAC to review the drawings and mock-ups and ensure accuracy with integration.  

“I have really enjoyed the sense of creativity that has come with working on this project.” Bianka said. “Interior design is one of those things that seems more qualitative but if someone feels happier in a space, that has tangible impacts on quantitative aspects like people’s productivity and even employee retention.” 

This unique project has been an opportunity for members of Vancouver Shipyards’ Outfitting Engineering team to try something new and rise to the challenge of going beyond simply meeting technical requirements. While interior design can be more subjective than outfitting a vessel with a specific piece of equipment, the dedication and effort that the team is putting in today will help shape more comfortable, functional environments for crews out on the water for years to come. 

 

 

Other images from the Polar and MPI mock-up facilities: