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p.04-05contents.indd 4 9/3/10 10:27:57 AM
 37
contents
OCTOBER 2010

y
Princeton from Global.

FEATURES
7 RAIC Perspective
Is sustainable heritage architecture an oxymoron?

8 Hudson Kruse Design

Building Community: How Hudson Kruse Design is living the design dream.

13 Water World
Technological advances mean faucets are no longer just the prettiest features in the
room.

19 Bright Lights
The lighting industry finds new ways to satisfy builders, specifiers and LEED
requirements.

23 Give Us a Lift
The elevator, escalator and lift systems sector shows no signs of
slowing down.

25 Decorative Laminates 2010

Product lines that offer beauty and practicality are this year’s standard.

27 On the Level
Getting down to the nitty gritty of tile and its installation.

32 All Systems Go
With new technologies, the curtain wall and window wall sectors
are solidifying their niches.

ON THE COVER The Capital, Toronto, Ontario.

Interior Design: Hudson Kruse Design.
37
45
Contract Furniture Review 2010
Ground Control
19
Cover photo and above: Arash Moallemi. Safety and versatility are hallmarks of the raised access flooring sector.

PROJECTS
35 Iqaluit Detachment/Nunavut Operations 65 Orthopedic Surgery Centre – Royal Alexandra Hospital:
Support Building: Iqaluit, Nunavut Edmonton, Alberta

39 Engineering V Building – 71 West Lethbridge Centre: Lethbridge, Alberta

University of Waterloo: Waterloo, Ontario
73 Trent Community Sport and Recreation Centre –
43 Dr. David Suzuki Public School: Trent University: Peterborough, Ontario
Windsor, Ontario
77 Len Evans Centre of Trades & Technology –
47 Chilliwack Cultural Centre: Chilliwack, B.C. Assiniboine Community College: Brandon, Manitoba

51 Academic Building – Orillia Campus – 81 Academic Building – Canal Site – Carleton University: Ottawa, Ontario
Lakehead University: Orillia, Ontario
83 The Carlyle: New Westminster, B.C.
53 Bow Valley College Redevelopment –
Phase 2: Calgary, Alberta 85 Vita at Symphony Place: Vancouver, B.C.

57 Red Deer RCMP Detachment: 88 St. Joseph’s Health Care – Phase 2 – Ambulatory Care
Red Deer, Alberta Renovations: London, Ontario

59 Vaughan City Hall: Vaughan, Ontario 89 Villa Caritas: Edmonton, Alberta

63 West Orillia Sports Complex: Orillia, Ontario 92 Arts and Science Centre – Phase II – UBCO: Kelowna, B.C.

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p.06-07RAIC.indd 6 9/3/10 10:29:28 AM
 OCTOBER 2010 • Volume 24 • Number 5
EDITOR Shannon Miller
ART DIRECTOR Laurel MacLean
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Angela Altass
Luigi Benetton
Susan M. Boyce
Robin Brunet
Godfrey Budd
Jerry Eberts
Jane Harris Zsovan
Mary Frances Hill
PERSPECTIVE
Laurie Jones
John T.D. Keyes
Jessica Krippendorf
by Graham Murfitt, MRAIC
Helen Lammers-Helps
Dan O’Reilly
Architecture Canada | RAIC Practice Specialist
Christine Peets
Don Procter
Sonu Purhar
Irwin Rapoport
Tiffany Sloan

CONTRIBUTING
PHOTOGRAPHER

PRODUCTION MANAGER
Dan Reaume Photography

Suzy Williamson
IS SUSTAINABLE HERITAGE
STUDIO MANAGER Kristina Borys

ARCHITECTURE AN OXYMORON?
ASSISTANT STUDIO MANAGER Mandy Lau
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Sonia Prasad
PRODUCTION SYSTEMS
MANAGER Kim McLane
ADVERTISING PRODUCTION Allison Griffioen
Miki May
Chris Sherwood An argument can be made that the inclusion of sustainability in building design has raised the bar for
ELECTRONIC PRODUCTION Ina Bowerbank
SENIOR IMAGING TECHNICIAN Debbie Lynn Craig
ELECTRONIC IMAGING Laura Michaels successful architecture. When it comes to carbon emissions, a groundswell of architects, engineers,
PUBLISHER Dan Chapman
Alexander Sugden
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Riqueen Blumenthal
contractors and building scientists around the world are committed to the notion that all buildings
AWARD MAGAZINE – HEAD OFFICE
PHONE 604.299.7311 FAX 604.299.9188
eventually should have a zero energy footprint. The movement is called the 2030 Challenge.

The manufacture, fabrication

and transportation footprint
CHAIRMAN, CEO Peter Legge, O.B.C., LL.D (HON)
of buildings in the future will
march on, undoubtedly mirror-

PHOTO: GRAHAM MURFITT, MRAIC

PRESIDENT Karen Foss
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Heather Parker, CGA
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Millie Warren, CGA
ing the growing “consume lo-
VICE PRESIDENT/PRODUCTION Corinne Smith cal food” movement. The word
VICE PRESIDENT/
MARKETING & DIGITAL MEDIA Samantha Legge, MBA sustainability, however, appears
VICE PRESIDENT/EDITORIAL Kathleen Freimond to be completely misused and
VICE PRESIDENT/FINANCE Farnaz Riahi
VICE PRESIDENT/SALES Rebecca Legge misunderstood. Sustainable is
DIRECTOR/CIRCULATION Scott Wheatley a word used everywhere with
DIRECTOR/INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY Carsten Arnold nearly as many meanings as
DIRECTOR/BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT Michael Oldewening the number of people who use
DIRECTOR/DIGITAL MEDIA Shannon Emmerson it. Sustainable architecture usu- Supreme Court of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario: Perspective of front elevation.
DIGITAL MEDIA John Bucher, Yau Bing Chong,
Hilary Henegar, Darren Jarvis, ally describes easily maintained Fonds Ernest Cormier | Collection Centre Canadien d’Architecture/Canadian
Paul Jassal, Debbie Jiang,
Joanne Sammons, Davinia Yip buildings that harvest or pro- Centre for Architecture, Montréal.
SENIOR MARKETING &
SPECIAL EVENTS MANAGER Tamara Johnston duce the energy they consume.
MARKETING COORDINATOR Tim Reyes Sustaining heritage architec- development of new buildings. New
MARKETING & MEDIA
STRATEGIST Casey Crawford ture may mean preserving it for an eternity, regardless of the energy costs. buildings may need to generate more
SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR Mark Jeffrey
APPLICATION SUPPORT
There are really very few sustainable buildings in Canada, and the idea of one energy than they require so that they
Eileen Gajowski
ANALYST
ACCOUNTING Rita French, Joy Ginete-Cockle,
is possibly oxy-moronic. Sustainable buildings are expected to be habitable, so contribute to the energy requirements
Terri Mason, Emily Moraga,
Sonia Roxburgh, Jocelyn Snelling
turning off the heat is usually not considered. When you turn off the heating sys- of the historical buildings that help de-
CIRCULATION MANAGER Tracy McRitchie tem and cut the electrical service to a historically significant building, you may fine the value of our society.
Millie Coskun, Ginger Jessamine,
CIRCULATION
Kelly Kalirai, Ruth Pisko, achieve temporary sustainability, but at great risk to the building. Upgrading and Transforming elegant and important
Isabelle Ringham, Jalline Stark,
Anny Yu adding insulation to a building assembly designed for none also puts the building heritage buildings into sustainable ar-
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTS Jackie Lee, Heidi Strang at substantial risk. Covering a historically significant building with solar collec- chitecture is a gift and burden given to
RECEPTION Maria Vlasenko
tors or installing wind turbines in its exquisite gardens can only be performed us by skilled and brilliant visionaries.
Award magazine is published six times a year by Canada Wide with great respect and skill, if at all. All of the possible technological solutions The gifts of today’s architectural mas-
Media Limited. Head office: 4th Floor - 4180 Lougheed Highway,
Burnaby, B.C. V5C 6A7. Phone 604.299.7311, Fax 604.299.9188.
to conserve energy in a building must be considered, and the financial implica- terworks will no doubt be an obligation
Send covers of undeliverable copies to address above. tions of energy sustainability are likely to be astronomical. When energy costs are to future generations of architects.
Publications Mail Agreement No. 40065475. © 2007.
No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written
equally astronomical, so will be the incentive for sustainability. Architects, engineers, contractors
permission of the publisher. Award is distributed to architects, The challenges of transforming and upgrading a heritage building to perform and building scientists around the
interior designers, landscape architects, consulting engineers,
specification writers, development companies and major in a truly sustainable manner are monumental. No single magical or technolog- world must explore the solutions to
construction companies throughout Western Canada and
Ontario.
ical solution is likely to solve the challenge. Upgrades to thermal efficiency of transform our cultural heritage into
For subscription information call 604.299.1023 or email: windows, doors, walls and roof assemblies as well as efficient electrical, lighting, sustainable architecture. Our inabil-
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heating and heat recovery systems can reduce but not eliminate energy consump- ity may lead to an unexpected form of
Graphics. tion. In reality, the sensible or realistic solution may be to develop efficient and sustainable use of our most important
Award magazine welcomes your letters, corporate sustainable energy grid systems that supply energy to groups of buildings. The cultural icons, as they cease to provide
announcements or company information. The statements,
opinions and points of view expressed in articles published energy performance of new buildings will be critical to help balance the complex- society with the delight in which they
in this magazine are those of the authors and publication
shall not be deemed to mean that they are necessarily those ity and expense of developing sustainable energy supplies. Perhaps the expense were intended and are no longer a part
of the publisher, editor or Canada Wide Media Limited. The
acceptance and publication of advertisement
of upgrading culturally significant existing buildings should also be shared in the of the architecture of the everyday. ■
of products and services does not indicate
endorsement of such products or services.
The publishers cannot be held responsible for OCTOBER 2010 7
unsolicited manuscripts and photographs.

p.06-07RAIC.indd 7 9/3/10 10:29:29 AM

 BUILDING COMM How Hudson Kruse Design is living the design dream
by Luigi Benetton

The fall of 1999 brought interior designer the opportunity came, I decided to Grade 5,” he recalls as he reels off other courses taken and
Trevor Kruse the opportunity to work on the (then) start the company. It was a happy ac- skills acquired at a young age, including his Grade 12 inte-
Ritz Carlton condominium project in Toronto. cident,” Kruse admits. rior design class. “I knew from the age of 10 that I wanted
The project came with a catch, though. “They asked me Hudson Kruse Design (Hudson be- to develop places for people to live.”
to set up a company and they would bring the project with ing Kruse’s mother’s maiden name), by “My family was building a new house when I was in
them,” Kruse recalls of the chance to do space planning for its principal’s estimate, devotes 70 per Grade 10,” Kruse continues. “I did the drawings, and my
suites in the top 40 floors of what is now the Trump Tower. cent of its efforts to taking condomini- father and I visited the site every day to check the process.
The project proved less than straightforward in other ways, um projects to market. The remainder What I did in school was complemented by what I did day
too. Kruse found himself bounced on and off the project as is spent on private residential proj- by day in the real world. I know that is a rare opportunity.”
project ownership and other circumstances changed. Final- ects, “going from paper to the moment When a guidance counsellor told Kruse about the two
ly, “unbeknownst to me, Ed Zeidler, of Zeidler Architects, when clients move into the houses,” interior design degree programs in Canada at the time, he
was singing my praises, and they brought me back,” Kruse Kruse says. This residential focus grew chose Ryerson University, where he completed a Bachelor of
says. “The level of support they gave me surprised me.” from Kruse’s upbringing in Swift Cur- Applied Arts in Interior Design (BAAID) in 1986.
Kruse’s “incidental” creation, Hudson Kruse Design, rent, Saskatchewan, a town of 15,000. Kruse didn’t need to look far for inspiration when choos-
proved a more stable entity despite the owner’s ambiva- “I was artistic growing up, but I was ing the subject of his fourth-year project. “I did the Sears
lence. “I never really wanted my own company, but when able to start taking drafting classes in Warehouse, right across the street from the Ryerson School

The Capital, Mississauga, Ontario.

PHOTO: ARASH MOALLEMI

p.08-11Kruse cover_ads.indd 8 9/3/10 10:31:05 AM

MUNITY
of Interior Design,” he recalls. “I designed it about four

PHOTO: ELAINE KILBURN

years before it was converted, almost exactly as I designed it
– not that they ever saw what I had done in school. When I
started my company, the developer asked me to finish com-
mon areas of the project, which were in my thesis.”
Kruse isn’t done with school. “I hope to be accepted at
the University of Minnesota for my Masters degree.”
Hudson Kruse Design has built strong relationships
with other developers, an accomplishment Kruse attributes
to his extracurricular activities. “I was always a diligent
participator. I joined committees and clubs. I volunteered
for all kinds of things,” he explains. “When I moved here,
I didn’t know anyone. This was my process of creating a
strong network. After I graduated, I volunteered for the
Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario
(ARIDO). I’ve worked with them in every capacity (includ-
ing president).”
Kruse also counts the two jobs he
held prior to starting Hudson Kruse
Design as important stepping stones.
He spent 11 years at Linda Boorman
Interiors Ltd., where he rose to senior
designer, followed by three years at
Gluckstein Design. He credits each
employer for helping him develop as
a designer, particularly at Gluckstein’s
larger firm. “There were more people I
could compete with as colleagues who
forced me to up my game,” he says.
After three years with Gluckstein,
other opportunities appeared and
headhunters called. “I left Gluckstein
to sort through my options and settled
on starting Hudson Kruse Design
when the Ritz opportunity arrived
later that year,” Kruse recalls.
Boorman’s and Gluckstein’s man-
agement techniques also stayed with
their former employee. “They showed
me that you have to give a certain
amount of autonomy to your staff, to let
them make decisions, to have relation-
ships with clients, and if a mistake is
made, you stand behind the employee.
The firm comes up with solutions.”
“I have a strong team,” he continues.
“Most manage their own projects. Part
of my strategy is for them to develop
stronger relationships with clients so
clients don’t always have to contact
me. I’m hands-on when clients want
me to be, but I try to give my team a lot
of freedom. Everybody is responsible
PHOTO: SUSAN GOUINLOCK
12, has on the go, Kruse notes: “There
isn’t enough of me to go around.”
This approach serves as part of a
foundation for continuous develop-
ment, along with the fact that the firm
often handles multiple projects for in-
dividual developers. “These developers
help us work with great architects,” he
says. “Each project helps us improve.
With each project, clients give us more
leeway to create better solutions.”
“I have somebody from almost every
design school in the GTA, like Humber
College, Sheridan College, Ryerson
University, the University of Toronto.
I’m trying to keep it balanced.”
This mix supports one of Kruse’s
design aims. “When you look at our
portfolio, our projects don’t look the
same,” he says. “My goal is not to have
a specific vocabulary. Clients don’t
come to us to get the look of a Hudson
Kruse solution. We change our vocab-
ulary to suit the project.”
Kruse admits to a soft spot for space
planning. “If I could lock myself in a
room and space plan by hand, I would
be happy,” he says, adding that his
reputation encourages other design-
ers to seek his help on space planning
challenges.
Given the spaces he’s called home,
which include a converted church
One Cole Street, Toronto, Ontario.
The Laneway Mews Interior Design Show.
rectory and his current digs, a converted warehouse across
the street from his West Toronto office, it’s easy to spot
Kruse’s appreciation for conversions. “Toronto has great
building stock that can be successfully converted into
homes,” he says.
Among the awards his firm has piled up, one that’s close
to his heart is the National Post Design Exchange Award
earned for a 2005 conceptual project proposing infill
housing in Toronto’s back alleys. “It was a fun project,” he
says of the idea that has since garnered other awards. “I
continue to work on it as a concept that may or may not ever
happen. One of the great things about this project is it ful-
fills Toronto’s official plan to intensify. It protects neighbour-
hoods without dropping condo towers on every corner.”
In 2007, the Chicago-based International Interior Design
Association (IIDA) recognized Kruse’s work for the design
community by making him the first Canadian winner of
the IIDA Leadership award. “It allowed me to step up and
participate on an international level,” Kruse says.
Kruse’s interest in his current role on several design
school advisory councils dates back to his Ryerson days.
“A core group of us in my class were really involved,” he
recalls. “We spent lots of time questioning our education
and what we were getting from it.”
What Kruse called extracurricular in school he wants to
make “intracurricular” for today’s students, starting with
those at his firm. “When I bring in summer interns, they
aren’t made to feel like students. They participate,” he says.
A common thread in these activities is the demonstra-
tion of an element of Kruse’s personality that he confesses
may sound trite. “Community-building – that’s what every
part of my life is about. I don’t separate work, life or volun-
teering. To me it’s one life, and I live it all the same.” ■

for every part of individual projects.

I don’t want them to feel they have to
turn to me for approval.”
It’s a practical idea. Citing the rough-
ly 60 projects the firm, whose staff
numbers fluctuate between eight and

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p.08-11Kruse cover_ads.indd 10 9/3/10 10:31:11 AM
p.08-11Kruse cover_ads.indd 11 9/3/10 10:31:23 AM
 KOHLER: As I See It, #91 in a series

“Mesmerizing. A KOHLER invention.

Strikingly different.”

KARBONTM articulating kitchen

faucet

ARTIST: Mark Holthusen

1- 800 - 4 - KOHLER
kohler.com/karbonfaucetca

©2010 Kohler Co.

p.12-17Faucets.indd 12 9/3/10 10:38:15 AM


Speaking to consumer preferences in faucet fin- to vandalism in that there are no sen-
ishes, “polished chrome is still your staple as far as the finish
that people purchase,” says Jason Kuss, branch manager for
Robinson Lighting & Bath Centre. Robinson carries a wide
range of faucet product lines including Dornbracht, Grohe,
Hansgrohe, Kohler, Aquabrass, Riobel and Fluid, and Kuss
has his finger on the pulse of the faucet industry. “On the
contemporary side of things, we’re seeing matted whites and
blacks, sometimes in combination with chrome accents.
Then on the more traditional or transitional style of faucets,
we’re seeing muted golds and bronzes.”
But while finishes might be termed a revolving trend, it is
new technologies that are driving the quality of the “water
experience” forward. “There’s a continuing trend towards
digital and hands-free technology. It’s still something that’s
more widely used on the commercial side of things, but with
technology, a lot of the time it starts on the commercial end
and we see it adapted to the residential end down the road.”
According to Kuss, the days of faucets being de rigeur in the
home aren’t here yet, but he believes manufacturers’ grow-
ing inventory of touchless faucets for the home are a sign of
things to come.
In commercial and institutional applications where
touchless faucets are already becoming standard, techno-
logical improvements are making the hardware significant-
ly more reliable, says Steve Dunn, trade channel marketing
manager, Masco Canada. Masco’s Delta brand introduced
its Proximity sensing technology this spring, “and it’s
taking electronics to a different level. We have eliminated
any of the sensors, the optics, the eyes – the visual part of
the electronics. The whole spout itself becomes the sensor.
It produces an electric field about four inches away from the
product itself, and anytime you put your hand inside the
electric field, the faucet will turn on. When you take your
hand away, after two seconds, the faucet will turn off.” In ad-
dition to improved ease of use, Proximity is also less prone
WATER WORLD
Technological advances mean faucets are no longer just the prettiest features in the room
by Tiffany Sloan
p.12-17Faucets.indd 13
Rubinet Faucets’ square handle Ice faucet.
sors that can be scratched, broken or
taped over, notes Dunn.
Meanwhile, Delta’s new H2Optics
sensing technology uses the principles
of triangulation for distance mea-
surement to reduce false activations
of touchless faucets, conserving wa-
ter and battery usage. And, to further
conserve battery power, Delta has in-
troduced a lithium ion battery pack
that recharges using electricity gener-
ated by the faucet’s own water flow.
“With as little as six uses a day, that
faucet will recharge the lithium ion
battery pack for up to 10 years of use by
Cura showerhead
from Aquabrass.
using the water that’s
already flowing through
the pipes,” explains Dunn. “It’s
an environmentally friendly solution
to having to change batteries all the time.”
Kohler Canada has also introduced a Hybrid
Energy long-life battery for touchless faucets, says Donna
Church, manager of marketing and communications. “Our
Insight technology allows the battery to remain operable –
literally maintenance-free – for 30 years or more. The In-
sight touchless technology uses an extremely low amount
of power, so the Hybrid faucet does not fail or require main-
tenance, even if it’s not used regularly” – a particularly
valuable feature in commercial applications where tradition-
al touchless faucet batteries require regular replacement.
As well, responding to the shift toward touchless fau-
cets in the home, Kohler has introduced several touchless
designs in its Memoirs and Purist residential lines in the
last year. “We hear a lot from chefs about being sure to wash
your hands after handling meats – [with a touchless fau-
cet] you don’t have to touch a lever and spread germs.” They
are also ideal for families with children, says Church, as
touchless is easier for kids to use and prevents them from
leaving the water running after washing their hands or get-
ting a glass of water.
Indeed, water conservation is top of mind for most
consumers, says Natalie Hess, sales manager for Nortesco
Inc., importer of bath and shower fixtures from Europe for
local retailers. “Besides looking to get the most value for
their money, consumers are going green. They want to be as
environmentally friendly as possible.”
In response, Nortesco’s suppliers have developed two-step
faucet cartridges which give users the option of low flow or
full flow at the touch of a handle, explains Hess. “The lever
stops you half-way for low flow; for full flow you just keep
going. You can feel it half-way through.” And though it isn’t
Moen Inc.’s ioDigital shower.
9/3/10 10:38:16 AM
p.12-17Faucets.indd 14 9/3/10 10:38:20 AM
 Insight touchless faucet from Kohler Ltd.
as popular in the kitchen, it’s a growing
trend in the bathroom, says Hess.
Sustainability is by no means new,
but consumers’ and manufacturers’
commitment to eco-friendly practices
is growing. The standard flow rate
for a lavatory faucet is currently 2.2
gallons per minute and 2.5 gpm for
showerheads. The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency’s WaterSense
program (similar to the Energy Star
program) specifies a maximum water
flow of just 1.5 gpm for lavatory
faucets and 2.0 gpm for showerheads –
standards that Moen Inc. has met in
its current product lines, says Timothy
McDonough, VP, wholesale market-
ing and brand development, though
he is quick to point out that using less
water doesn’t have to feel like less
water. “The EPA has not only reduced
the water flow standard but have put
performance criteria on manufactur-
ers. You can’t just reduce the flow of
your water – whether it is on a lavatory
faucet or showerhead – you actually
have to make your product perform un-
der low water flow,” says McDonough.
“That’s really important because if you
give someone a poor shower, and they
shower longer to do the same job, you
haven’t saved water.”
But plumbing technology isn’t only
about conservation and sustainability
– it’s also about improving the expe-
rience of water. “Digital is a big deal
– it’s the way of the future. But it has
to provide a value,” says McDonough,
pointing to Moen’s new ioDigital valve
as an example of how shower valves
are going high-tech. A remote con-
trol remembers preset preferences for
water flow and temperature for mul-
tiple users, turns the shower on
remotely, and the unit will flash when
the water has reached the desired
temperature. There is no handle on the
wall inside the shower, “just a clean
interface,” says McDonough, and the
actual valve can be installed up to
eight metres away from the shower for
accessibility.
Quebec-based Aquabrass manu-
facturer has also introduced a high-
tech showerhead called Cura (from
the French “cure thermale,” meaning
FAUCETS
p.12-17Faucets.indd 15
“spa”). “It’s not just a rain head – it’s
more the idea of having a spa at home.
It not only gives you the water, but it
also gives you chromatherapy and
aromatherapy,” explains marketing
manager Gaelle Marrasse.
The chromatherapy, or colour ther-
apy, is produced by multiple LED lights
positioned on the showerhead, which
is flush to the ceiling. The user can
choose any of 16 shades or a rotation
of colours. “Let’s say you want a more
energetic shower, you might choose
red. If you want a soothing type of eve-
ning shower after a hectic day at work,
perhaps purple. Each colour has an
effect on the body,” says Marrasse. “The
colour mixes with the water – you can
see the water becoming all red or blue
– and you create a whole atmosphere
in your bathroom.” In addition, users
can choose any of three different scent
cartridges – floral, energy or relaxation
– to be diffused during their shower,
making their choice of colour, scent
and water flow from the control panel.
“The whole idea is to really capture
all our different senses,” says Marrasse,
noting that the Cura showerhead is a
response to the trend toward the grow-
ing size of residential bathrooms and
the increasing amount of time spent in
them for relaxation.
Also noting the demand for relax-
ation-inspiring bathrooms, Canadian
designer and manufacturer Rubinet
Faucets has been doing swift busi-
ness in floor-mount tub fillers. “There
are a lot of freestanding bathtubs be-
ing sold now,” says company president
Domenic Luisi, noting a shift away from
sunken tubs in favour of freestanding
models in the luxury market.
Luxury is also the premise behind
Rubinet’s recently launched Ice prod-
uct line incorporating crystal into the
handle design. Designed for both kitchen
and bath, “we’re using Swarovski crys-
tal in a very clean, contemporary way,”
says Luisi. “In a sense, most every-
thing that’s used crystal before in fau-
cets has been on the ornate side, a
more classical type of design, whereas
I think we’ve taken it and brought it to
today, and we’re using the crystal in a
minimalist, slick way.” ■
OCTOBER 2010 15
9/3/10 10:38:21 AM
p.12-17Faucets.indd 16 9/3/10 10:38:23 AM
p.12-17Faucets.indd 17 9/3/10 10:38:24 AM
p.18-21Lighting.indd 18 9/3/10 10:39:49 AM
 Bright Lights
THE LIGHTING INDUSTRY FINDS NEW WAYS
TO SATISFY BUILDERS, SPECIFIERS AND
LEED REQUIREMENTS
by Jerry Eberts
If Alexander Graham Bell was the energy drop is immediate.”
alive today and handed a smart Peter Korsos, Luxo Lamps Ltd.’s
phone, would he recognize it as the
extension of his original invention?
Now consider Thomas Edison and
his incandescent light bulb. In 12
decades, few truly significant changes
occurred. Yet we are on the verge of
using a wholly new form of electric
light – the LED or light-emitting diode
– that is just as radically changing the
world of lighting as the cell phone has
changed communication.
“This is an exciting time to be in the
lighting industry,” says Sheryl Keller,
senior manager of strategic market-
ing for Philips Lighting Canada in
Markham, Ontario. “To see an inven-
tion that is more than 120 years old fi-
nally changing is really amazing.”
Keller says the company, in fact the
entire industry, has been anticipating
the success of LEDs for several years.
The advantages of cost-savings during
the long life of an LED make the higher
price worth the investment for many.
“Compact fluorescent lights led the
charge,” says Keller, “and we have a
whole portfolio of products that feature
energy savings, which also includes
halogen, linear fluorescent ant, and
now LEDs. The growing popularity of
LEED played right into that reduction
in the carbon footprint, getting away
from the traditional lighting technolo-
gies that are less efficient.
“As well, energy-efficient, high-
intensity discharge lights [HIDs] have
been introduced. To give an example,
a popular national drug store tradition-
ally used PAR38 halogen lights to high-
light target merchandise, but changed
to Philips energy efficient Integrated
25 Watt Ceramic Metal Halide PAR38
lamps. There is no ballast required, so
it’s a direct energy-saving retrofit with-
out sacrificing light output.
“We’re seeing LEDs offer more func-
tionality for many applications,” says
Keller. “From a consumer perspective,
LED sales have been unexpectedly solid.
We have a new portfolio of LEDs every
six months; the technology changes
that much and that often. The output is
comparable to other light sources and
LIGHTING
p.18-21Lighting.indd 19
general manager for Canada at its Dor-
val, Quebec offices, says his company
focuses on health care, industrial and
office task lighting. Luxo will once
again be manufacturing products in
Quebec, something the company has
not done for several years. “Green
initiatives by governments and corpo-
rations have meant a shift in the types
of lighting people choose,” says Korsos.
“Just 10 years ago, the attitude toward
energy efficiency in Canada was ‘so
what?’ But today, people are very inter-
ested in saving energy and costs from
something as simple as lighting.
“About 70 per cent of a building’s
energy is electricity. And more than
half of that is lighting. When you see a
20- or 30-storey building that is still lit
at night, consider how much energy is being wasted. There
are options to control how lights go on and turn themselves
off. Hallway lighting, for example, can be on sensors to use
fewer foot-candles of light when the only people in the build-
ing are, say, cleaning staff.
“Europe is way ahead of us on this issue,” says Korsos,
“simply because power is so expensive. But with a little
thought and consideration of short-term cost versus the
long-term payback, planning can mean money and energy
savings. I would advise anyone planning lighting for an
office or other building to get the advice of a specialist; they
can save a company money even in the short term. And while
the population is aging and we need more light to do tasks,
consider where the light is needed. And task or cubicle light-
ing can also be put on sensors.”
An innovator in LED general lighting for industrial and
commercial projects, RUUD Lighting Canada/BetaLED of
Mississauga is a specialist manufacturer of LED, HID and
fluorescent products. Bryan Charlebois, director of tech-
nical sales, says a little thoughtful planning can save any
company a significant amount on lighting costs.
“Consider a retail parking lot,” says Charlebois. “LED light-
ing technology reduces unnecessarily high light level averages
while maintaining the same or higher minimum light levels.
We accomplish higher minimums because our LED lighting
solutions have very good optical control with exceptional
uniformity. Many HID systems suffer from poor uniformity.
Modern LED lighting offers energy savings, maintenance sav-
ings and targeted efficacy with the light going into intended
areas. LEDs are very directional compared with HID.
“There are many points to consider when purchasing or
specifying a LED luminaire,” Charlebois continues. “Edu-
cation about LEDs chip packages, luminaire thermal man-
agement, optical control, luminaire efficacy and warranty
Silvy Table lighting system from Luxo Lamp.
are important. People need a lot of education about LEDs,
what parts to look for and what parts to avoid.”
Panasonic Canada does not currently market LEDs in
Canada, but the company is one of the leaders in the compact
fluorescent market. John McKenzie, marketing manager,
enterprise product sales for the Mississauga-based electron-
ics company, says many of the CFL safety issues raised in
recent news reports can be avoided by using only high-
quality products and manufacturing methods. “Our CFLs are
extremely safe,” says McKenzie. “For example, all Panasonic
CFLs are approved for use in totally enclosed fixtures. Some
CFLs don’t have an effective method of dissipating generated
heat and therefore perform best in an open fixture.”
“From a long-term point of view, CFLs make sense,” says
Stacey Featherstone, Ontario’s regional sales manager for
Panasonic. “However, our experience is that builders are
slow to convert to CFLs in large subdivisions.”
This is surprising, considering how the public has
embraced the CFL bulbs, varieties of which can now be
found with a traditional bulb shape over the coiled light
inside. “Panasonic offers energy-efficient lamps with a life of
15,000 hours,” says McKenzie, “conserving energy and put-
ting fewer CFLs in the waste stream. There are lots of cost
savings with CFLs.” An additional safety feature of these
bulbs is that the ballast in each CFL has a cut-off circuit. If
the ballast gets too hot, the circuit shuts off the power.
Another major manufacturer of lighting products is
Osram Sylvania Ltd., a subsidiary of Siemens AG. For more
than a century, the company has introduced innovative
lighting solutions for industrial and commercial applica-
tions, as well as for homes.
“Offering the latest in lighting technology, Sylvania LED
retrofit products are high-quality replacements for conven-
tional light sources – for both commercial and consumer
OCTOBER 2010 19
9/3/10 10:39:54 AM
p.18-21Lighting.indd 20 9/3/10 10:40:00 AM
 applications,” says Laura Fuller, manager, com-
munications and marketing services. “And they
use existing socket specifications, so installation
could not be easier.
“In addition to standard LED retrofit types,
Osram Sylvania has engineered versatile and
innovative area light LED retrofit kits that provide
property owners and municipalities with an LED
retrofit alternative for existing HID luminaires.”
With a focus on environmental commitment,
LEDs is reassuring. “All the big manufacturers are Sylvania LED retrofit lamps.
now doing regulated testing,” says Boken. “We
feel we can recommend LEDs properly now that
test data has become standard.”
Another innovation for LEDs is that they are
now used for general lighting, something unheard
of just a couple of years ago. As well, there is one
advantage to the still-developing LED market.
“Almost every major manufacturer now offers a
downlight,” says Boken. “The cost is competitive

COURTESY OSRAM SYLVANIA LTD.

“Sylvania LED retrofit lamps are some of the most
environmentally friendly lamps on the market,”
says Fuller. “They are mercury-free and provide
energy savings, longer life, reliability and sustain-
ability. And the full range of ECOLOGIC lamps
have little or no lead in their glass or bases and
reduced amounts of mercury in the high-intensity
discharge and fluorescent lamp types.”
Holophane Canada Inc. manufactures a wide
range of lighting products, including many using
LEDs. The company’s street and roadway lighting
products can be both decorative and functional.
And they offer long-term cost savings. Holophane
is reportedly the company responsible for the first
light-controlling lens, way back in 1898. Accord-
ing to the company: “For a century, we’ve been
showing the most appealing architectural themes
in a new light. We design and fabricate every
components of the finished luminaire, from bal-
lasts and mountings to complete pole systems and
hardware. No matter how unusual the design, we
can make it a reality.”
Paul Boken, senior lighting designer for
Toronto’s Mulvey + Banani International Inc.,
says that the development of testing standards for
when compared to regular downlights, especially
with dimming – always a bit expensive with other
systems. But LEDs typically dim without extras.
“Compact fluorescents are still the bread and
butter on most projects,” he says. “But we are
specifying LED downlights more frequently,
especially when dimming is involved, or on LEED
projects with strict energy goals.”
Rex Dimaano, electrical project leader for
Hemisphere Engineering Inc., says that while
fluorescents are still a major option for commer-
cial, office and residential space, over the next five
years LEDs will become an ever-greater factor in
the lighting industry. “Prices will come down,”
says Dimaano. “They have already dropped dra-
matically over the last three to five years.”
Interestingly, he says an almost-forgotten
technology is making a comeback: induction
lighting. He describes it as occupying a space
between the low-cost fluorescents and the
higher-cost LEDs. “Some people are looking at
induction lighting because the prices are not as
high as LEDs, but also because the life-span is
longer,” says Dimaano. “Today, induction light-
ing is competitive.”
The disadvantage of induction products is
their bulk, but if the space being lit is a warehouse or simi-
lar structure, induction is worth considering. Dimaano
describes the induction lights as being “like fluorescent
lamps that have been on steroids. Induction is a 20-year-
old technology that offers double the life of an LED, yet
costs less. There are several businesses that have done
retrofits to induction.”
Another possibility for lighting in the near future is OLED,
short for organic light-emitting diode. Used for television
and computer monitors, as well as the tiny screens in per-
sonal digital assistants, Dimaano says that “architecturally,
it would be amazing to see OLEDs being used for lighting.
“They could be used in a space-limited area or in accent
areas,” he says. “The profile of these OLEDs is so thin that
they are used in cell phones. The major drawback right now
is the price.” ■

Providing businesses complete solutions

to their lighting needs for over 28 years.
Visit our online catalogues
1119 Cliveden Avenue, Delta, BC V3M 6G9
Tel: 604-525-5549 Fax: 604-525-4496

www.brite-lite.com

Brite-Lite Inc.indd 1 9/29/09 11:38:10 AM

LIGHTING OCTOBER 2010 21

p.18-21Lighting.indd 21 9/3/10 10:40:01 AM

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p.22-23Elevators.indd 22 9/3/10 10:41:00 AM

 Give Us a Lift
THE ELEVATOR, ESCALATOR AND LIFT SYSTEMS
SECTOR SHOWS NO SIGNS OF SLOWING DOWN
by Robin Brunet
Diversification of product, geographical reach,
new market development – these are some of
the ingredients that have helped the elevator sector
grow steadily in 2010. Schindler Group is a good
example: although it’s famous for providing elevator
and escalator systems for all environments, it’s also
become a leader in supplying lifts for cruise liners.
ThyssenKrupp Elevator, meanwhile, not only
expanded its geographical reach into Canada but
achieved rapid growth during its first five years here
by being the only major elevator company to own and
operate manufacturing and R&D facilities in Canada.
The company now dominates the new construction
market with nearly 60 per cent of new installations.
Elevator providers make great efforts to meet
energy efficiency and LEED standards. For example,
depending on the project, Schindler equips its elevators
with the hall-call destination system Miconic 10, which
groups passengers according to destination, thereby
cutting journey times and reducing journeys. At Delta
Elevator Co. Ltd., machine room-less (MRL) elevators
eliminate the need for space-wasting machine
rooms and boost energy efficiency via counterweight
configurations – a good choice for LEED points.
Bramalea Elevator Ltd., which expanded its
Brampton design office and manufacturing facility,
is building upon its status as a pioneer of material
lifts and freight elevators by setting its sights on a
new market: automobile elevators for condominiums.
Bramalea sales manager Puneet Mehta explains, “In
Toronto, there is growing demand from mixed-use
condominium developers and architects for automobile
elevators instead of car ramps in order to save valuable
real estate space. The elevators are about 10 feet wide
by 20 feet long and seven feet high, and are ideal for
urban sites with limited footprints.”
In B.C., Bramalea installed an automobile elevator
for a new multi-level ice rink complex in Fort St. John.
“It has a payload of 12,000 pounds and is used to
transport Zamboni ice resurfacers from one level to
the next,” says Mehta, who describes business as “very
good. Bramalea is booked until next March and we hope
to achieve a five to 10 per cent growth this year.”
A new research facility in Hamilton and a major
new parking garage in Kitchener are just two of many
projects that have occupied Delta of late. EllisDon
Corp. selected the company to supply lifts for the
Canmet research facility, which is the cornerstone of
McMaster University Innovation Park Melloul-Blamey
Construction Inc. chose Delta to supply the elevators
for the City of Kitchener’s 500-space parking facility,
which contains street-level retail space and whose
design incorporates warehouse elements.
Delta’s MRL elevators continue to be sought by
green-minded developers and architects. However,
ELEVATORS
p.22-23Elevators.indd 23
they are also valued for superior
performance and higher rates of
travel than hydraulic elevators,
thanks to the MRL’s top-of-shaft
machine and under-slung car
configuration, coupled with the
Delta DMPC controller (resulting in
speeds of 0.75m/s to 1.75 m/s).
Schindler Group, which in Canada
is busy with institutional work and
the shopping centre upgrade sector,
also dominates offshore markets.
It is supplying 109 elevators,
escalators and moving walks for
the Costanera Center, a major
urban development in Santiago,
Chile, in a contract worth about
$40 million USD. The company is
already supplying 86 escalators and
moving walks for the project under a
separate agreement signed in 2008.
The Center will contain a multi-
storey mall and four office towers,
one of which will be the tallest in
South America at 300 metres. It
will be equipped with 24 elevators,
including 19 with two decks, which
serve two floors at the same time
and can travel up to seven metres
per second. They will be controlled
by the Schindler ID management
and access-control system.
ThyssenKrupp Elevator recently
completed 88 installations for the
first high-speed rail route in South
Africa, which became operational
in time for the 2010 Soccer World
Cup. ThyssenKrupp was already a
supplier to the Gautrain rail project,
whose vehicles can travel up to 160
kilometres per hour; the elevators
minimize platform and exit access
time. The company will also be
involved in the construction of
another route extending to Pretoria,
which will require 24 escalators
and 27 elevators for a further five
stations. Like its competitors,
ThyssenKrupp’s technological
expertise results in energy efficient
systems. Most of its elevators for
the new headquarters of Deutsche
Börse in Eschborn, Germany are
fitted with regenerative drives
whereby the energy generated
Panoramic TWINS in ThyssenKrupp’s new corporate
headquarters Q1 building, Essen, Germany.
when braking the cabs is converted into electricity
and fed back to the power supply system. This lowers
energy consumption by more than 30 per cent and
reduces emissions.
Since its first job in Canada installing seven gearless
elevators, 10 escalators and two hydraulic elevators for
the Vancouver Public Library in 1993, Fujitec Canada
Inc. has established a reputation not only for handling
large-scale undertakings, but for the quality of the lifts
themselves. The technology comes at a price, but as
Fujitec Canada manager John Egan points out, “higher-
end systems that achieve greater operational efficiency
and performance don’t need to be replaced every 15
years, so the long-term savings can be substantial.”
While these higher-end systems are frequently used
in commercial applications, developers continue to
recognize the value of Fujitec’s equipment for highrise
residences such as Shangri-La in Vancouver, Arriva in
Calgary, and the upcoming L Tower project in Toronto.
As a global leader in the manufacture, installation,
modernization and service of vertical transportation
systems, Fujitec produces the most advanced products.
Building on the industry-endorsed Millennium control
base, Fujitec’s new Viridian control system now brings
the latest enhancements in performance and energy
efficiency to the marketplace.
The Viridian Next Generation Millennium control
system is at the heart of Fujitec’s new Viridian MRL
product. Across the application range of capacities of
up to 5,000 pounds and speeds of up to 500 feet per
minute, the Viridian MRL permanent magnet gearless
motor minimizes energy consumption when compared
to traditional elevator systems. Fujitec’s new Viridian
PMGL permanent magnet gearless system offers
energy savings of up to 30 per cent when compared
to traditional geared applications and up to 10 per
cent when compared with induction-type AC gearless
designs. ■
OCTOBER 2010 23
9/3/10 10:41:02 AM
Northwest Landscape.indd 1 5/7/08 4:08:08 PM

p.24-25decorative laminates.indd 24 9/3/10 10:42:25 AM

 The definition of “in” for decorative
laminates this fall is colour and texture
– available in a range of choices in 2010. From
simple, soft colours and design to bold and exotic
tactile surfaces, there is a product for all levels of
residential, commercial and institutional clients.
Abet Laminati, a leading manufacturer of high-
pressure laminates offers the largest collection of
plastic laminates in the world. “We have more solid
colours, more wood grains, more patterns, and more
finishes than any other company worldwide,” says
Tony Damiano, president. “Our latest line, Serigrafia,
is a prime example of the unique products available
to our customers.” Serigrafia’s 16 new patterns –
created by designer Paola Navone and produced by
Abets special silk-screening techniques – emulate
exotic fabrics. These laminates have a Longline finish
– a slightly raised surface texture of vertical lines.
In addition to wall covering, the laminate can be
used on furniture or any application that does not
require a horizontal surface. When combined with the
existing Serigrafia line of 21 designs, the new silk-
screened patterns bring the number of choices to 37.
Each sheet of postforming Serigrafia is individually
silk-screened and measures 51 inches by 120 inches.
Damiano says none of the Abet Laminati solid
colours have a Pantone colour value number, which
ultimately gives specifiers another avenue to get
exactly the tone they are looking for. “Our success
rests on the ability to bring to market products that
cannot be found elsewhere. We are also the only
manufacturer of high-pressure plastic laminates that
offers a 100 per cent recycled surfacing material.”
Wilsonart International’s Go Straight laminate
collection takes classic solids and gives them new
life with premium finishes: 01-Gloss and 18-Linearity.
“Sometimes the simplest solutions are also the best,”
says Gwen Petter, Wilsonart director of surface
design. “If you take basic black and white, or primary
colours like red and blue and put an interesting
texture on them – such as stippled paint, textured
weaves, or candy apple gloss – you have a whole
new use for colour.” These finishes reflect the look
of an oriental cabinet in high-gloss lacquer and the
appeal of a painted wood surface or striated fabric,
she says. “The opportunity to tease the eye with high
performance laminates is limitless.”
Another option from the Wilsonart Contract
Laminate is the Go Wavy series. Designed to
coordinate with sheet flooring used in education
and health-care facilities, Go Wavy uses paint and
textiles for upholstery and cubicle curtains — a
specific request from designers interviewed in
developmental focus groups. The series, which
takes its inspiration from the hues found in Farmers
Markets and gardens, offers seven colours including
Pomegranate, Eggplant, Tangerine, Sweet Corn,
Sprout, Blue Agave and Kiwi. “In addition to these
colour choices with a local fl avour, global influence
commands market attention with the full colour
spectrum in play,” says Petter.
Roseburg Forest Products recently announced an
exclusive supply agreement with California Closets
for the manufacture and distribution of Duramine
thermally fused melamine panels. These will be used
in California Closets’ Lago® collection for its West
Coast territory in the United States and Canada. “The
Lago® collection profiles Italian finishes comprised
of six colour and texture paper designs,” says Rick
Troxel, product manager, marketing department.
“Lago’s unique grain texture and colours provide the
DECORATIVE LAMINATES
p.24-25decorative laminates.indd 25
Decorative Laminates 2010
PRODUCT LINES THAT OFFER BEAUTY AND
PRACTICALITY ARE THIS YEAR’S STANDARD
by Laurie Jones
look, texture and quality of real wood veneer. This
new agreement is in line with both companies’ vision
of setting the standard for our respective industries
with extraordinary product offerings, exceptional
quality and design expertise.”
Roseburg has also worked with other companies
to provide a complete package for designers and
contractors. Multiple components such as Duramine®
decorative melamine, high-pressure laminate, rigid
thermal foil and five-piece doors, edge banding and
mouldings or other complementary accessories can
all be accessed to produce a one-of-a-kind result.
“With our Duramine® Designed-To-Match System,
woodgrains are sharper and more realistic-looking
thanks to an advanced paper printing process that
creates the industry’s best-looking colours and
patterns,” says Troxel.
Since 1913, Formica has been producing state-of-
the art laminate products. The company opened 2010
with the introduction of its Commercial High Pressure
Laminate (HPL). Formica’s new collection is focused
on three key drivers: design and style trends, global
accessibility and coordination. “Our 2010 Commercial
High Pressure Laminate launch focuses on current
style drivers and influencers, while being conscious
of usability and longevity in these economic times,”
says Gerri Chmiel, senior design manager. “Patterns
in the 2010 HPL collection were developed with a
Colorbox concept where solid colours coordinate with
patterns and together, harmonize with woodgrains.”
She says patterns and solid colours that have the
same colour names are Colorbox Coordinates and
bring new depth to the HPL offering. In this collection
is a new dimension of complex solid colors and the
addition of MicroDot, Sculpted and Matte finishes for
originality and exclusivity.
Flakeboard Inc. has launched its Linea Series for
2010, which promises new choices for designers and
contractors. “The Linea Series uses the Tamarack/
Formica Corporation’s 180fx
collection in Dark Chocolate.
Larch, which is a North American
native product,” says Cathy
Barrett, design manager. “It has a
straight grain, lending itself to an
emphasis on texture and a range
of colours from light to medium
brown earth tones, including
Fawn, Ecru and Sorrel. The Linea
Series will add a contemporary,
sophisticated look to any project.”
Also new for 2010 at Flakeboard
is the Bridge Series. The subtle
planks draw the eye from tick
detail areas of soft grain while
maintaining colour consistency.
“We’ve introduced the Bridge
Series in a vintage cream:
Milltown Oak; a mocha cinnamon:
Ambassador Oak; and a charcoal
blend: Queenston Oak,” says
Barrett. “This rift cut design will
update traditional oak looks in any
installation.” ■
Fiore Pop from
Abet Laminati’s
Serigrafia line.
9/3/10 10:42:29 AM
p.26-29Ceramic Tile.indd 26 9/3/10 10:44:10 AM
 From Naxos Tile – Anemone Noir tile strips.
ON THE LEVEL
Getting down to the nitty gritty of tile and its installation
by Sonu Purhar
As if homeowners aren’t
faced with enough decisions
when it comes to decorating or
renovating their homes, it’s time
to add something new to the
lists: ceramic tiling. No longer
a no-frills flooring option, tile
manufacture has exploded in
recent years, with enterprising
companies introducing new
designs and materials, along with
innovations in underlayment,
grouts and other preparatory
accoutrements needed to ensure
a solid foundation. These days, a
subtle change in tiling is all that’s
required to dramatically alter the
look of a home or institution.
Because ceramic is rigid and
brittle, installation requires a
solid foundation to prevent cracks
or loosening. Underlayments,
adhesives and grouts all provide
a sturdy base that anchors tiles
and ensures durability and
longevity. Though wading through
the hundreds of options may
seem daunting, homeowners
TILE
p.26-29Ceramic Tile.indd 27
and professionals can benefit
from speaking with experts at
companies that specialize in tile
manufacture and installation.
“Ceramic tile doesn’t have to
be scary material,” says Dave
Hamilton, director of sales,
MAPEI Inc. “There are a lot of
experienced professionals in this
business who are available and
willing to help.”
Hamilton should know: his
company has more than 70 years’
experience in manufacturing
underlayments, grouts and
preparation products for tile
and stone materials. And that
means MAPEI professionals are
well-versed in current trends.
“Large-format tiles are especially
popular,” notes Hamilton – but
keep in mind that as tile size
extends beyond 12-by-12-inch,
special requirements need to be
addressed. Floor applications,
for example, need to rest on a
fl at-as-a-pancake base to avoid
lippage, which occurs when the
tile edges are misaligned; this
not only leads to cracks in the
material but can also create a
safety hazard if people trip over
the uneven surface. Self-levelling
underlayments can prevent this;
most come pre-mixed and ready-
to-pour, which make them a good
option for do-it-yourselfers.
MAPEI’s latest mortar products
make installation even easier. In
order to create vertical designs,
for example, traditional mortars
were mixed to a stiff, hard-to-
manage consistency, and required
support from string lines or
shims – but, says Hamilton, that’s
all changed. “Today’s technology
of admixtures allows us to hold
and position tile and stone up
to 15 pounds per square foot,”
he explains. “And that’s without
having to mix to an unworkable
consistency.” These admixtures
can be found in MAPEI’s Ultraflex
LFT, Ultralit and Adesilex P10.
Ease of application is also the
driving force behind Schluter-
Systems’ newest underlayment
product, the KERDI-BOARD. The
waterproof covering acts as a
substrate and building panel, and
can be used with tiles ranging
from mosaics to large-format
size. “This board system gives
builders more control by helping
them to more quickly and easily
create ideal substrates for tiles,”
notes Dale Kempster, technical
director, Schluter-Systems.
Specifically, “it creates a fl at, level
surface with precise corners,
which is immediately ready for
tile.” The versatile product, made
of a polystyrene foam core with
reinforcement layers and fleece
webbing, can be applied to any wall
surface; alternatively, builders can
use it to construct free-standing
structures like tub decks and
vanities. And because gridlines
are printed on the surface,
professionals and homeowners
alike can achieve clean, precise
cuts every time.
Schluter-Systems combines
OCTOBER 2010 27
9/3/10 10:44:19 AM
p.26-29Ceramic Tile.indd 28 9/3/10 10:44:28 AM
 state-of-the-art products with
user-friendly installation,
a principle embodied by its
latest offering, Schluter House
(schluterhouse.com). The
interactive website provides a
refresher (or, for newbies, an
introduction) to all aspects of tile
installation, and enables users
to try out different combinations
of tiles and profiles before
committing to a real-life design.
That bevy of information is
essential, especially since details
like proper waterproofing and
the need for movement joints can
make all the difference to the
finished product. “Choosing an
appropriate installation method is
just as important as selecting the
right tiles,” Kempster points out.
“After all, even the most beautiful,
high-end materials won’t look
good if they’re poorly installed.”
Though underlayments
receive much of the attention
when it comes to tile installation,
homeowners shouldn’t forget
about the critical last step: grout
application. Used to fill the spaces
between tiles and provide an
additional layer of support, grouts
should be durable, consistent
and, particularly if used in
kitchens, bathrooms or pool areas,
TILE
p.26-29Ceramic Tile.indd 29
waterproof. Garett Shandler,
national sales and marketing
manager, Custom Building
Products Canada, recommends
Polyblend Grout. “This product
provides colour consistency, fast
setting time and easy clean-up,” he
explains. “And it’s available in both
sanded and non-sanded versions.”
(Non-sanded grout works best
with ceramic and other materials
that can be easily damaged.)
Custom Building Products isn’t
all about grout. For more than 50
years the company has offered
professional-grade products and
services for a range of projects
involving tile and stone. Its latest
developments have focused on
making the installation process
as smooth as possible. “We’ve
recently come out with a complete
line of lightweight products Palace Stone from Versace.
that enable professionals to
work smarter, faster and more LEED certification,” Shandler adds. that the people selling or installing
profitably,” says Shandler. The line Finally, he cautions that choosing your materials are knowledgeable,
consists of formulas made with the right surface protection is professional and, most of all,
CustomLite technology, including critical. “Stains can ruin your tile back their products with a good
Prism, SureColor Grout and design,” he warns. “The right warranty,” advises Hamilton.
MegaLite Crack Prevention Mortar sealant protects tile surfaces and Kempster agrees: “Pick products
– all of which are up to 40 per cent makes everyday clean-up easier.” from a company that offers a lot
lighter than equivalent market Custom Building Products offers of support,” he suggests. “When
formulas. And as a bonus, “many a line of sealers, enhancers and done properly and with the right
of these also contained recycled cleaners for all types of tiles. materials, tile installations can
materials, which qualifies them for “You should always make sure last a long time.” ■
N ITE
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Star Tile.indd 1 3/16/10 7:38:44 AM
Do you have a project
of interest to our readers? If you would like your project to be considered
for a future issue of Award, please email:
Dan Chapman, Publisher
dchapman@canadawide.com
OCTOBER 2010 29
9/3/10 10:44:33 AM
 NIAGARA PROTECTIVE COATINGS
Distinctive Finishes For Distinctive Buildings

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p.30-31Ads.indd 30 9/3/10 10:45:37 AM

p.30-31Ads.indd 31 9/3/10 10:45:47 AM
 All Systems Go
WITH NEW TECHNOLOGIES, THE CURTAIN WALL AND WINDOW WALL SECTORS ARE
SOLIDIFYING THEIR NICHES
by Godfrey Budd
The niche positions of both window and curtain low-E glazing. Many projects we’ve ten-
wall systems have evolved over the years, and dered in the last year have been LEED,
can today be said to occupy niches in a handful of main
areas. Curtain wall is often favoured in commercial office
towers, government buildings, universities, storefronts,
and, in Canada, the south-facing sides of upscale single-
family homes. Window wall, in recent years, has been a
popular option for residential condo tower developers.
A slowdown in Canada’s housing market could perhaps
put the brakes on growth in the window wall sector in the
near term, given its niche, however. But curtain wall’s out-
look might be rosier, partly because of potentially growing
demand for retrofits. Quite a few aging curtain wall build-
ings in Canada and the U.S. could use a retrofit. With the
concerns around energy efficiency and greenhouse gases,
Greg Clarahan, president and CEO of Visionwall Solutions
Inc., believes his company is well-positioned to take advan-
tage of this potential growth. “Our niche in the market is
energy efficient curtain and window wall systems, and we
are seeing a trend in improving curtain wall. Quite a few
projects we’ve done are LEED certified,” he says.
Two examples he points to are Calgary’s Water Centre,
which has a large south-facing expanse of glass curtain
wall, and a half-century-old building in Edmonton, now
the Intact Insurance Building, which underwent a LEED -
Gold-certified makeover with a new curtain wall envelope.
Another project that marks a trend of improving the thermal
envelope of existing buildings is the new corporate head-
quarters for Servus Credit Union. The new occupant of the
building, says Clarahan, “wanted to upgrade the insulation
and make it more energy efficient. We were able to improve
the R factor by a factor of four in the window area.”
The company’s window, curtain wall and sloped glazing
systems are available in two basic configurations – three-
element and four-element glazing units. The latter is for
harsher climates and includes two clear films internally
suspended between panes of glass to create three insulating
spaces. “Our product line is about achieving good enough
insulating values so you don’t need a baseboard heating sys-
tem,” says Clarahan, referring to a recent building retrofit
that included eliminating an old system of this kind.
Visionwall has done projects across Canada, the U.S. and
overseas. Some of these give a sense of emerging trends. A
six-storey office building in Yellowknife, for instance, in-
cluded photovoltaics in its curtain wall system. “Although
LISA LOGAN ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY
daylight hours are short, the light was better than expected
because of light reflected off the snow cover. In summer,
there’s a lot of light. The system has outperformed its design
objectives,” says Clarahan.
Demand for LEED standards and issues around thermal
performance are also playing a role in driving activity for
firms like Inland Glass & Aluminum Ltd. The firm man-
ufactures curtain wall systems and provides installation
services. “The thermal performance of curtain wall has im-
proved in recent years and we’re seeing more demand for
32 OCTOBER 2010
p.32-33Curtain Wall.indd 32
including Gold. They’ve been mostly
institutional projects. The commercial
side has dropped off everywhere,” says
Gary Lawrence, a partner in the firm.
Recent projects for Inland have
included the Vancouver Convention
Centre and two LEED-Gold projects,
the Banff Learning Centre and the
Edmonton North Clinic. The firm’s
high-performance curtain wall unit-
ized system benefits from the fact
that, “Everything is manufactured
indoors. There are stringent design
requirements for its thermal capacity.
Outside, it could be minus 40 Celsius,
while inside it’s plus 20,” he says.
Inland is supplying a high-perfor-
mance unitized curtain wall system to
Calgary’s Bow Valley College expan-
sion project. Aluminum Curtainwall
Systems Inc. is Inland’s manufacturing
arm and includes a design and draft-
ing division.
The design and quality attributes of
curtain and window wall systems are
key components of the total package,
Engineering V Building – University
of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario.
Ceramic frit applied to glass
curtain wall in a diamond-shaped
pattern. Photos courtesy Shore
Tilbe Perkins + Will.
and Delta-based Euroline Windows Inc. brands itself with
this phrase on its website: ‘European technology, made
in North America.’ Its Polytec 50 curtain wall system was
developed in Germany, and, unlike many curtain wall sys-
tems, uses a steel internal structure, not an aluminum one.
The steel is encased in uPVC. The strength of steel means
that the system’s mullions and transoms have a narrow, 50-
millimetre sight line. “Frames have a small profile, and not
bulky. There’s not much frame to see,” says Isbrand Funk,
president of Euroline. “The lower profile appeals to clients.”
He notes another advantage of steel: lower thermal con-
ductivity. Rehau’s Polytec 50 PHZ is one of the first curtain
wall systems certified for net-zero houses by Germany’s
Passive House Institute. “Frames for the Polytec system can
accommodate any amount or type of glass,” says Funk.
Ted Redlarski, president of Noram Glass, also extols
the thermal properties of steel over aluminum. Besides its
greater strength, he says, “Steel has three times less con-
ductivity than aluminum in terms of thermal breaks.”
There are other new materials used for curtain wall
today, he says, citing the recent use of ceramic fritted glass
on a project. “It can improve the shading efficiency of the
glass,” he says. It can encompass a range of designs, only
limited by a designer’s skill and imagination. The process of
ceramic fritting can permanently embed a design into the
glass using a chemically and mechanically stable enamel
baking process. “Frit can be lines, dots, whatever can be
printed. It cuts heat and light entering the building, and cuts
the glare. It can also cut your bill for air-conditioning.”
Another innovation that Redlarski notes is photochro-
mic glass. The California Energy Commission’s consumer
web site says that windows made from this type of glass,
which changes in response to light, much as some sun-
glasses darken when exposed to bright sunlight, says that
the technology for windows is still under development. But
Redlarski says that some buildings in Europe are already
using this kind of window. “A project in the U.K. was re-
cently done this way,” he says. He also expects transparent
photovoltaic technologies to emerge soon, along with more
widespread use of unitized curtain wall systems.
If not because of esthetics, innovations, new
products and slightly tweaked additions to ex-
isting product lines are emerging, as often as not, because of
their better thermal performance. “Almost everything now
is being energy-efficiency driven. The future will see a lot of
demand for triple glazing, and ways of reducing heat loss.
Clients are now looking for U values of 0.35 or better,” says
Jim Lebedovich, general manager at Phoenix Glass Inc.
Two new products are a case in point. The i500 is a new
window wall system with a U value of 0.35, which exceeds
requirements for 2011 under the BC Energy Efficiency Act.
Also being rolled out is the company’s i625, a new curtain
wall system with improved thermal performance. LEED
standards and demand for larger modules also factored
CURTAIN WALL/WINDOW WALL
9/3/10 10:46:47 AM
 into the development of these new products.
In the continuing quest for better thermal performance,
companies are tackling the issue of thermal bridging in
various ways. United States Aluminum has used a pour and
de-bridge thermal pocket to reduce thermal transmittance
through the metal for a new version of its 3250 series cur-
tain wall line. “The glass is deeper with panes further apart.
A polyurethane polymer is injected into the space between
two sections of aluminum that hold the glass. The poly strip
runs all round the window. When using a triple glaze, an
extra thermal break is added,” says Gary Taylor, a market-
ing manager with the company.
There’s an impressive difference in thermal performance
between the new and earlier versions of the 3250 series.
“The old 3250 had a U value of 0.30, while the new 3253,
with low-E triple-glaze, and double-pour and de-bridge
thermal strip, is the new product. It has a thermal value
of the 0.18,” says Taylor. Other products, like the BT601, a
thermal storefront system, bridge a gap between blast miti-
gation and hurricane-resistant systems.
Although blast mitigation and hurricane resistance are
less a priority in Canada, strength is still an issue. Depend-
ing on the application, thicker glass and the use of lami-
nates can add strength to curtain wall, says Jim Larkin, a
marketing representative for Eco-Insulating Glass.
Today’s window wall systems are now sufficiently robust
to successfully contend with rain in B.C. and temperature
extremes in Alberta and elsewhere. Window wall systems
at Architectural Windows and Doors can achieve a B7 win-
dow load, says Jim Rogalsky, a project coordinator with the
company. “That’s good enough for a hurricane,” he says.
They can also achieve the sleek, streamlined look of cur-
tain wall, when required. “With window wall, we can give
the same look as curtain wall with a section of spandrel that
passes by the slab,” says Rogalsky.
Commercial Institutional
Bow Valley College,
Calgary, AB
Southland Park, Calgary, AB
Inland Glass & Aluminium Ltd.
Contact: Gary Lawrence, Pre-Construction Services Manager
1820 Kryczka Place, Kamloops, BC V1S 1S4 250-374-7306 www.inlandglass.ca
CURTAIN WALL/WINDOW WALL
p.32-33Curtain Wall.indd 33
Although curtain wall might have
the edge on window wall with respect to
air penetration, he says the difference is
slight. The company uses the services of
a third-party envelope consultant, and,
says Rogalsky, “If the installers follow
specs and shop drawings, the panelized
system’s mullion connections are a good
barrier to air and water penetration.”
Pointing to several condo projects
nearing completion, he says, “Window
wall has become popular in Calgary
over the last five years. It keeps costs
down but offers the same look as cur-
tain wall.” Instead of debating which
is better – curtain wall, window wall,
or punched window systems – the at-
titude today seems focused on which
system is best overall for the applica-
tion at hand. “Some buildings have
some part curtain wall and some part
punched windows. Window wall is big
in condos as curtain wall is more ex-
pensive. Curtain wall is more common
in office towers. When people ask for
window or curtain wall, we refer them
to our sister company, Phoenix,” says
Gary Porter, sales and marketing man-
ager at Allied Windows and Doors.
Recent projects that Durabuilt Win-
dows and Doors has supplied product
for also bear the stamp of the mix-
and-match approach. The company
has branched into the window wall,
says Harry Ramchandari, engineer
Residential
For over 35 years, our
dedicated team has provided
expert glazing installation
to the North American
construction industry.
Combining the experience and
technology to exceed our
clients expectations –
Every project…
Every time…
manager at Durabuilt. The company has recently provided
window wall systems for condo projects in Edmonton and
Calgary. Two projects, Omega in Edmonton and London at
Heritage Station in Calgary, include sections of punched-in
windows and window wall in their envelopes.
Ramchandari says that besides the price advantage, win-
dow wall’s look comes close to matching that of curtain wall
– “with a 20-inch section of spandrel at the slab. Spandrel
is at the top and bottom of the window. It’s a cost-effective
way to get the esthetics you’re looking for.”
Window wall companies are taking steps to
ensure that the price advantage is backed by a
quality product. Starline Windows, which has been mak-
ing and supplying window and door products for 40 years,
launched Starline Architectural Windows Ltd. in 2002 to
focus on the highrise residential market. Its 9000 series
window wall system includes a range of accessory prod-
ucts like louvres for kitchen exhaust and fireplace vents
and dampers. Peter Kuschnir, Starline’s technical manager,
points to some key practices to ensure both ease and qual-
ity of on-site installation. First, whenever possible, systems
are designed so individual units don’t weigh much more
than 250 pounds. “We supply and install for the 900 series.
We have our employees do the installation, as they have our
training and back-up. For a good product, the installation
process and the proper on-site joining of mullions is criti-
cal. Before that, we do random water testing on windows in
the factory to ensure they are sealed,” says Kuschnir.
Other trends are likely on the horizon, says Steven Mur-
ray, managing partner at the Burlington office of Morrison
Hershfield Limited, an engineering consulting firm. Along
with more photovoltaics, wood frames could be used for
curtain wall and window wall systems due to their lower
carbon footprint and better insulating properties. ■
Retail
Edmonton Clinic North, Edmonton, AB
Vancouver Convention Centre,
Vancouver, BC
OCTOBER 2010 33
9/3/10 10:46:52 AM
p.34-37Iqaluit_Contract.indd 34 9/3/10 10:48:01 AM
 F or the architects of the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police head-
quarters in Iqaluit, Nunavut,
construction of what would become an
icon in the northern capital meant work-
ing through a labyrinth of logistics, tight
schedules and exorbitant expenses.
When Peter Bull of the Edmonton-
based IBI Group Engineers and Archi-
tects, and Rodney Kirkwood of FSC
Architects and Engineers (Yellow-
knife, Iqaluit, Whitehorse) presented
a proposal for a 37,000-square-foot,
$23-million building, they knew it
PHOTOS COURTESY IBI GROUP ARCHITECTS ENGINEERS

had to satisfy the challenges that come

with Nunavut’s inhospitable climate
and geography.
The development had to be con-
structed to a level of security that meets
the standards of the Departmental
Security branch of the RCMP while
presenting a building that welcomes
the community. They had to respect
budget objectives while providing a
large, open space in a region where
the shipping of materials is costly.
And they had to complete it in time to
satisfy a community that considered
the headquarters long overdue. All this
had to be done despite the complicated
Iqaluit Detachment/Nunavut
timetables inherent in building during
the Arctic spring.
For decades, RCMP members
Operations Support Building
worked in three separate buildings
by Mary Frances Hill
that were built in the 1950s and 1970s. “The official opening of the Iqaluit Detachment/Nunavut were inspired by ice forms and snow packs. The interior
The physical separation took its toll Operations Support Building signifies a new and promising is crafted mostly of wood, steel and glass, with zinc and
in communication and maintenance chapter in the future of RCMP policing operations in Nu- laminated wood, as well as metal frames and cladding on
cost, says Randy Komhyr, project navut,” says Commanding Officer, Chief Superintendent the exterior.
manager with the RCMP who special- Steve McVarnock of the RCMP “V” Division. “Since Nunavut It was a long time coming, and challenges came from
izes in overseeing building projects in became its own Territory on April 1st, 1999, the demands every angle. Foremost among them was the challenge
the northwest region, including Mani- placed on ‘V’ Division RCMP in providing policing services to of heating the building economically while keeping the
toba and Nunavut. Nunavummiut have increased considerably. The RCMP has building at grade. A solution to the heating problem was
Komhyr had to balance changing ex- been very committed and engaged in meeting the current found in a thermosyphon system – a passive refrigeration
pectations and needs among the RCMP, service delivery needs of its ever-growing 32,000 perma- system that draws heat from the ground via a network of
the community and the contractors. nent residents. Now, 71 RCMP Iqaluit employees have been underground pipes, acting through a passive heat exchange
“Nothing is easy with the government, re-united and housed in a new state-of-the-art location. Our process. “This is the largest building we’ve ever done
so budgets change and requirements new building has not only increased the benefits of working using a thermosyphon system,” Kirkwood says. “Most of
change and needs change. It took [sev- all together, but has effectively enhanced our information- the energy consumption comes from pre-heating the air
en years] but what we got at the end of sharing in a vastly coordinated and timely manner.” when it comes in at 40 degrees below zero.”
the day is if not one of the nicest build- Today, the fi rst phase of the Iqaluit Detachment/ It cost five per cent of the entire budget to install the
ings, then the nicest building in the Nunavut Operations Support Building includes regional thermosyphon system. “It’s not the cheapest way of doing
Arctic.” offices, various crime and enforcement units, OCC, infor- it, but in our view it’s ridiculously expensive when you look
matics, forensics and a vehicle exam bay. It has amalgamat- at heating crawlspaces for years on end.”
ed detachment areas, a detention cell block and garage bays. RCMP members need to respond to the community’s
Finally, Phase 2 will include a combined mess and a regional needs with a large, welcoming space. At the same time,
training centre housing a firing range, locker and exercise vehicles need to move in and out with ease, and securely.
facilities dormitories, classrooms and simulator facilities. Most buildings in Iqaluit are subject to permafrost condi-
The esthetics of the interior design came about with tions that force them to be lifted on piles with their flooring
great input from the community, particularly Inuit elders, far from the ground, so as to not disturb the sensitive per-
say Bull and Kirkwood. More than seven years ago, stake- mafrost. (They are literally placed above raised crawlspaces
holders in the project met with planners and RCMP mem- that contain heating systems with drainage piping and other
bers. “During that session, a lot of our ideas were pared services that work to warm the buildings from below.)
down. One of the elders wanted us to do a building that was Raising the building off the ground would have brought
an expression of the environment they lived in – without the building’s look in line with the rest of the community,
over-designing it to look like an igloo,” Bull recalls. but would have made it difficult to use.
The elders’ vision took hold. When it opened on May 31, Another challenge lay in meeting the high price of
Nunavut residents were treated to an iconic building that acquiring the right materials. Faced with the enormous
reflected in its architecture the dense drifts and waves that costs of shipping equipment and materials by sea, build-
are part of everyday Arctic views. The building’s interiors ers decided to use the containers that carried construction
and exteriors both include bulkheads formed out of the equipment to enhance the ecological – and economic –
imagery of snow waves; handrails and simple wood designs bottom line. Once emptied, the sea-containers would have

OCTOBER 2010 35

p.34-37Iqaluit_Contract.indd 35 9/3/10 10:48:02 AM

 been shipped back, empty, to Montreal. But Kirkwood and a beacon attracting future RCMP
his team decided to use the containers to ship back con- employees who will strive to provide
struction waste. “The containers ended up being a good public safety to the Nunavummiut we
way to sort the various waste materials, such as metals, respectfully serve and protect.” ■
wood and cardboard, in a place that has almost no recy-
cling,” says Kirkwood, who adds that he hopes to use that
initiative to gain a LEED ID credit for the project. LOCATION
In terms of heating and insulation, every detail was Iqaluit, Nunavut
considered for its effectiveness and shipping cost. “Spray
OWNER
insulation in this case helped with not only insulation, but Royal Canadian Mounted Police
cut down on shipping costs,” says Kirkwood. “The costs of
shipping are a function of volume and weight, so if you use DEVELOPER
Public Works & Government Services
rigid or semi-rigid insulation, it would take up more space Canada
on the barge than the lighter spray insulation.”
Another one of the biggest hurdles, says Bull, was getting ARCHITECT
FSC Architects & Engineers in
away from past practices of interior layout. “The historical association with IBI Group Architects
way of laying out these types of buildings creates a circu- Engineers
lation pattern much like a rabbit’s warren. In our design
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
solution, the circulation is more intuitive of a central space.
Almiq Contracting Ltd.
You’re not going round a corner and another corner to enter
STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT
PHOTO: ED MARUYAMA / COURTESY FSC ARCHITECTS & ENGINEERS

an adjoining space.”
“The first three months of operation in this beautifully Adjeleian Allen Rubeli Limited
designed Iqaluit-based office has been an incredible morale MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL/
boost for all employees in Nunavut and especially to LANDSCAPE CONSULTANT
those who are fortunate to work inside this new building,” FSC Architects & Engineers
says Commanding Officer, Chief Superintendent Steve INTERIOR DESIGN CONSULTANT
McVarnock. “Pride and delight is evident in the eyes of all IBI Group
employees in this building when showcasing it to the public.” TOTAL AREA
“This historic event is the culmination of a dream that 37,000 square feet
started in 1999 by the first Commanding Officer of
TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST
Nunavut, Chief Superintendent Chris Bothe – Rtd., and it Phase 1: $18,960,000
is now a true ‘northern light to behold,’” continues Chief
Superintendent McVarnock. “I am also confident that this TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST
$23 million
new Iqaluit Detachment/Nunavut Operations Building
will become a ‘beacon’ in the north for decades to come:

36 OCTOBER 2010

p.34-37Iqaluit_Contract.indd 36 9/3/10 10:48:05 AM

 CONTRACT
FURNITURE REVIEW 2010
by Laurie Jones
As 2010 begins its wind-down Mandelkau, marketing and communications.
quarter, contract furniture manu- In addition, EVO storage or display space is available
facturers can look back and be pleased
with their efforts this year.
Teknion Corporation launched its
new Foundations Conferencing and
Casegoods lines at NeoCon 2010 and
has had positive feedback. “The Foun-
dations collection draws upon a con-
temporary minimalist esthetic, paring
down furniture structure and surface
to its essence to reveal an architec-
ture of simple horizontal and vertical
planar elements,” says Christopher
Wright, design principal, figure3.
“I designed each piece to serve the
needs of a changing office landscape,
elevating the look and function of the
private office and taking into account
the diverse uses of meeting rooms in
the modern work environment.”
Foundations Casegoods is a collection
of wood desks, credenzas, pedestals
and modular storage walls. With con-
temporary design and functionality,
Foundations Casegoods provides opti-
mal storage capacity, making the most
of vertical space while maximizing
floor space. An innovative character-
istic of the Casegoods line is the stor-
age wall made up of various drawers,
cabinets and niches, ultimately creat-
ing a workstation. Indirect lighting
fits along the top edge to give ambient
lighting capabilities and niches are
accented with LED lights. The finishes
for Foundations include high-grade
hardwood veneers and wood solids,
lustrous brushed metals, powder coat-
ings and other high-tech finishes.
The EVO line of casegoods from
SIMO Corporation offers a variety
of workspace designs with lighter,
floating-style work surfaces that in-
spire creativity on a smaller footprint.
“Because people spend so much time
at work, we have incorporated addi-
tions to the EVO furniture that make it
comfortable, such as soft-close drawer
slides and soft-close doors, and storage
options in either full height to accom-
modate coats or lower height that will
still have room for jackets,” says Anna
CONTRACT FURNITURE
p.34-37Iqaluit_Contract.indd 37
where needed to offer appropriate ergonomic lighting levels,”
says Leclair. fluidconcepts has teamed up with Luxo Light-
above desk areas, or if installed with the lower height ing to create the technology of a cohesive workstation system
design, stand-up work surfaces are created. “EVO is an that boasts an integrated approach. Runway also offers plan-
elegant, simple and efficient opportunity for contract ning flexibility as the spine can be used independently with
office furnishings,” says Gary Scitthelm, president and existing workstations, and mobile/independent tables.
CEO. “There are pre-configured solutions, but SIMO excels Herman Miller, Inc. offers a new collection of seat-
in high-capacity and flexible manufacturing and can meet ing and tables to the lounge furniture category. The
client needs accordingly. The tag line ‘now you don’t have collection, called Swoop, provides comfortable light-scale
solutions that suit a variety of office, learning, health-care,
to give an inch to save square feet’ is a perfect summation of
the development that went into creating EVO and its impact and residential environments. Designed by Brian Kane of
in the way it has changed private office suites,” he says. Kane Design Studio in San Francisco, Swoop includes an
The Global Group has proven that good things come upholstered modular lounge seating group, a light scale
in small packages with its Princeton line of desking – the pull-up lounge chair and ottoman, and stools.
entire desk and workstation takes up a mere 50 square feet “Swoop creates functional and comfortable spaces, which
or less. “We had a major launch at the NeoCon 2010 show is particularly important for higher education institutes,”
with our Princeton line, showcasing a number of different says Jeff Vredevoogd, Herman Miller’s director of education
layouts of the desking,” says Mark Campbell, vice presidentsolutions. “Young people sit, lounge and study in a number
of design for the Global Group. “The basis of the Prince- of ways, while alone or interacting in a group. The contour
ton design involves considering where the person sits and of the seats and the mobility of the tables allow users the
works, and moving outward. ” freedom to sit or work in whatever way is best for them.”
While Princeton comes with 250 components – includ- Steelcase Inc. has respondes to the changing workspace
ing tempered glass shelves with rolling glass doors and with the media:scape™ product option. “Within a short
exclusive hardware, and a utility drawer that accommodates time, media:scape has been recognized as a critical inno-
garbage and recycling bins – it can easily be configured byvation for how it boosts collaboration,” says Lew Epstein,
the user or installer. “Princeton is a self-standing moduledirector, advanced development, integrated technologies.
that is user friendly, and speaks to the generation coming “In the future, this solution will extend beyond facilitating
into the workforce,” says Campbell. “In addition to acting local face-to-face collaboration to host virtual collaboration.
Everything that customers already love about media:scape
as a storage area for archival material, the bench at the back
will remain the same, coupled with a powerful new ability
of the unit is a place for a coworker to sit and discuss a proj-
to connect people and information across distances.” ■
ect.” The tower at the end of the bench offers space to hang
jackets and store bags, and provides
shelving at the end of the credenza. Above: from Global – Princeton. Below, Teknion’s Foundations casegoods.
fluidconcepts’ latest product, Run-
wayTM, brings technology, lighting and
workstations together into one cohe-
sive system. “Runway is an innovative
technology work spine that delivers
ample electrical and data services to
workstations from the floor or ceiling,”
says Byron Leclair, president. “The
Runway spine also serves as supports
for screens, supporting paper manage-
ment tools and storage.”
The Runway posts can extend
upwards to mount efficient lighting
fixtures to deliver ambient and task
lighting to workstations as an alter-
native, or to augment general lighting
that can often be inadequate and ex-
pensive. “One important LEED factor
is building lighting levels and Runway
enables lighting to be placed and used
OCTOBER 2010 37
9/3/10 10:48:15 AM
p.38-41Engineering V.indd 38 9/3/10 10:49:05 AM
 PHOTOS COURTESY SHORE TILBE PERKINS + WILL/LISA LOGAN ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Engineering V Building – University of Waterloo
by Don Procter
T he University of Waterloo’s new-
est addition, the Engineering V
(E5) building, is a six-storey
complex with a dominating presence
on campus. This first phase of a mas-
ter plan calls for two more engineering
buildings east of the main campus.
The striking new addition to the
university is clad in a glass curtain
wall but it looks nothing like a com-
mon glass box. While the first two
floors are faced with a transparent
glass curtain wall, upper storeys fea-
ture a ceramic frit applied to the glass
in a diamond-shaped pattern. “Using
four different gradients of dots, we cre-
ated the illusion that each rectangular
panel of glass looks like a raised dia-
mond. From a distance, it appears as
if the floors are formed out of a series
of metal pyramids,” explains Andrew
Frontini, principal and design direc-
tor, Shore Tilbe Perkins + Will, the
project’s chief architect.
The design was inspired by the fa-
cility’s anechoic chamber, which fea-
tures an electromagnetic radiation
laboratory. The cube-shaped space is
lined with carbon-fibre-coated rubber,
pyramid-shaped protrusions that block
unwanted frequencies, notes Frontini.
The shielded room, which is support-
ed by the Canadian Foundation for
Innovation, is used to attenuate radio
frequency and microwaves for research
in wireless communications. “It’s a
p.38-41Engineering V.indd 39
phenomenal, leading-edge, world-
class facility,” says Ron Venter, space
planning consultant for the Faculty of
Engineering.
The 160,000-square-foot building
a third-floor glass pedestrian bridge
which crosses the ring road to E3.
Constructing the new building and
bridge link without disrupting daily
activities at the busy campus compli-
provides office, teaching and research cated the building sequencing pro-
space, he says. The first two floors op- gram for general contractor Bondfield
erate as a student design centre, show- Construction Co. Road shutdowns,
casing engineering projects such as traffic detours, pedestrian control
solar and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. and after-hours construction were
“In my view, the first two floors are the critical to ensuring the project was
gems of the building,” says Venter. on time and budget, explains Steve
The building’s main entrance, on Aquino, Bondfield’s vice-president of
the second floor, features a lobby with operations.
a five-storey atrium. In the middle of
the atrium is a sculptural staircase to
upper floors. Clad in metal perforated Right: The atrium feature stair
acoustic panels, the staircase pro- system.
vides lighting for the atrium through
a series of LED lights recessed into
reveals, says Frontini. On the fourth
and fifth floors is an outdoor two-
storey “sky garden” that overlooks the
main campus.
The building is the first within the
Faculty of Engineering that is located
outside the ring road circling the uni-
versity campus. That was an impor-
tant step in the faculty’s masterplan
(Vision 2010), spearheaded by Adel
Sedra, dean of the faculty, because
it identified the location for the
additional engineering facilities to be
constructed within the master campus
plan of the university, says Venter.
Linking E5 to the main campus is
9/3/10 10:49:07 AM
p.38-41Engineering V.indd 40 9/3/10 10:49:13 AM
 Comprised of steel box trusses
supported on concrete columns, the
glass-clad bridge crosses an area used
by thousands of students daily. “It was
very tricky building the foundations
and the structure of the bridge because
there were so many students walking
underneath it,” explains Aquino.
Erecting the bridge was also chal-
lenging because it features a compli-
cated sweeping curve. “It was tricky
from a layout and production stand-
point,” says the builder. “We had to
be bang on with our calculations to
make sure the bridge met the build-
ings where it was supposed to.” To
accommodate the bridge connection,
E3 required some demolition, rein-
forcement and retrofitting. Occupants
were relocated for a short period dur-
ing the process. “It was a very tight
time frame because it had to be done
during the summer.”
Typical six-storey, cast-in-place
structures are usually easy enough
for experienced builders like Bond-
field, but this one was different –
partly because the five-storey atrium
space posed forming challenges. Fur-
thermore, to meet design specifica-
tions that called for minimal and/or
column-free presentation rooms, the
builder had to construct “enormous,
deep support beams” below these
rooms. “Again, it complicated the
Proud to have supplied and installed the reinforcing steel
for the Engineering V - University of Waterloo, Waterloo.
CROSSEY
ENGINEERING
LTD.
137 THAMES ROAD EAST,
EXETER, ON N0M 1S3
Ph: (519) 235-1516 Fax: (519) 235-0507
Email: jmr.electric@jmrelectric.ca
We are pleased to have been the
Electrical and Mechanical Contractor for the
Engineering V - University of Waterloo project
p.38-41Engineering V.indd 41
forming structure because we weren’t
doing the typical forming repetitions,
but rather manipulating formwork as
we moved from floor to floor,” says
Aquino. A three-floor open space
designed for materials testing also
threw a wrinkle into the construction
process.
Building the anechoic chamber
wasn’t simple either. “The big issue
was that it had to be built on a con-
crete slab resting independently of the
rest of the building.” A “floating slab”
was set on engineered pads that allow
the slab to be loaded separately from
the rest of the building, thereby elimi-
nating slab movement. “We had to
figure out how to build the floor for the
space, then build another floor about
eight inches above it without having
access underneath.”
Another challenge was pouring
concrete during the cold winter of
2007/08. Before each pour, a floor
was completely enclosed with tarps
and the underside of the forms and
rebar was heated with propane-fueled
blowers. Once poured, each concrete
slab was covered with an insulated
blanket and the floor was heated for
up to seven days until the concrete
reached 75 per cent of its design
strength before forms were removed.
If the pour was done in summer, the
forms could have been removed in
318 Arvin Avenue, Stoney Creek, ON L8E 2M2
Office: 905.662.5700 Facsimile: 905.573.5264
Electrical Consultants for
Engineering V - University of
Waterloo project.
TEL 416.497.3111 FAX 416.497.7210
WWW.CEL.CA
MECHANICAL &
ELECTRICAL
CONTRACTORS
ESTABLISHED IN 1978
only two to three days, points out
Aquino.
It wasn’t just cold weather but also
wind that posed a hazard for the builder,
he says, noting that because the engi-
neering building stands taller than
surrounding campus buildings it is
more exposed to the frequent winds in LOCATION
the area. “There were a lot of days we 263 Phillip Street
simply couldn’t work because of it.” Waterloo, Ontario
Transporting materials and equip- OWNER/DEVELOPER
ment for construction of the fourth University of Waterloo
floor outdoor garden was trying at times ARCHITECT
because the west-facing garden faces Shore Tilbe Perkins + Will
railroad tracks. “We required large in partnership with
mobile cranes that could access the Somfay Masri Architects Inc.
space from the north and south. It is GENERAL CONTRACTOR
one of a number of little things about Bondfield Construction Company Ltd.
the construction of this building that STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT
really set it apart from most build- Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd.
ings,” says Aquino. MECHANICAL CONSULTANT
While the building isn’t LEED cer- Smith + Andersen Consulting
tified, it does incorporate a number Engineering
of enviro-friendly features, including ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT
roof sections designed to accommo- Crossey Engineering Ltd.
date gardens and maximized natural CIVIL CONSULTANT
light throughout the building. The MTE Consultants Inc.
ceramic-fritted glass located on the
LANDSCAPE CONSULTANT
west and south-facing facades reduces GSP Group
solar heat gain by 60 per cent, adds
Frontini. A ribbon of manually oper- TOTAL AREA
160,000 square feet
able aluminum vents integrated into
the curtain wall provides natural ven- TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST
$46.5 million
tilation. The design, like the construc-
tion of E5, is set to a high standard. ■
OCTOBER 2010 41
9/3/10 10:49:16 AM
 135 Wellington Street
P.O. Box 414, Waterdown, ON L0R 2H0
T. 905-690-1619 | F. 905-690-2115
E. wilkassociates@cogeco.ca
www.wilkassociates.ca
To provide safe, environmentally and esthetically
pleasing spaces, for all people to live, work and Congratulations to the Greater
recreate. Our core values are simply client service, Essex County School Board and
best practices, integrity, and quality design.
the Dr. David Suzuki Public School
Each project is approached with the same principles
and desire to achieve the best solution. The design on the first LEED Platinum
principles that we adhere to create landscapes school in Canada. Proud to have
that target lower maintenance and are seasonally provided Landscape Architectural
esthetically pleasing, user and environmentally friendly.
services for the roof top
Wilk Associates Landscape Architecture Ltd is a full
service landscape architectural firm. classroom and green roof.

Opresnik Engineering Consultants Inc. is a dynamic group of Professional Consulting Engineers specializing
in Sustainable Design. Our firm is primarily composed of individuals with Mechanical Engineering and
Automation backgrounds, ensuring a clear and concise understanding of HVAC and Building Systems. With
over 15 years experience relating to LEED Facilitation, Energy Modeling, Verification, Heating Ventilation, Air
Conditioning Systems, Refrigeration and Building Automation, our services encapsulate the ability to oversee
all projects from Design and Conceptualization, to Onsite confirmation of systems. Our clients can relax and
take comfort in the Execution of our Professional and Experienced deliverables.

Opresnik Engineering Consultants Inc.

69 Lesmill Rd., Toronto, ON M3B 2T8
P 416.449.6324 F 416.449.6929
www.OECI.ca

p.42-43Suzuki School.indd 42 9/3/10 10:50:17 AM

 A building named for Dr. David
Suzuki has to be more than
green – it has to change the
way people think about the world.
Windsor’s Greater Essex County Dis-
trict School Board has constructed its
newest elementary school to a level wor-
thy of the acclaimed environmentalist.
Giuliana Hinchliffe, coordinator
of engineering for the school board,
says Dr. David Suzuki Public School
replaces two smaller schools, one of
which had a history of environmental
stewardship. Aiming for LEED Plati-
num was logical, says Hinchliffe. “If
we want our children to strive for the
best, we have to strive for the best.”
The 58,522-square-foot, two-storey
steel structure with poured concrete
floors holds 22 classrooms, a double
gym, a music room, art room, science
room and resource centre, as well as
support amenities. Approximately 560
students and 35 staff members will
call the school their own.
The building is built on a north-
south orientation and folds in the
middle to create the main entrance.
The large opening between the two
components connects visually to the
north play area and is joined by a steel
bridge that stretches through a two-
storey atrium. “Orientation and circu-
lation are major drivers of the design,”
says Gregory McLean, principal with
McLean + Associates | Architects. “You
know where you are at all times.”
Technologies not usually seen in
schools like wind turbines, geother-
mal exchange heating and rooftop
rain-water collection will be part of the
environmental education program. “It
isn’t meant as a cost-effective example
of how to build a green school,” says
Stephen Carpenter, president of Ener-
modal Engineering, LEED consultant.
“It shows school boards across Canada
what is possible.”
Preliminary modelling shows the
school will achieve a 65 per cent en-
ergy reduction over building code and
reduce water consumption by 63 per
cent compared to the LEED baseline.
Generating 10 per cent of its demand
load are 171 photovoltaic panels at
the entrance, which are part of a sus-
pended canopy system supported by a
branched tree structure made of steel.
Light is brought in through the
ceilings and funneled into carved-out
spaces in the corridors to penetrate
the lower spaces. Light shelves and
translucent glass panels in the win-
dows maximize natural light in all of
the rooms, as do solar pipes and sun
tracker active daylighting domes.
Radiant in-floor heating and cool-
ing systems on both floors tie into a
geothermal vertical loop that runs from
28 wells, each 370 feet deep. A solar
wall – essentially a black perforated
p.42-43Suzuki School.indd 43
DAN REAUME PHOTOGRAPHY
Dr. David Suzuki Public School
by Jessica Krippendorf
metal panel through which air is pulled
– preheats ventilation air which is run
through a displacement system.
The technology was introduced in a
literal way. Recessed glass “truth win-
dows” in the floors show the insulated
in-floor heating system, and display
panels in the corridor provide real
time data about the mechanical sys-
tem’s performance. “Education occurs
everywhere,” says McLean. “We’ve de-
signed no dead spaces.”
In the lobby, a construction display
wall provides a cross-section of the
exterior wall assembly. Glass piping
that carries rainwater from the roof
to a cistern for treatment and use in
the toilets runs floor-to-ceiling in the
resource room, and the mechanical
rooms have windows through which
the equipment is visible.
The interiors incorporate cork floors
in the administrative and resource
rooms, and linoleum in the class-
rooms. The corridors feature polished
concrete floors containing fly ash, and
the millwork is made of FSC-certified
bamboo plywood with low-VOCs and
no added formaldehyde. The living
wall is two-storeys of plant material
grown in an irrigated wall to remove
VOCs from the air.
Opresnik Engineering acted as
LEED consultant for Mady Contract
Division, ensuring the contractor’s
work complied with all environmental
requirements while staying on bud-
get and on schedule. “The contractor
was trying to be proactive in ensuring
the spec was executed correctly and
that the scheduling didn’t incur any
delays,” says Mark Opresnik, principal.
Mady Contract Division Ltd. had
to meet building air tightness and in-
door air quality requirements, while
diverting a specific amount of waste
from the landfill and performing the
final building flush-out. “Credits are
extremely important with a LEED
Platinum building because you don’t
have the luxury of making them up in
another category,” says Opresnik.
The contractor exceeded the 75 and
50 per cent waste diversion require-
ments, keeping 95 per cent of the site’s
waste out of the landfill. The final
building tightness level exceeded the
requirement by 100 per cent.
Outside, the foundation landscap-
ing blurs the line between designed
and natural by removing the typical
bed edging and letting the founda-
tion planting run out to the natural-
ized turf areas, says Gerry Bezaire,
principal with Bezaire & Associates
Landscape Architects. “The result
should be a landscape that looks like
it was there and the school was built
around it rather than a landscape that
is defined by the shape of the building,
roads and sidewalks,” says Bezaire.
Bioswales, often designed for func-
tionality, are intended to look like
natural waterways planted with native
trees, shrubs and boulders. A non-irri-
gated sports turf mix was selected to
hold up to foot traffic in the play areas,
front lawn and sports fields. The build-
ing also features three green roof areas.
An outdoor teaching area offers a com-
posite synthetic deck surface, raised
planters and portable potting stations
and tables for interactive learning, says
Terry Wilk, principal, Wilk Associates
Landscape Architecture.
A vegetated roof area is separated
from the rooftop classroom by a cus-
tom lattice screen and an entry arbor
that is more industrial looking than
one typical of a residential space.
The school board has spent 18
months developing a Web-based
curriculum for the students that uses
real time, live data from the school. It
will launch with the school’s opening
in September.
“We are extremely proud,” says
Hinchliffe. “It’s provided an idea about
what technologies can be incorporated
into new school construction, while
still fitting into the provincial funding
model.” ■
LOCATION
6320 Raymond Avenue
Windsor, Ontario
OWNER/DEVELOPER
Greater Essex County District School
Board
ARCHITECT
McLean + Associates | Architects
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Mady Contract Division Ltd.
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
Haddad Morgan and Associates Ltd.
MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL
ENGINEER
Smylie and Crow Associates Inc.
GEOTECHNICAL CONSULTANT
C.T. Soils & Materials Engineering Inc.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT
Enermodal Engineering
LEED CONSULTANT
Opresnik Engineering Consultants Inc.
CIVIL ENGINEER
R. Lucente Engineering Inc.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
Bezaire & Associates Landscape
Architects and Wilk Associates
Landscape Architecture Ltd.
TOTAL AREA
58,522 square feet
TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST
$14 million
OCTOBER 2010 43
9/3/10 10:50:20 AM
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Do you have a project

of interest to our readers? If you would like your project to be considered
for a future issue of Award, please email:
Dan Chapman, Publisher
dchapman@canadawide.com

p.44-45 Raised Access Floors.indd 44 9/3/10 10:51:18 AM

 Ground Control
SAFETY AND VERSATILITY ARE HALLMARKS
OF THE RAISED ACCESS FLOORING SECTOR
by Robin Brunet
Regardless of whether the con- ENFloor recently provided EFS
struction industry is emerging raised floors for gaming centres in
from a recession or heading towards a
double-dip, the raised access flooring
sector remains somewhat impervious
to the convolutions of our economy.
That’s because they’re the most cost-
effective system for providing the
versatility required in modern com-
mercial spaces. Raised floors allow
cables to easily be pulled along a
distance instead of through the ceil-
ing; they also provide a plenum for
cooling.
Scott Alwine, marketing manager
for Tate Access Floors Inc., says raised
floors “are still growing as a widely
adopted product. People are still discov-
ering their benefits. In fact, we find the
market in Canada particularly strong
as many buildings are incorporating
environmentally friendly features.”
Tate, whose raised floor panels have
reduced cracking and have become
one of the highest safety factors of any
raised floor system in North America,
advises customers to consider raised
floors if they are bringing in new
technology, if they are planning to
regularly reconfigure existing technol-
ogy, or are uncertain of future needs.
“As well as their versatility, our floors
offer a laundry list of green benefits,
not the least of which is the fact they’re
made from recycled material and FSC-
certified wood,” says Alwine. Esthetic
considerations are important to Tate
too: the company recently expanded its
range of finishes to include engineered
wood, an elegant visual enhancement
for any office space.
Dave Belland, president of ENFloor
Canada, says his Kamloops-based
company is making a mark with its
lower-profile EFS systems that can be
adjusted to sit less than an inch and
a half above the ground. “This gives
the user a lot more flexibility when
performing wiring changes and other
maintenance,” he says. “Also, by
eschewing 16-inch spaces created by
traditional systems, builders save criti-
cal real estate space.”
RAISED ACCESS FLOORS
p.44-45 Raised Access Floors.indd 45
Williams Lake and Kelowna and for a
television studio in Etobicoke, Ontario.
The EFS 1 and EFS 2 network floor-
ing are the same in every aspect and
functionality, except the former is an
all-steel hollow cavity product and the
latter is cementitious-filled. Both can
be re-used, both feel solid to the tread
COURTESY HAWORTH INC.
and cause minimal echo or footfall.
Also, they incorporate easy-to-install
gravity-held components designed to
provide effortless access to under-floor
cabling: all it takes is one’s fingers, not
tools, to remove the channel panels.
“We’re starting to get contracts from as
far away as Saudi Arabia and Egypt,”
says Belland. “Our potential market is
huge.”
Haworth Inc. unveiled two new prod-
ucts of note at the NeoCon 2010 design
exhibition. The first is Monotile’s Tec-
nika 60-centimetre by 60-centimetre
terrazzo tiles that are used with
Haworth’s TecCrete under-structure
and pedestal bases to create a stun-
ning visual appearance. Made in Italy,
Tecnika features a marble and cement
mixture available in a wide range of tex-
tures and colours. With this offering,
Haworth’s floor product can be used in
an entire building with different mate-
rials, such as Tecnika or carpet, in dif-
ferent areas according to need.
Haworth’s second new product is the
Enclose moveable wall system, which
integrates with Haworth raised floors
to create a perfect transparent solution
for office storefronts, conference spaces
and iconic presentation areas. Enclose
Frameless Glass enables movable wall
configuration in straight runs, faceted
curves, and three way variable angle
corners, as well as plinth-less sliding
doors and full height pivot glass slab
doors. Made of extruded aluminum
frames with electrostatic powder coat
finish, Enclose Frameless Glass glaz-
ing panels are available in clear finish,
privacy finishes, 10 millimetres thick,
12 millimetres thick, laminated glass
and tempered glass.
Camino Modular Systems Inc. has
provided access floor systems for many
of the world’s leading companies and
organizations: Air Canada, the Depart-
ment of Defence, AT&T, Ford Motor
Company and the RCMP are just a few
examples. The company acts as a man-
ufacturer of its own raised floors and a
distributor for Haworth, and president
Glenn Foden points out that raised
floors continue to grow in popularity
as LEED projects and standards become
more and more mainstream. Accord-
ingly, Camino’s Airpath 180 is a com-
plete under-floor air solution that in-
cludes access flooring diffusers, perimeter
radiation and modular plug and play
wiring; the system can contribute to
LEED certification points in the areas
of energy and atmosphere, materials
and resources, indoor environmen-
tal quality, and innovative design
process.
Modular carpet tiles offer much
more design freedom for raised access
floors than broadloom carpet, plus
they allow building managers to re-
place any part of the covering that is
damaged or worn without disturbing
furniture or equipment. InterfaceFLOR
Canada Inc., which sold its raised
flooring systems to Haworth six years
ago, has since focused its attention
on modular carpets and become the
design leader in modular carpet tiles.
At the 2010 HD Expo in Las Vegas,
Tecnika tile.
InterfaceFLOR unveiled bold new
offerings inspired by the 1980s Mem-
phis design movement: the colourful
stripes of Beale Street, the stark black
and white lines of Union Avenue, the
graphic squiggles ofDoodle and the
fabulous black and white patterns of
Memphis to Milan and Back. All of
these offerings are part of the company’s
Convert design platform that feature
products made with a total recycled
content ranging from 64 per cent to 75
per cent, including up to 35 per cent
post-consumer content (unheard of
for modular carpets with such vibrant
colours).
Finally, raised floor systems were
initially created for data centre appli-
cations in the 1950s, and that applica-
tion is of course as vital today as ever.
Computer Room Services Corporation
(CRSC), a leader in the design, build
and maintenance of all types of criti-
cal physical infrastructure, maintains
the position that despite how radically
data centres have evolved, raised floors
still serve a multitude of purposes, not
the least of which is improved air flow.
However, CRSC stresses that some-
times the systems are not beneficial
or even possible depending on ceiling
restrictions. The company encourages
building owners to contact a CRSC rep-
resentative for technical advice about
raised flooring as well as to assist in
designing an efficient data centre. ■
OCTOBER 2010 45
9/3/10 10:51:20 AM
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Proud
to be part of the
Chilliwack Cultural Centre

p.46-49Chilliwack Cultural Centre.indd 46 9/3/10 10:52:42 AM

 Chilliwack Cultural Centre
by Jerry Eberts
T he idea of an increased and im-
proved cultural focus for the
City of Chilliwack was pro-
posed in 1999. In 2005, city council
created the Cultural Centre Advisory
Planning Committee. In 2010, the
Chilliwack Cultural Centre opens with
a 530-seat main theatre and a 150-seat
recital hall.
“This has been in the works for
some time,” says Eric Dyck, project
manager for the City of Chilliwack.
“We had input from a variety of poten-
tial user groups and that affected how
we developed the spatial and technical
requirements”.
“It was a design-build process,”
says Dyck. “One of the advantages
of the design-build process is that in
the prequalification process we select
several design and construction teams
who then provide their solutions to
our project requirements. In this case,
we received proposals from two teams.
The Bird Construction team provided
the best value for the money available
for the project.”
The Cultural Centre – built on a city
property that was originally the Chilli-
wack Fairgrounds – is the third part of
an ongoing plan to enrich the lives of
PHOTOS COURTESY KASIAN ARCHITECTURE INTERIOR DESIGN AND PLANNING LTD.
p.46-49Chilliwack Cultural Centre.indd 47
residents of Chilliwack and surounding communities.
“This is the third piece in the puzzle,” says Dyck. “First
we built the Chilliwack Landing Leisure Centre with aquatic
and fitness amenities in 2002. Then there was Prospera
Centre in 2004 that includes a 5,000-seat ice arena. And
now we’re opening the Cultural Centre.”
Working with Bird Construction on the Cultural Centre
proposal was Michael McDonald, principal and director of
design for Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Plan-
ning Ltd. “The project had a big performing arts compo-
nent,” says McDonald. “That is unusual for a design-build.
But the City of Chilliwack is a sophisticated client and has
done other buildings as design-build.”
Involved from the beginning of the process, McDonald
says his role was to create a public building that would
make the people of Chilliwack proud. The 80-foot fly tower located above the stage holds
Design of the building was of paramount importance; a rigging, curtains and backdrops.
theatre has specific design requirements that are unique.
These aspects were worked into the equally unique design on something of such massive height,” says McDonald. “In
of the new building. fact, we used the tallest tilt-up panels ever used in Canada
“The centre has an 80-foot fly tower,” says McDonald, when we built the fly tower. From an engineering and con-
referring to that part of the building above the stage that struction point of view, our structural engineer Greg Smith,
holds rigging, curtains and enormous backdrops. “The fly along with Bird Construction, did an excellent job on a
tower is a reflection of Mount Cheam, an icon for the peo- highly technical structure.”
ple of Chilliwack. This is an urban building in a semi-rural As the engineer of record, Greg Smith – a principal with
area, and the surrounding natural setting is important.” Burnaby-based Weiler Smith Bowers Consulting Structural
The choice of construction materials was important, Engineers – says the biggest challenge of the project was to
especially with a limited budget. Tilt-up concrete panels put up those tall, heavy panels.
were chosen for the fly tower because of their density, which “Bird was not scared by the prospect,” says Smith. “How-
provided good soundproofing as well as being economical. ever, it was challenging to put all the parts together. The
“The question was whether we could use tilt-up panels tilt-up panels were up to 40 feet wide and 85 feet high, the
9/3/10 10:52:44 AM
p.46-49Chilliwack Cultural Centre.indd 48 9/3/10 10:52:47 AM
 COURTESY KASIAN ARCHITECTURE INTERIOR DESIGN AND PLANNING LTD.
Theatre interiors feature exposed structure and suspended ceilings in
response to program and acoustical requirements.
tallest in Canada. Bracing them was
fairly intense.
“We had such a good team, though,
that the tower went up really easily – a
piece of cake.”
“We cut doors into the concrete
panels after they were up,” says Smith.
“We had to, because of the height of
the panels. If the panels had not been
solid, they could not have withstood
the process. So the doors were cut into
the concrete afterwards.”
Remarkably, the fly tower went up
in a single day. Smith says this saved
the project considerable time and
money compared with putting up a
steel framework and then walls.
“The tower was the key element,”
he says. “After that, we could work on
the stage.”
Terry Chu was project manager for
Toronto-based Bird Construction. He
LOCATION
9201 Corbould Street
Chilliwack, B.C.
OWNER/DEVELOPER
City of Chilliwack
ARCHITECT
Kasian Architecture Interior Design
and Planning Ltd.
DESIGN-BUILD CONTRACTOR
Bird Construction Company
STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT
Weiler Smith Bowers Consulting
Structural Engineers
MECHANICAL CONSULTANT
Cobalt Engineering
ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT
Genivar
TOTAL AREA
65,000 square feet
TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST
$22 million
p.46-49Chilliwack Cultural Centre.indd 49
Our fleet of trucks, professional
staff, and state of the art
says the Chilliwack Cultural Centre is batch plant allows us
a first for several reasons. to provide our customers
“It was the first of its kind as a with a constant supply of
design-build,” says Chu. “And it is the concrete. Our team takes pride
tallest tilt wall construction in Canada Proud to be the in the quality and workability of
– at least at the time it was built.”
supplier of all our product to ensure it meets the
Chu praises the team, saying it was
good to be back working with some ready-mix and precast needs of all our residential and
members, as well as welcoming new- concrete for the Chilliwack commercial clients.
comers. Cultural Centre
“The team was wonderful,” he says.
“They made the project work very 7650 Arnold Road, Chilliwack, BC V2R 4H8 T: 604.823.0028
smoothly. This was a unique project
and lots of care was taken to make sure
the building suited its use. There was
nothing unusual during the construc-
tion, but it was a unique art building.”
Ali Rahimpour was senior electri-
cal engineer and project manager for
Montreal-headquartered Genivar.
“We did not work on the audiovi-
sual aspects of the building, but we
coordinated closely with the architect
as we provided the buildings electrical
infrastructure,” says Rahimpour. “We
supplied the power for the audiovi-
sual, power distribution, lighting, the
pathways and fire systems.”
“We always have to work closely
with the architects on any project,”
says Rahimpour. “And we have worked
often with the mechanical engineer,
Cobalt Engineering.”
While the Chilliwack Cultural
Centre is set to open in September,
there will be further additions and re-
finements to the building in future.
Architect Michael McDonald says
the collaboration on this building was
a large part of its success, including in-
put from the local theatre group in the
planning stages.
“Overall, the team did an excellent
job on a highly technical structure,”
says McDonald. “To also do that on a
tight budget, to provide everything the
City wanted and more – that is some-
thing to be proud of.” ■
OCTOBER 2010 49
9/3/10 10:52:49 AM
 Congratulations to
Bird Construction Company
Proud to have been the steel stud, drywall,
insulation and acoustic ceiling contractor
for the Chilliwack Cultural Centre
3070 Norland Ave, Unit 113, Burnaby, BC V5B 3A6
Telephone: 604-291-9998 Fax: 604-291-8508 E-mail: dstanwood@winwood.ca www.winwood.ca

Do you have a project

of interest to our readers? If you would like your project to be considered
for a future issue of Award, please email:
Dan Chapman, Publisher
dchapman@canadawide.com

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p.50-51Academic Building.indd 50 9/3/10 10:53:48 AM

 T he 79,000-square-foot, $42-mil-
lion, three-storey Academic
Building (AB) of the new Oril-
lia campus of Lakehead University
will be the first facility of the first uni-
versity campus in North America to
be designed and built to secure LEED
Platinum certification.
Lakehead currently has its main

COURTESY LAKEHEAD UNIVERSITY

campus in Thunder Bay, but also main-
tains a campus in downtown Orillia.
“But it is limited in the number of
students we can accommodate,” says
Kathy Hunt, Lakehead Orillia’s com-
munications officer. “We are retaining
the downtown campus, but in order to
grow, we needed another location.”
The new campus facility is located
in the city’s newly developed west end
on a former farm property purchased
by the City of Orillia. The City donated
Academic Building
an 85-acre parcel of the land to the uni-
versity. In 2011, two new buildings will
be added to the AB: a residence for 271
Orillia Campus – Lakehead University
students and a food services building. by Irwin Rapoport
Construction began in June 2009.
The first floor contains the entrance
with the information/security desk, learning common with Moriyama & Teshima Architects
an integrated computer laboratory and library, two lecture were awarded the design contract in
theatres, classrooms, student services and a food kiosk. early 2008. “It’s a contemporary build-
The second floor consists of classrooms and administra- ing,” says project architect Christie
tion offices, while the top floor has multi-purpose specialty Mills, a senior associate with the firm.
labs, offices for faculty and administrators, meeting rooms, “The basic exterior material is a wheat-
open work spaces and seminar rooms. The AB can accom- coloured brick cladding with some
modate up to 1,500 students and 90 faculty and staff. architectural block accents, large areas
A key architectural feature is the learning common. This of curtain wall glazing and punched,
large open space, says Hunt, is “where faculty, staff and operable windows.”
students will be working together and interacting, which Architectural partner Daniel Tera-
supports our interdisciplinary programs and inquiry-based mura stresses that because the AB is
teaching approach.” the first building at the new campus,
Brian Jeffs, Lakehead’s assistant vice-president of admin- its architectural expression will set the
istration and finance, notes that developing a LEED Platinum standard for future buildings. “Our goal
campus was “the right and responsible thing to do. LEED was to create a building with a strong
buildings are becoming the norm and Orillia wanted to set relationship to the open spaces, the
a benchmark for the construction of public sector build- history of the area and the sustainabil-
ings. LEED Platinum has its own challenges and with con- ity that will be developed on the site,”
struction on a relatively tight timeline, the project is going
remarkably well. Just to see this building being created and
what it means to Orillia and Simcoe County is significant.
LOCATION
We can’t understate the importance of what the new campus 500 University Avenue
will bring in terms of economic drivers to this community.” Orillia, Ontario
David Nesbitt of MHPM Project Managers Inc. served as
OWNER/DEVELOPER
Lakehead’s project manager. The firm was involved with Lakehead University
the project from day one in terms of developing the LEED
Platinum plan and campus master plan for the 85-acre site; PROJECT MANAGER
MHPM Project Managers Inc.
securing the architects, engineers and the general contrac-
tor and sub-contractors; and heading the planning for the ARCHITECT/LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
campus’s functional program. Moriyama & Teshima Architects
“LEED Platinum is a challenge,” he says, “but because GENERAL CONTRACTOR
we had been doing this from the beginning with the whole EllisDon Corporation
team focused on the major goal, it has been easier and STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT
changes could be accommodated rapidly. Orillia continues Halcrow Yolles
to be supportive of our sustainability goals. This includes a
MECHANICAL/
commitment from the City early on to extend transit service ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT
to the site that connects it with Orillia and the downtown Crossey Engineering Ltd.
campus.”
TOTAL AREA
Nesbitt helped coordinate zoning and is involved in the 79,000 square feet
design and construction. He is also involved in the procure-
ment of furnishings and equipment, including the high-tech TOTAL COST
features such as video conferencing to link the AB with the $42 million
Thunder Bay and downtown Orillia campuses.
he says. “The building has a ‘quiet dignity.’ It doesn’t aspire
to be a signature building. It’s a general academic building,
so there is a combination of shared classrooms, lecture halls,
a very large learning common and a few specialty labs.”
The interior finishes feature natural light and natural ele-
ments found in Ontario. “The wall of the large lecture theatre
is clad in an Ontario limestone and the main floor finish is a
porcelain tile,” says Mills. “There are a lot of natural materi-
als throughout the building such as maple wood panelling.
Wherever possible, we have glazed screens to provide trans-
parency between spaces and there is a selective use of wood
for doors, window sills and certain feature walls.”
Each floor has a main public corridor with secondary
corridors to access smaller rooms. The floor plates were
designed to maximize the free flow of people, but also
provide space where people can stop to converse. “That was
an important feature,” says Teramura, “because for some
time there won’t be other amenities available. The AB has to
be a place that encourages people to spend time – it will be
a welcoming and engaging building; one that is filled with
natural light, provides nice views, offers a connection to
nature, and has informal social spaces for all users.”
The AB makes use of geothermal heating and cooling,
has integrated mechanical and electrical systems for heating
and cooling, energy-saving glazing, a storm-water retention
system, a gray water system and a green roof.
Rick Dittmer, EllisDon’s project manager, who has experi-
ence with many LEED projects, says LEED Platinum requires
more stringent planning and critical eye to ensure all minor
details are accounted for.
“The mechanical systems have to be top-notch. You need
a whole lot of water reuse equipment and materials that you
wouldn’t have in other buildings,” he says. “The commis-
sioning is a lot more intense and the materials, finishes and
lighting throughout the building are increased in efficiency.
For example, the amount of duct work in one of the ceilings
is almost as much as you would find in a standard building
with regards to fresh air requirements.”
In closing, Daniel Teramura notes, “The building takes
advantage of just about all opportunities to improve its
ecological performance. All of our projects are built on good
sustainable design, whether they are LEED or non-LEED.
The Academic Building met our expectations and we feel
very good about the outcome.” ■

OCTOBER 2010 51

p.50-51Academic Building.indd 51 9/3/10 10:53:55 AM

 Courtesy of GEC Architecture

Proud to be the Project Managers

for the
BOW VALLEY COLLEGE
REDEVELOPMENT – PHASE II

Tel: (403) 540-4638 | Fax: (403) 208-5681

p.52-55Bow Valley Phase II.indd 52 9/3/10 10:55:11 AM

 I n July, the foundations for Phase 2 of Calgary’s Bow Val-
ley College expansion were rising where the Provincial
Courts of Alberta once stood. Phase 1 of the expansion,
which was completed earlier this year after five years in
development, provides the college with a facility contain-
ing more energy-efficient systems, more classrooms and
expanded learning resource services. Phase 2, which is ex-
pected to be complete in 2013, will consist of a seven-storey,
204,000-square-foot new building.
The expansion will double the college’s seating capacity
in Calgary to 6,300, and Bernard Benning, vice-president of
campus development, is satisfied with the progress to date.
“Things have gone extremely well considering the project
unfolded in a somewhat backward fashion,” he says. “Phase
2 should really have been launched before Phase 1, which
was a renovation of an existing, operational building. But we
couldn’t get our hands on the land required for Phase 2, so
that’s why work on the new facility is taking place now.”
Martin Jones, a partner with GEC Architecture, regards
the Bow Valley College expansion as challenging but ulti-
mately rewarding. “Acquiring the land for Phase 2 set us
back several years but was beneficial in that the new South
Campus building will be right next to the LRT transit line,”
he says. “Phase 1 was an enormously complicated renova-
tion that had to be scheduled to minimize disruption to the
teachers and students using the facility. It speaks volumes
about the project manager, Duke Projects, and builders Stu-
art Olson that the work was completed on budget.”
Bow Valley College announced its plans for the two-phase
expansion in November of 2004, and almost a year later it
received $47-million in funding for Phase 1. Several months
after that, a GEC schematic design was presented to and ap-
proved by the board of governors with the intent of work
Bow Valley College Redevelopment – Phase 2
by Robin Brunet
RENDERINGS: GEC ARCHITECTURE
p.52-55Bow Valley Phase II.indd 53
commencing in the summer of 2006.
Phase 1 focused on a six-storey
North Campus facility that had been
constructed in 1972. The building
was shaped somewhat like an in-
verted pyramid, with large outdoor
plazas situated under the overhang of
the higher levels. “Our main idea was
to reclaim 80,000 square feet of this
270,000-square-foot facility by getting
rid of the plazas and a parking struc-
ture and adding street-level facilities in
their place,” says Jones. “This gave the
building a more appropriate urban feel
to what is, after all, an urban campus.”
Early on, it was determined that
the 1960’s-style precast cladding of the
Brutalist-style building did not have to
be revamped. However, the windows
were replaced to provide greater ener-
gy efficiency and to extend the service
life of the envelope. “That alone changed the appearance of
the facility significantly,” says Jones.
The real challenge of Phase 1 was the interior, as the
corridors were located along the perimeter of each level.
“The people walking through the corridors received nat-
ural light but the offices and classrooms located in the
building’s core did not, so we relocated the rooms to face
the windows,” says Jones. “This required extensive demo-
lition of the interior.”
GEC added two new elevators to
the existing bank of three lifts, turn-
ing each elevator 180 degrees in its
shaft to help create a north-south cor-
ridor through the building, which
improved way-finding. A main stair-
well was also redesigned for easier
access and better visibility.
All of these alterations caused head-
aches for Duke Projects and Stuart
Olson. “A lot of the work had to
OCTOBER 2010 53
9/3/10 10:55:14 AM
p.52-55Bow Valley Phase II.indd 54 9/3/10 10:55:16 AM
 Baxter Roof Consulting Ltd.

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RENDERING: GEC ARCHITECTURE

the Red Deer RCMP Detachment in Red Deer

HY`.($''(&!%)%(:Ul.($''(&!++),FYX8YYf5`VYfhU

Congratulations Stuart Olson Constructors

CONSULTING ENGINEERS AND SCIENTISTS

happen after-hours and required care- During the renovation, Bow Valley www.eba.ca
ful scheduling,” says Benning. “More- College and GEC worked to secure
p. 403.203.3355
over, this came at a time when the the required land for the new South
f. 403.203.3301
construction boom was reaching a Campus building. “The Alberta
fever pitch: it was a task to find trades Government initially wanted us to Creating and delivering better solutions
people to perform after-hours work. revamp the Provincial Courts, but with
But fortunately, Stuart Olson had con- its three different movement systems
siderable resources to draw from.” and other factors, that would have
By adapting its work schedule to the been impossible,” says Jones. To which Geotechnical and Materials Engineering
students, Stuart Olson enforced quiet Benning adds, “Another issue arose
periods and carried out the noisiest when the Calgary Public Library 115-200 RIVERCREST DRIVE SE
work after two p.m. and on weekends. expressed its desire to locate its new CALGARY, AB T2C 2X5 CANADA
facility in the same area as our build-
ing and needed a portion of the court
LOCATION site. So we arranged a land swap: we Structural Steel by
322 6th Avenue S.E. took only a portion of the court land
Calgary, Alberta and in exchange got a parkade site on
OWNER/DEVELOPER the south east corner of the lot.” This
Bow Valley College resulted in an L-shaped site and the
best of both worlds because it faced
PROJECT MANAGER
Duke Projects Inc.
the North Campus building across 6th
Avenue and fronted 7th Avenue and the
ARCHITECT new LRT Gateway station, a prime con-
GEC Architecture
sideration for Bow Valley College’s staff
GENERAL CONTRACTOR and students.
Stuart Olson Dominion Jones predicts the seven-storey
Construction Ltd. structure with three underground lev- Proud to have been part of building
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd.
els of parking “will be a lot easier to Red Deer’s landscape
build than the renovation in the first
phase. We designed it to be comple-
MECHANICAL ENGINEERS
Stantec Engineering (HVAC systems) mentary to the North Campus build-
UÊ
œ““iÀVˆ>Ê-iÀۈViÃ
Emans Smith Andersen (plumbing)
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER
Maskell Plensik and Partners
ÕÃ̜“Ê>LÀˆV>̈œ˜
ing with canopy elements and brick on UÊ-ÌÀÕVÌÕÀ>Ê-ÌiiÊ‡ÊœˆÃÌÊEÊiVŽˆ˜}ʇʈÃV°Ê-Ìii
the first level, as well as clay tile that
echoes the precast of the 1972 building UÊ
Engineering Inc. while being wholly contemporary in its UÊÀ>v̈˜}Ê-iÀۈViÃ
GEOTECHNICAL CONSULTANT expression.”
EBA Engineering Consultants Ltd. Benning points out that a remain- UÊ*œÀÌ>LiÃ
ing phase follows the completion of the
ROOF/WATERPROOFING
CONSULTANT South Campus building in 2013. “This 7:30am - 4pm
Baxter Roof Consulting Ltd. will be a $14-million undertaking to
relocate our continuing education
SURVEYING
IGI Geomatics
offices, as well as create more class- CWB Certified
rooms,” he says. “We’re very excited
TOTAL SIZE about the new look and the improved
554,000 square feet
TOTAL COST
$170 million
facilities of Bow Valley College. GEC
responded very well to our needs, and
both Duke Projects and Stuart Olson
(403) 309-6008
assembled a fantastic team that trans- 8012 Edgar Industrial Green
formed our designs into reality.” ■

OCTOBER 2010 55

p.52-55Bow Valley Phase II.indd 55 9/3/10 10:55:18 AM

 Proud to have been invited by
Chandos Construction Ltd. A Higher Level of Reliability
to provide our services at the NDT, Inspection and
Red Deer RCMP Detachment
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Do you have a project

of interest to our readers?
If you would like your project to be considered
Proud to be the Structural Consultant for the
Red Deer RCMP Detachment project
for a future issue of Award, please email:
#1100, 10117 Jasper Avenue, Phone: (780) 423-5855
Dan Chapman, Publisher
dchapman@canadawide.com Edmonton, Alberta Fax: (780) 425-7227
T5J 1W8 E-mail: protostatix@caisnet.com

Proud to be associated with the Red Deer RCMP Project

Celebrating 30 Years

6720-104 Street
Every step of the way, we’re here to serve you better.
At Chandos Construction, we offer the full range of construction services to support our clients in both the
Edmonton, AB
private and public sector.
Tel: 780.436.8617

120, 6330-12 Street S.E. Chandos Construction Ltd. www.chandos.com

Calgary, AB
Tel: 403.640.0101 Design Build Construction Management General Contracting

p.56-57Red Deer RCMP.indd 56 9/14/10 10:25:53 AM


Red Deer RCMP Detachment
by Laurie Jones
W hen the City of Red Deer began the process of
building a new RCMP primary detachment, the
options for a location and design were varied. But
with a collective of creative minds, the end result produced
a 95,000-square-foot building that not only houses all neces-
sary components for policing, but is a standout structure that
honours the history of the police force and will be a func-
tional resource for the community for decades.
“Fourteen potential sites were considered, including
an addition and renovations to the existing 2,400-square-
metre [7,872-square-foot] building across from Red Deer City
Hall,” says Bryon Jeffers, consultant for the City of Red Deer
and project manager for the RCMP detachment. “In the end,
however, we opted to go with a brand new site.”
“A primary reason for the location choice is its downtown
proximity and access to a major thoroughfare,” says Superin-
tendent Brian Simpson of the Red Deer RCMP. “This gives it a
high degree of visibility and easy public access. We are really
excited about our new building. The large front entrance is
very inviting which puts the station in a positive light and
allows people coming in to feel comfortable, whether they are
there for personal reasons or business.”
Rooms off the lobby will be available for commu-
nity groups such as Neighbourhood Watch, Commu-
nity Policing and Citizens on Patrol. “The building was
designed with the future in mind and extra space
built in,” says Simpson. “There is a training suite to
accommodate ongoing requirements we have as a police ser-
vice. It is a matter of economics rather than sending people
out of town for courses. As expected, we have a large number
of cells – an unfortunate part of our industry but necessary.”
From the onset, the two-storey building with a unique,
rotunda-style round lobby was designed with an open con-
cept to maximize natural light. The second floor also has an
airy feeling with clear glass guardrails surrounding hallways.
With reveals built into the drywall, a sense of openness is
apparent throughout several departments.
“The clear spaces perform two main functions – first, to
act as an organizational principle to create internal streets
for circulation,” says Steven Shamchuk, principal at ACI/
SKAL Joint Ventures. “But more importantly, because of the
high space, the windows collect warm air causing a green-
house effect. This air is then drawn off into the heat recovery
system in the mechanical room.”
p.56-57Red Deer RCMP.indd 57
RENDERINGS COURTESY KOIVUKANGAS ENVIRONMENTAL ART AND DESIGN INC.
Another driving factor for the design of this project is
CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design),
which allows surveillance and control of unauthorized peo-
ple in the building. “As a CPTED requirement, the lobby was
designed with a round layout so there are no corners for
concrete and covered over with dif-
ferent layers of acid-etched colour so
it’s like standing on a fossil bed,” says
Koivukangas.
While the steel building features
undesirables to hide,” says Garry Stephens, principal at aluminum and brick on the exterior,
Stephens Kozak Architects Ltd. “About halfway through the the combination of the materials’
design, we took RCMP members through other facilities that strength and the artwork makes it an
we had done, and discussed internal operations and some inviting structure. “We tried to select
options. They actually changed the way they do things inter- materials that have an enduring qual-
nally based on these designs.” ity,” says Harold Coles, senior project
Outside the building, several safety factors are built in, manager with Chandos Construction.
including the use of flagpoles in front of the lobby to prevent “Because it is a community institu-
cars from being driven into the facility. “We tried to reach tional building, it needs to have a longer
that delicate balance between security and approachability, service life and provide value in terms
not only for the public but for employees,” says Shamchuk. of low maintenance.” ■
One special feature to the new RCMP building is the
fibre optic LED star ceiling set 40 feet above the lobby floor. It
represents the constellation as it was in June 1875 when the LOCATION
Northwest Mounted Police came to the area. “As the City of 4602 51 Avenue
Red Deer, Alberta
Red Deer has a requirement that one per cent of every capital
project is to include public art, a tender request went out for OWNER/DEVELOPER
City of Red Deer
artistic additions to the building,” says Stephens. “The art-
ist responsible for the unique features, Ingrid Koivukangas, ARCHITECT
came up with outstanding ideas, including the star ceiling.” Stephens Kozak Architects Ltd. in
association with ACI Architects
Notable from the building’s exterior are larger-than-
life photographs captured in the glass walls with a process GENERAL CONTRACTOR
known as techno-graphic interlayers. “When I first drove Chandos Construction Ltd.
into the area, I was inspired by the scenery and wondered STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT
what it was like when it was just prairie,” says Ingrid Koi- Protostatix Engineering
vukangas, director of Koivukangas Environmental Art and Consultants Inc.
Design Inc. “I began working on an idea that would create MECHANICAL CONSULTANT
a sense of going back and forth in history.” She took land- Stantec Consulting Ltd.
scape photographs from different directions going out from ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT
the building, then overlaid archival photographs of North- AECOM
west Mounted Police on horseback (from the 1870s), and one
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
RCMP member from the 1940s in a Stetson hat. “We did this Douglas Walters Landscape
on three sides of the building, and on the front at the second Architect Ltd.
floor level, we inserted current photos of members in differ-
TOTAL AREA
ent uniforms. The images will become archival as well. The 95,000 square feet
project is called Navigating Histories.”
Adding to the lobby is a band of red on the concrete TOTAL COST
$22.5 million
floor to honour the area’s First Nations people. “There are
Ammonite and Metasequoia fossils etched straight into the
OCTOBER 2010 57
9/14/10 10:25:55 AM
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p.58-61Vaughan City Hall.indd 58 9/3/10 10:59:35 AM

 PHOTOS: TOM ARBAN
Vaughan City Hall
by Dan O’Reilly
W ith its distinctive 10-storey
clock tower, the soon-to-be-
completed $84.3-million,
280,000-square-foot Vaughan City Hall
signifies the rapid transformation of
the municipality from a rural area to an
urban-style community.
Designed by Kuwabara Payne
McKenna Blumberg Architects (KPMB)
and constructed by general contractor
Maystar General Contractors Inc., it will
replace an adjacent administration build-
ing that will eventually be demolished.
“Vaughan has grown into a major
urban centre and now we have an
award-winning City Hall that will be a
source of civic pride for many years to
come,” says Mayor Linda Jackson.
Slated to open this fall, the building,
which will achieve a proposed LEED
Gold certification, will anchor a 24-acre
civic square that will ultimately consist
of a resource library, a reflecting pool/
skating rink and public gardens.
The civic-centre-style campus will
also be home to an 84-unit affordable
housing complex, adjacent to the new
Vaughan City Hall, with ties to regional
transit links.
It was KPMB’s “precinct-style” pro-
posal which set it apart from several
other submissions in a design compe-
tition held a few years ago, says Peter
Berton, partner, + VG Architects, the
City’s professional advisor on the proj-
ect. Most of the other design proposals
contained one major building.
p.58-61Vaughan City Hall.indd 59
That concept was inspired by the traditional Ontario town
planning where a city hall, civic square, market and cenotaph
define an identifiable civic precinct, says KPMB associate and
project architect Goran Milosevic. “But it also draws from the
tradition of the European square, or piazza,” he says, “where
“AS WE STARTED TO DEVELOP [THE
DESIGN] WE WERE SO CLOSE TO GOLD,
AND FELT THAT THE CIVIC CENTRE
SHOULD STAND AS AN EXAMPLE OF CIVIC
LEADERSHIP IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL
architecture is used to define flexible central spaces for meet- SPHERE AND THE DECISION WAS MADE TO
ing and celebration.” TARGET A LEED GOLD STATUS.”
Because of the effort invested into the competition, the – GORAN MILOSEVIC
basic framework of the design was in place and only a few KPMB ASSOCIATE AND
minor alternations were required to the exterior and mass- PROJECT ARCHITECT
ing of the building after KPMB was selected, adds Milosevic.
There was significant close work and collaboration with the
City staff to fine-tune the internal operations of the building.
One milestone change was the decision to raise the bar
to LEED Gold instead of the original target of Silver. “As we
started to develop [the design] we were so close to Gold, and
felt that the Civic Centre should stand as an example of civic
leadership in the environmental sphere and the decision was
made to target a LEED Gold status.”
Achieving LEED Gold will be obtained through an array
of features including a high performance building envelope,
solar shading strategies, a number of green roofs and central
atrium spaces which will draw fresh air into the building and
reduce its reliance on mechanical systems.
The building’s clock tower will be a readily identifiable
symbol which will reinforce the its role as a community
gathering point. At the same time, the design team also
had to ensure that the building did not overwhelm adjacent
residential communities, says Milosevic.
It is for that reason the portions of the building clos-
est to those communities have been restricted to three and
two storeys. Shaped in an L-configuration, it is comprised
of three sections, each of which focuses on a central atrium
that draws daylight deep into the middle of the building, he
says. “Even on overcast days, there will be a minimal need of
artificial lighting.”
A building automation system designed by Stantec
OCTOBER 2010 59
9/3/10 10:59:36 AM
 Building Facade
BVDA FACADE ENGINEERING LIMITED Engineers –
Vaughan City Hall.
Specialists in Curtain
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Do you have a project
of interest to
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If you would like your project
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dchapman@canadawide.com
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p.58-61Vaughan City Hall.indd 60 9/14/10 9:25:33 AM

 COURTESY KUWABARA PAYNE MCKENNA BLUMBERG ARCHITECTS
Consulting Inc. enables the windows
within the atria to open under favour-
able conditions and allow fresh air into
the building. Large glazed areas in the
atriums are also fitted with motorized
blind systems which automatically
lower if the light or glare is too harsh,
says Milosevic.
Manually operated windows along
the perimeter of the building also
allow the employees to have some
control over their environment. The
building automation system will indi-
cate to building occupants when the
optimal time is to open the manually
operated windows.
As well, on each floor there are liter-
ally scores of manually and automati-
cally operated floor diffusers which
can be opened to take advantage of
the conditioned air circulating below
the 700-millimetre-high raised floors.
Wiring, power and data lines are also
carried through the access floors.
“There has been an effort to provide
LOCATION
2141 Major Mackenzie Drive
Vaughan, Ontario
OWNER
City of Vaughan
ARCHITECT
Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg
(KPMB)
PROFESSIONAL ADVISOR
+ VG Architects
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Maystar General Contractors Inc.
STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT
Halcrow Yolles
MECHANICAL CONSULTANT
Stantec Consulting Inc.
ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT
Mulvey & Banani International
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
Phillips Farevaag Smallenberg
BUILDING ENVELOPE CONSULTANT
BVDA Façade Engineering Ltd.
TOTAL BUILDING AREA
280,000 square feet
TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST
$84.3 million
p.58-61Vaughan City Hall.indd 61
DISANO SPRINKLER DESIGN LTD.
7181 Woodbine Ave, Suite No. 224
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level of individual control over their
environmental conditions,” explains
Milosevic.
1*1&"--
A major priority in the design and
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Some of those materials include corn
fibre panels, North American white Plumbing U Heating U Fire Protection
oak for much of the interior wood pan-
elling and granite clad exterior walls Proud to be the Mechanical
in the council chambers. The overall Contractor for the Vaughan
structure is concrete slab and circular City Hall project, this prestigious
columns with flared capitals.
Civic building.
From the perspective of Maystar
General Contractors Inc., building the
concrete structure has been the most 320 Hanlan Road, Unit 19, Woodbridge ON, L4L 3P6
demanding part of the job, says Wayne /i\ʙäx‡nx£‡£™ÓÇÊÊUÊÊ>Ý\ʙäx‡nx£‡ÓääÓ
Garrett, vice-president of construction.
“It is just a big, complicated project,”
says Garrett on the myriad challenges,
Birnie Electric would like to thank our partners
which include constant watering of the
on the West Orillia Sports Complex including
site to limit dust migration to the adja- EllisDon, PBK, Architects, IBEW LU 1739 and the
cent homes and existing Civic Centre. City of Orillia. A special thank you to all the men
and women who with their time and energy helped
Almost 50 subcontractors have
deliver this building on time, under budget and
worked on the building since construc- most importantly, without
tion started in March 2007, and about any serious injuries to any workers!
120 tradespeople and labourers were
on site at the peak of the project in early
August, he says. As those crews push
to complete the last reaming work, con-
ceptual planning for the civic square’s
second and third phases is taking BIRNIE ELECTRIC LIMITED
place. Design Build Electrical/ Datacomm Contractors
Incorporated since 1967/ IBEW/ ECAO Members
At the heart of the square will be 4055 SLADEVIEW CRES UNIT 12, MISSISSAUGA, ON, L5L 5Y1
www.birnie.com
a public garden and park designed by Now providing CurrentSafe Home Electrical Services
Vancouver-based Phillips Farevaag
Smallenberg. It will naturalize, as much
as possible, the area’s original ecology
with a mix of native trees and natural-
ized vegetation to minimize water and
maintenance requirements.
While the dream of a fully mature
and serviced civic square will take a
few more years to complete, the con-
struction of the new City Hall marks a
major turning point, says city manager
Clayton Harris. “The City Hall reflects
the characteristics that define our city:
namely, innovation, service and envi-
ronmental stewardship. It represents
an exciting step forward in a city al-
ready recognized for its quality of life,
business opportunities and economic
prosperity.” ■
OCTOBER 2010 61
9/14/10 9:25:35 AM
 Proud to have been the Design-Build Mechanical
Contractors on the West Orillia Sports Complex, Orillia.

www.sprintinsight.com

p.62-63West Orillia Sports.indd 62 9/3/10 11:00:41 AM

 T he West Orillia Sports Complex
is more than just an arena. In
addition to two NHL-sized ice
surfaces, the complex features a food
concession area, meeting space, four
schedule created the most difficulty.
“It didn’t get started until June of 2009
and had to be completed by September
2010,” he explains. With a fast-tracked
schedule, the timing is critical, agrees
relative to the legal boundaries. An
existing naturalized storm-water
pond, complete with island and walk-
ing trails, became a focal point for the
site plan, he adds. This pre-existing
Corporation,” explains Cousins. “The
electric/battery ice resurfacers have come
a long way and many ice facilities are
moving toward this green technology
for new purchasesor as replacements
lit tennis courts, a multi-use artificial Cousins. “It’s not easy getting the key city-owned storm-water pond on an come due.”
turf sports field, two junior natural turf people together to make decisions,” he adjacent parcel of land was also used Through forward thinking, the City
soccer pitches, one senior natural turf explains, “but we are on schedule for for the storm-water management plan of Orillia has created a recreational
soccer pitch, an accessible playground, completion.” since the Sports Complex property did facility that enables maximum year-
walking and biking trails, a field house Murphy also found the tight sched- not have sufficient space for one. round use, improving the quality of
with washrooms, and parking. ule was a challenge. “Rink slabs are The natural slope of the property life for all its residents, while minimiz-
Completed in just one phase, the extremely labour-intensive and must posed another challenge. “There were ing the impact on the environment. ■
complex is located on 26 acres of land
adjacent to the new Lakehead Univer-
sity campus.
The exterior palette and building
materials used for the West Orillia
Sports Complex take cues from the
West Orillia Sports Complex
area’s history. A limestone feature wall by Helen Lammers-Helps
and wood soffits recall local materials
used on the previous farmstead, ex-
plains architect Bernard Turkewitsch of
PBK Architects Inc. Black painted steel
columns refer to the historic black-
lacquered car finish originally manu-
factured in Orillia. Green-coloured
glazing and black-and-white masonry
enhance the feature materials.
The arena itself, called Rotary
Place, boasts many special and unusu-
al features. The main corridor features
polished concrete floors made with re-
cycled glass. Sunken ice pads provide
excellent views of the ice surfaces from
the main lobby. Spectator areas have
in-floor heating using heat reclaimed
from the ice-making plant. To make
use of natural light, the arena has sev-
eral windows. Typically, ice rinks do
not have windows in the immediate
COURTESY PBK ARCHITECTS INC.

rink areas as the heat from sunlight

impacts ice quality, explains Daniel
Murphy, project manager with Ellis-
Don Corporation, the design-build
contractor on the project. “However,
the architect has designed the rink to
allow natural light to enter by specify-
ing a specialty glass from Europe.”
The lobby at the front end of the be built correctly the first time. Fixing seven metres of relief across the site
building is architecturally complex them later is extremely expensive and but the soccer fields required a flat sur- LOCATION
for this type of facility, adds Murphy. time-consuming.” face,” explains Michael Buske, project 100 University Avenue
“There are many angles to the wall and One of the challenges of the site manager with C.C. Tatham & Asso- Orillia, Ontario
roof structure,” he explains. plan was to give sufficient prominence ciates Ltd. “We had to make sure the OWNER/DEVELOPER
One particular goal of the project to the athletic fields, says David Wood, gradient worked for drainage.” City of Orillia
was to come up with a design that a landscape architect with Envision- The sports complex was designed to ARCHITECT
would create a variety of recreational Tatham. “The challenge was to make sure achieve LEED Silver certification. The PBK Architects Inc.
opportunities year-round. One of the the soccer fields didn’t look like the ECO CHILL® refrigeration system is at
DESIGN-BUILD CONTRACTOR
sports fields has artificial turf, which back door of the arena,” he says. “It the heart of it all, says Cousins. It
EllisDon Corporation
will allow it to be used earlier in the was important it feel like two significant collects, recycles and re-uses the energy
spring and later into the fall than destinations.” This was accomplished used to maintain the ice surface, pro- STRUCTURAL/CIVIL CONSULTANT
natural turf, explains Dan Cousins, by creating a strong main entrance road viding heating in the stands and dress- C.C. Tatham & Associates Ltd.
manager of facilities, City of Orillia. from University Avenue that terminates ing rooms and reducing energy costs LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
Sod will be used on the sports fields on the soccer field house, while provid- and greenhouse gas emissions. Other Envision-Tatham
so they will be ready to go right away, ing access to the arena parking lot. A green features include electric ice- TOTAL AREA (ROTARY PLACE ARENA)
he adds. In addition to soccer, the arti- secondary site access also exists off of resurfacers to minimize emissions, 115,000 square feet
ficial turf pitch can be used for rugby Line 15. good public transportation access, a trail
TOTAL AREA (SITE)
and gridiron football. The layout of the soccer pitches system and the use of green cleaning 26 acres
All projects of this magnitude created some interesting geometry, products. “The City of Orillia has
will have some challenges. For Terry he adds. The best orientation for the ordered two new electric/battery ice TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST
$27 million
Smart, senior structural engineer with soccer pitches was on a north-south resurfacers [Olympia’s] and two new
C.C. Tatham & Associates Ltd., the axis but this created a skewed layout electric/battery ice edgers from Resurfice

OCTOBER 2010 63

p.62-63West Orillia Sports.indd 63 9/3/10 11:00:45 AM

 We are proud to have provided
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p.64-69Orthopedic Surgery Centre.indd 64 9/3/10 11:01:54 AM

 R esidents of Alberta who require
orthopedic surgery can soon
take advantage of a landmark
facility featuring state-of-the-art design
for quality patient care. The new Alberta
combined with the anticipated number
of patients and physicians – we were
able to come up with the number of
pre- and post-op stretcher spaces, the
number of operating rooms, and the
Health Services Orthopedic Surgery support spaces. When we determined
Centre, located in Edmonton at the an optimal length of stay for post-op
Royal Alexandra Hospital, will have patients, we were able to determine the
the ability to perform approximately number of inpatient rooms we would
4,000 joint surgeries each year at full need.”
capacity. Patients will receive health The five-storey building includes a
services at the new surgery centre in a registration area on the first floor, with
relaxing atmosphere, of which most surgical suites on the second floor, Rich Tracy, project manager at Eckert Wordell Archi-
are private inpatient rooms. “The new leaving the third and fourth floors for patient rooms. The tects, says one of the things they aimed for was combining
facility will improve accessibility for top floor houses all mechanical equipment needed to sup- pre- and post-op into one floor. “Even though these areas
patients needing hip and knee replace- port the operations of the building. In addition to the ped- are separated by space, they are connected by a centre core
ments,” says Lois Stefaniuk, site direc- way being a walkway for staff and patients, it also provides for staff as they work on both pre- and post-op patients.
tor, Royal Alexandra Hospital. “It will a service corridor for diesel fuel, steam to heat the building, HIP Architects provided local advice on the intrica-
be operated as a high-efficiency centre communications wiring, and a pneumatic tube that goes cies of living and working in the Alberta region, includ-
to maximize capacity, and we’re very from the surgery centre to the main hospital to transfer ing the challenges of weather. “Building a project of this
proud to be opening it for service to physical samples to the labs. continued on page 68
patients in the coming months.”
The Orthopedic Surgery Centre will
provide a unique environment for treat-
ment, including family-oriented recov-
ery programs for patients needing hip
Orthopedic Surgery Centre –
and knee replacements. Designing the
building meant considering special
needs of people with mobility issues.
Royal Alexandra Hospital
The original design questions required by Laurie Jones
an understanding of the methods
required to process patients efficiently
while providing quality care, which is
the goal of Alberta Health Services. “A
part of our medical practice has been
focused on both inpatient and outpa-
tient planning and design,” says Jeff
Eckert, principal at Eckert Wordell
Architects in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
“With this project in particular, we
also needed to connect the Orthopedic
Surgery Centre with the Royal Alexan-
dra Hospital, which was achieved by
including a 100-foot pedway, making
it easy to move both equipment and
people.”
The combined efforts of Eckert
Wordell, locally based HIP Architects,
and the Royal Alexandra Hospital phy-
sicians and staff, including Dr. Don
Dick, medical lead, Orthopedic Sur-
gery, Edmonton Zone, determined the
most optimum layout that would best
suit the needs of everyone involved.
Eckert says before they even began
to consider the architecture and de-
sign, they looked at the technology
PHOTOS: JIM DOBIE PHOTOGRAPHY

that was to go into the surgical suites,

how physicians perform surgery, and
the expected patient volume. “We
took into consideration how patients
are going to arrive and researched the
technology that was going to be used
for operating. After determining this –

OCTOBER 2010 65

p.64-69Orthopedic Surgery Centre.indd 65 9/3/10 11:02:01 AM

p.64-69Orthopedic Surgery Centre.indd 66 9/3/10 11:02:06 AM
 Proud to be part of the
Royal Alexandra Hospital
Orthopedic Surgery
Centre project team.

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p.64-69Orthopedic Surgery Centre.indd 67 9/3/10 11:02:14 AM

 Proud to be a Supplier and nature in our climate requires special
Installer of Fireproofing consideration for the harsh winter
Materials on the Orthopedic conditions,” says Allan Partridge,
Surgery Centre - Royal principal. “As such, the entrance fea-
Western Inc. Alexandra Hospital project. tures a large overhang so when people
with mobility problems arrive in the
morning, they are well covered so
Tel: 780-448-1660 Fax: 780-448-0102
they don’t slip and fall. This is more
than a canopy as the building is set
Congratulations to Stuart Olson Construction back on the main floor. Post-surgery
patients are also sheltered while they
We are proud to have done the concrete are getting used to their new hip or
flatwork for the Orthopedic Surgery new knee and have mobility prob-
Center - Royal Alexandra Hospital lems. This was a very strong aspect
“Your Flat Floor Specialists” 14217-128A Ave Edmonton, AB T5L 4P5 of the design discussion during the
“Changing The Face Of The Concrete Telephone: 780-818-4102 Fax: 780-475-1502 initial process.”
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replaces a former parking lot for the
t
$6450.
4)&&5
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Proud to have provided foodservice consulting for
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JIM DOBIE PHOTOGRAPHY
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campus has been virtually built out,
maximizing the use of this last piece
of available land was paramount,” says
Paul Fereday, project director with
Stuart Olson Dominion Construction
Ltd. “The building footprint was taken
to the furthest extent of the property
line – so much so that two of the exte-
rior walls had to be fire-rated because
of their close vicinity to the adjacent
properties. This lead to having no lay-
down area for materials. Just-in-time
delivery was a reality, where materials
arrived by truck and were immediately
erected by the building crews.”
Late in the summer of 2009, Black-
top Paving’s concrete crew began work
on the external concrete flatwork at
the Centre. The majority of the side-
walks, curbs and gutters, and load-
ing dock was completed that summer,
with the remainder finished in spring
2010. Although civil concrete work is
Blacktop Paving’s strongest asset, this
project was extra challenging as it had
to meet the approval of the Capital
Health inspectors.
The look of the building makes a
statement in itself, says Fereday. “It is,
by far, one of the most striking interiors
and exteriors I’ve seen in the hospital.
68 OCTOBER 2010
p.64-69Orthopedic Surgery Centre.indd 68
Its multi-coloured aluminum panel-
ling and extensive glazing set it apart
from the rest of the campus.” This level
of architectural detailing is carried
inside with curving bulkheads mir-
rored by the same curving floor design
throughout the building. The four-
storey glazed atrium brings sunlight
into the lobby and the family lounges
on every floor. The lobby welcomes
visitors with a water wall and tropical
plants to help create a calming envi-
ronment. The extensive daylight inside
the facility creates a warm and positive
atmosphere for patient recovery and
staff job satisfaction.
In closing, Fereday notes, “This was
a ‘quiet’ project in that there was a real
team approach to resolve any issues
that arose, which speaks of the great
project members that participated.” ■
LOCATION
10969 102 Street
Edmonton, Alberta
OWNER/DEVELOPER
Alberta Health Services
ARCHITECT/INTERIOR DESIGN
Eckert Wordell Architects
ASSOCIATE ARCHITECT
HIP Architects
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
Stuart Olson Dominion
Construction Ltd.
STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT
Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd.
MECHANICAL CONSULTANT
Hemisphere Engineering Inc.
CIVIL CONSULTANT
ISL Engineering & Land Services
GEOTECHNICAL CONSULTANT
EBA Engineering Consultants Inc.
FOOD SERVICE CONSULTANT
Kaizen Foodservice Planning
& Design Inc.
TOTAL AREA
87,683 square feet
TOTAL COST
$82.2 million
9/3/10 11:02:21 AM
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 200 - 505 7 ST. S. LETHBRIDGE AB T1J 2G8
TEL. 403.320.2722 FAX 403.328.9457
WEB SITE: WWW.MATTHEWARCHITECT.COM
E-MAIL: JOSEPH@MATTHEWARCHITECT.COM

CHINOOK HIGH SCHOOL

WEST LETHBRIDGE CENTRE, LETHBRIDGE ALBERTA

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Congratulations to Lethbridge School District No. 51, Holy Spirit School Division and the City of Lethbridge.
Ward Bros. is honoured to have been the General Contractor for West Lethbridge Centre

General Contractors/Construction Managers

1705 - 36th Street North,
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Phone: (403) 328-6698 Fax: (403) 328-6652

p.70-75Lethbridge_Athletic.indd 70 9/3/10 11:05:25 AM

 T he new West Lethbridge Centre
consists of two high schools –
one a public high school and
the other the west campus of a sepa-
rate school division (Roman Catholic)
the dual-phase construction process.
The public school can accommo-
date 1,100 students, while the separate
school division high school is about
half the size with a capacity of 450.
a new community, soon to be built on
the south side of the Centre. Like the
library, the main entrance has a roof
extension to provide protection from
the elements.
consulting to the school division for
20 years. “We set up a joint venture
with Sahuri because of the size of the
project,” says Matthew. Carpets are
rubber-backed and vandal-resistant
high school – and a municipal public The library has been designed by Sahuri + Partners also worked on drywall also improves soundproof-
library. Located on a 50-acre site that Sahuri + Partners as a focal point and the public school in joint venture with ing.
includes sports fields and ample park- is beside the Centre’s main entrance. J.A. Matthew Architect Ltd. The school The separate school campus is
ing, the project of three main build- It’s also designed to optimize the use includes a locally-funded media cen- focused on science and engineering,
ings joined together, with the main of natural light, and this was done tre, available for school and commu- says Dan Westwood, a principal at
entrance and library at a central point with plenty of low-E, argon-filled dou- nity use, with capacity for 350 people. Ferrari Westwood, and includes labs
in the approximately 500-metre long ble glazing facing south at the main The number and types of classrooms, for physics, chemistery and biology.
complex, is the first of its kind in level, as well as clerestory windows. administrative space, gym, washrooms All three buildings are designed
southern Alberta. “The clerestory brings light into the and other parameters are set by the to LEED Silver standard. Sustainable
The west side of Lethbridge, where
the Centre is located on a new sub-
division, is separated from the rest
of the city by a deep valley, exten-
sive parkland and the Old Man River.
Explaining the rationale behind the
West Lethbridge Centre
new educational complex, Lea Swit- by Godfrey Budd
zer, chair of the West Lethbridge
Centre steering committee, says,
“The west side contains the univer-
sity and is growing exponentially and
there are not enough schools for the
current population.” The steering
committee represents the owners –
the two school divisions and the City
of Lethbridge.
When developing school projects,
builders, consultants and others in-
volved in the process face a range of
bureaucratic regimes across the coun-
COURTESY J.A. MATTHEW ARCHITECT LTD.

try. Take school boards. These and their

respective powers and responsibilities
vary from one province to another and,
indeed, can vary over time within a
province, which is true of Alberta. Un-
til the mid-1990s, the province’s school
boards had the power to levy tax to
support local education, but in 1994
the government eliminated this right
for the 42 public school districts, but
not for the 17 separate ones.
Getting a new school project off
the ground can be complex in Alberta.
First, there are three departments in- centre of the library,” says Dave Illsey, province’s school project program.
volved – education, municipal affairs project manager at Sahuri + Partners Because of provincial budget
and infrastructure. Switzer says that Architecture Inc. Besides plenty of constraints, there’s less glazing for
the infrastructure department ini- daylight, the library’s natural look is the school, which has a cladding of
tially requested a P3 proposal. This also enhanced with glulam columns wheat-coloured brick and galvalume.
was done, but the province rejected it and structural support beams. The architects for the public school
COURTESY SAHURI + PARTNERS ARCHITECTURE INC.

as too expensive. Then the province The adjacent main entrance, which and library collaborated with Ferrari
requested a two-phase proposal. “We faces south and is about three storeys Westwood Babits Architects, the ar-
did the proposal plans and they were high, includes an expanse of south-fac- chitect for the separate school, on ma-
accepted,” says Switzer. It was under- ing curtain wall of glass and galvalum terials, but not design. “But the firm’s
stood that provincial funding for Phase running the height of the entrance look shows a connection between the
2 would be disbursed in a couple of to maximize natural light streaming two, as was intended,” says Illsey.
years. Then, after tenders were out and into the entrance and concourse area. The school flooring is mostly sheet
construction begun, the steering com- This runs south to north, and provides vinyl, but with porcelain tile used in
mittee learned that the province had connection and easy access between some of the main lobby and vestibule
decided to release funds for Phase 2 sports fields, playgrounds and outdoor areas, says Joseph Matthew, principal
sooner, in effect removing any need for teaching areas on the north side, and at J.A. Matthew, which has provided

OCTOBER 2010 71

p.70-75Lethbridge_Athletic.indd 71 9/3/10 11:05:28 AM


Proud to be part of the West Lethbridge Centre Project.
#5-1507 - 33 Street North, Lethbridge Alberta T1H 5H2
Telephone: (403) 398-9896 Fax: (403) 380-6255
We are proud to have
applied the Urethane Foam
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Box 1669 Coaldale, Alberta T1M 1N3
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ACOUSTICS LTD.
We are proud to have been the steel stud, insulation, drywall and acoustic
ceiling contractor for the West Lethbridge Centre - Phase I and II.
ARCHITECTURAL ACOUSTICS AND
ENVIRONMENTAL NOISE CONTROL
2828 Toronto Crescent NW s Calgary, AB s T2N 3W2
Tel: 403-283-1191 s Fax: 403-289-4988 s arcosacoustic@shaw.ca
PROUD MILLWORK SUPPLIERS FOR THE
WEST LETHBRIDGE CENTRE
PHOENIX WOODWORK & INTERIORS LTD.
1221 Inkster Blvd. Winnipeg, Manitoba R2X 1P4
Ph: (204) 480-8331 | Fax: (204) 480-8905
72 OCTOBER 2010
p.70-75Lethbridge_Athletic.indd 72
COURTESY J.A. MATTHEW ARCHITECT LTD.
COURTESY SAHURI + PARTNERS ARCHITECTURE INC.
Representing:
CONNOR ®
HARDWOOD COURTS
1235 - 36 St. North,
Lethbridge AB T1H 6L5
Tel: 403-327-2501 Fax: 403-327-8064
E-Mail: roestacoustics@shaw.ca
design features include hot water
www.roestacoustics.com
radiant panels located near the ceil-
ings for heating, low-VOC building
materials, low speed, displacement
ventilation via vents close to the floor,
low-flow plumbing fixtures and one
centralized mechanical plant for the
whole complex.
Mechanical has three separate con-
trol systems, each of which can be op-
erated independently of the other. “We
designed the ventilation system so as
to assist the movement of warmer air
upwards and out and with cooler air
coming in at the bottom,” says John
Munroe, an engineer at AECOM Can-
ada Ltd.
A wind capture device on the library
uses the natural windiness of the
region to take in air and distribute
ventilation. “Typically, this would be
fan-assisted,” says Munroe.
Darren Boras, project manager for
Ward Bros Construction Ltd., says that
West Lethbridge Centre, located in a
hitherto green area at the western tip
of Alberta’s windiest city, provides a
new shelter belt against the prevailing
winds. During construction, however,
the winds also provided a challenge
for bricklayers, cranes and concrete
pumping booms.
LOCATION
251, 255, 259 Britannia Boulevard
West
Lethbridge, Alberta
OWNER/DEVELOPER
City of Lethbridge
Lethbridge School District No. 51
Separate School Division No. 4
ARCHITECT (SCHOOL AND LIBRARY)
Sahuri + Partners Architecture Inc.
and J.A. Matthew Architect Ltd.
ARCHITECT (SEPARATE SCHOOL)
Ferrari Westwood Babits Architects
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Ward Bros Construction Ltd.
STRUCTURAL/
MECHANICAL CONSULTANT
AECOM Canada Ltd.
ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT
Stebnicki & Partners
CIVIL ENGINEERING CONSULTANT
Associated Engineering Alberta Ltd.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
Eidos Consultants Inc.
ACOUSTICAL CONSULTANT
ARCOS Accoustical Consulting Ltd.
DESIGN CONSULTANT (LIBRARY)
Resource Planning Group Inc.
COST CONSULTANT
Tech-Cost Consultants Ltd.
TOTAL AREA
212,000 square feet
TOTAL PROJECT COST
$107 million (estimate)
Roads had not been built, nor gas
utilities hooked up when construction
started on the three-year project. The
workers contended with wind and
snowdrifts in winter and, in spring,
progress wasn’t helped by a network
of water pools that formed after the
snow had melted. “Also, the last two
years have been wetter than usual,”
says Boras.
Despite the hurdles, construction
stayed on schedule for the start of
school in September. ■
9/3/10 11:05:32 AM
 W hen classes began at Trent
University in September, it
was more than just the start
of a new school year. The renovated and
expanded athletic complex under con-
struction since July 2009 – now called
the Trent Community Sport and Recre-
ation Centre – was completed.
“There is a 22,000-square-foot addi-
tion and refurbishment to the existing
54,000-square-foot athletics facility,”
says architect Duff Balmer from Shore
Tilbe Perkins + Will. “The addition
includes a fitness centre, sports medi-
cine clinic, climbing wall and a state-
of-the-art indoor rowing tank. This
new facility complements the existing
one housing the gymnasium, aquatics
centre, change rooms, squash courts
and administrative spaces, all of which
were upgraded as part of the project.”
Generous glazing provides views of
the adjacent Otonabee River and the
surrounding campus, Balmer says. “In
the interior, new and existing spaces
have been designed with maximum
functionality and interaction in mind,
allowing new programs to be offered
to both students and the larger com-
munity.”
Along West Bank Drive, the build-
ing acts as a gateway element and is
seamlessly connected to the existing
stadium field and campus pathways by
generous plazas and landscaped spaces.
“A palette of black anodized metal, pol-
ished architectural concrete block,
wood and copper tie in with the strong
architectural vocabulary of the exist-
ing Trent campus,” Balmer says.
Trent Community Sport and Recreation
Centre – Trent University
by Christine Peets
RENDERINGS COURTESY SHORE TILBE PERKINS+WILL
p.70-75Lethbridge_Athletic.indd 73
The new addition is being considered for LEED Silver cer-
tification. To achieve this, there are mechanical, environmen-
tal, and electrical design features in place. “There is a heat
recovery unit on each of the new air handlers so less energy
is used for heating ventilation air in the winter and cooling in
the summer,” says Kristen Yee Loong, LEED consultant and
project manager for the Green Buildings group at Enermodal
Engineering Ltd. The carbon dioxide sensors in the air han-
dlers allow for them to operate on a demand control ventila-
tion scheme, Yee Loong says. If high levels of carbon dioxide
are sensed, more ventilation is provided to the space.
Yee Loong says the environmental aspects for the LEED
design include plant species that are native or adaptive, re-
moving the need for irrigation. Landscaping has reduced
the amount of asphalt replacing it with softscape and light-
coloured hardscape such as concrete. “This helps to reduce
the heat island effect. Furthermore, the roof of the addition
is white, which also helps to reduce heat island effect.”
Smith + Andersen Consulting Engineering provided
HVAC, plumbing and fire protection systems. Mechanical
engineer Kevin Key says that various measures to reduce
water and energy consumption, including dual-flow toilets,
sinks and showers, were utilized. Variable-speed drives
were installed wherever possible on pumps and fans in the
energy-recovery units.
New and renovated facility electrical designs by Mul-
vey & Banani International Inc. meet the needs of an ac-
tive athletic and multi-use recreational facility, according to
engineer Remus Banulescu. “All components are of modu-
lar construction for fast and efficient servicing and provide
flexibility for ongoing reconfigurations as well as ease of
operation, maintenance and flexibility,” Banulescu says.
“A new 600/347V power supply was provided from a cus-
tomer-owned pad mounted 13.8kV switchgear and a trans-
former (1000kVA, 13.8kV-600V) assembly. The switchgear
and transformer assembly is fed from the university’s 13.8
kV high-voltage campus distribution system.”
State-of-the-art components in the addition consume
minimal energy to achieve LEED Silver certification. These
include:
• high-efficiency light sources and lighting fixtures
with electronic ballasts;
• specially designed illumination systems and the
choice of light sources; and
• high-efficiency and high-colour-rendering lamps,
as well as energy-saving electronic fluorescent
ballasts.
Banulescu says floor-mounted receptacles for the equip-
ment in the fitness centre and cardio areas are flush with
the finished floor, offering flexibility and easy connection
of equipment.
To meet LEED requirements, construction materials with
a high amount of recycled content were used as much as
possible in the new addition. Another consideration was
to source materials that are manufactured and extracted
within 800 kilometres of the site, thereby reducing emis-
sions associated with transportation, Yee Loong says. On-
site construction waste separation ensured that materials
were diverted from landfills. The health of those using the
building was also taken into consideration. “Low-VOC ad-
hesives, sealants, paints and coatings are selected to ensure
installers and building occupants are not exposed to nau-
seous, irritating odours. Long-term, VOCs react with sun-
light and nitrogen in the atmosphere to form ground-level
ozone, which is detrimental to human health, forests and
the ecosystem,” says Yee Loong.
“Maintaining an operational facility without disrupt-
ing the client [university] while we did the shoring, under-
pinning and excavating proved challenging,” says Diane
Damaso, business development co-ordinator for Graham
Construction and Engineering Ltd. “Also, the installation
of the therapy tank and rowing tank were big features of
the project.”
This project was undertaken by the university and
embraced by the community with a considerable one-
million-dollar [$1,000,000] investment by the City of
Peterborough combined with on-going financial support
from Trent’s students.
“The launch of the new Trent Community Sport and
OCTOBER 2010 73
9/3/10 11:05:36 AM
p.70-75Lethbridge_Athletic.indd 74 9/3/10 11:05:38 AM
 Recreation Centre fulfilled a commit-
LOCATION ment to our students and responded
1600 West Bank Drive to the City of Peterborough’s vision
Peterborough, Ontario to create a dedicated sport and recre- Proud to have provided MechoShade Roller Shades
ation centre to serve the city’s grow- for the Trent Community Sport and Recreation Centre.
OWNER/DEVELOPER
Trent University ing north-end population,” says Dianne 5080 Timberlea Blvd., Unit 14 Mississauga, ON L4W 4M2
Lister, vice president of External Tel: (905) 602-6794 Toll Free: 1-888-765-9993
ARCHITECT Fax: (905) 238-9342 www.cartsplushealthcare.com
Relations and Advancement. “We thank
Shore Tilbe Perkins + Will
the City and our students for their
GENERAL CONTRACTOR significant investments, and the
Industrial & Commercial
Graham Construction &
Engineering Inc.
donors who have rallied behind the Cremers
Brothers
creation of this important community PROUD TO HAVE BEEN PART OF THE
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER asset.” TEAM FOR THE BUILDING OF
Halcrow Yolles By expanding and renewing Trent’s
athletics facilities, the university will
Electric Ltd. TRENT UNIVERSITY “ATHLETIC COMPLEX”
MECHANICAL ENGINEER
be able to offer the community and PO Box 2086, Peterborough, ON K9J 7Y4
Smith + Andersen Consulting
its students a full-spectrum of indoor
30 Years Experience Tel: 705-742-3489 Fax: 705-742-4411
Engineering
and outdoor athletics and recreation
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER
experiences unparalleled anywhere
Mulvey & Banani International Inc.
in the region says Bill Byrick, director
LEED CONSULTANT of athletics. “The Trent Community
Enermodal Engineering Ltd. Sport and Recreation Centre design “We were proud to be part of the
BUILDING ENVELOPE CONSULTANT will serve as a magnet to attract com-
munity users of all ages, and prospec-
Graham Construction team,
Geo Logic, Inc.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
tive students interested in our high congratulations on another job well done”
Flesher Rideout Partnership Inc. quality academic programs, varsity
sports and award winning intramural
TOTAL PROJECT SIZE programs.”
76,000 square feet Byrick emphasizes that the Cen-
TOTAL PROJECT COST tre is fostering existing relationships
$16 million with sporting groups and creating Unit 29 347 Pido Road,
TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST
opportunities to forge new alliances Peterborough, ON K9J 6X7
$11.8 million with sporting organizations seeking Tel: 705-749-3317 Fax: 705-749-9248
access to high-calibre facilities for www.geo-logic.ca
athletes. ■

OCTOBER 2010 75

p.70-75Lethbridge_Athletic.indd 75 9/3/10 11:05:42 AM

 Congratulations to ACC on their new Trades Facility. Proud member of the
Len Evans Centre of Trades
& Technology Assiniboine
Community College
Pydee Engineering Company Ltd. design team.
1018 Sherbrook Street
PYDEE
Engineering
Winnipeg MB R3A 1N8
(204) 949-4949 www.pydee.com
Co., Ltd.
Millwrighting, Equipment Moving
Overhead Cranes

Pydee is proud to be part of the Akman Construction team

to relocate all equipment and consumables at ACC.

Len Evans Centre

of Trades & Technology -
Assiniboine Community College

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p.76-79Len Evans.indd 76 9/3/10 11:07:05 AM

 Len Evans Centre of
Trades & Technology –
Assiniboine Community College
by Bill Armstrong
T he familiar line, “If you build it, they will come,” with
some refurbishment added, applies to the greatly ex-
panded trades and technology school at Assiniboine
Community College (ACC) in Brandon, Manitoba. The col-
lege is welcoming students from all of its trades programs
with the opening of the Len Evans Centre of Trades &
Technology this fall.
While the Centre – named for a former MLA who repre-
sented Brandon in the provincial legislature for 30 years – is
new, it is also a hybrid. In fact, the opening of the Centre
marks the second of three phases to move the entire college
from Brandon’s east end into a collection of vintage build-
ings in a park-like setting on the city’s North Hill. Combin-
ing 2010 building codes and construction materials with
1930s heritage to create an efficient educational facility has
proven to be an interesting and satisfying experience for
everyone involved with the project.
ACC was established at its existing site in the 1960s,
with an addition completed in 1982. The college was “on
the cusp of another expansion” this past decade, explains
interim president and CEO Jim Brinkhurst. The options
were to build on a parking lot beside the existing campus,
or move the entire institution to a “magnificent” 160-acre
site graced with historic buildings that had served as the
Brandon Mental Health Centre until it closed in the 1990s.
ACC began the relocation by moving its Culinary Arts
program into the imposing former nurses’ residence, a
heritage structure. Phase 2 includes new construction plus
renovations to the Pine Ridge building, built in 1932, which
has heritage elements.
The North Hill Development Consortium – comprised
New construction meets heritage building; rendering in centre shows full layout, including courtyard.
PHOTO AND RENDERING: CIBINEL ARCHITECTS LTD.
p.76-79Len Evans.indd 77
CIBINEL ARCHITECTS LTD.
of ADA Holdings, Akman Construction Ltd. and Cibinel
Architects Ltd. – was responsible for delivering the completed
project to Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation, on
behalf of ACC. ADA Holdings, represented by manager Bob
Shaer, coordinated the project and provided interim financ-
sloppy; academic programs change.
Think long-term. One hundred years
is a reasonable time frame.”
“The planning and construction of
a major academic project can be three
ing during the renovation/construction phase. to six years,” Cibinel continues, “and
The Pine Ridge restoration required some hard slogging. by the time the doors open, you will
More than 300 tons of concrete, brick and steel were find that the programs have evolved,
removed from the building interior by hand before it could the stakeholders have changed and
be rebuilt for use as classroom and office space. Even with the building we began designing be-
this considerable hurdle, for project designer and architect gins adapting already. Design for that!
George Cibinel there was never any doubt that re-using the Maintaining an adaptive re-use phi-
Pine Ridge building was the right choice. Cibinel and fellow losophy means saving dollars and sav-
architects Gail Little and Mark Ager, along with the rest of ing the environment by capitalizing
the design team conducted a comparative analysis of reno- on the stock of constructed buildings
vation of the building with an addition, versus constructing we have.”
a new freestanding facility. The integrated design process Refurbishing, however, always poses
included the development of schematic designs, outline greater challenges than building new,
specifications and class C costing. In the end, the renova- adds Victor Neudorf, the project man-
tion-addition option won in every category. ager for Akman Construction, which
“It was the least expensive,” states Cibinel. “It made use managed the construction project. He
of the existing Pine Ridge building well, and it created a credits good tradespeople for installing
dynamic place that was tied to the history of North Hill.” new electrical and mechanical systems
Cibinel brought valuable experience with other heritage in the old building without drawing
buildings and academic facilities to the project. His approach attention to them, and to the painters
is a good fit with the green building policy requirements for restoring the original woodwork to
set out by the provincial department of Infrastructure and an almost-new look. “One of my favou-
Transportation, which owns the North Hill property and rite moments,” says Neudorf, “was
buildings. “Don’t try to tear a building apart and change walking through Pine Ridge after the
the existing fabric to get a tight fit to the functional pro- construction cleaners were finished
gram,” Cibinel advises. “It doesn’t matter if the fit is a bit and seeing what the building might
COURTESY ASSINIBOINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
OCTOBER 2010 77
9/3/10 11:07:07 AM
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p.76-79Len Evans.indd 78 9/3/10 11:07:09 AM

 have looked like in 1932.”
The three-storey, 30,000-square- LOCATION
foot Pine Ridge building now houses Assiniboine Community College
offices, plus classrooms for the smaller Brandon, Manitoba
trades. Two second-storey bridges OWNER/DEVELOPER
link the original building with a sleek Assiniboine Community College
new pre-engineered building and a ARCHITECT
traditional structural steel building Cibinel Architects Ltd.
that, combined, add another 105,000
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
square feet. The entire project has Akman Construction Ltd.
secured LEED Silver certification, and
a submission has been made to obtain STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT/
BUILDING ENVELOPE CONSULTANT
LEED Gold. Crosier Kilgour & Partners Ltd.
The layout of the three buildings
creates a central courtyard with trades MECHANICAL CONSULTANT
MIKE KARAKAS

Epp Siepman Engineering Inc.

activities and materials as a focal point,
visible from the second-floor corri-
dors that surround it. “The courtyard
visually connects teaching spaces and
casual study and fun spaces,” Cibinel explains. “It creates a
sense of community and helps to maintain the neatly orga-
nized, pastoral look of the hillside campus.”
Credit for retaining that pastoral look goes to Heather
Cram, a principal in Hilderman Thomas Frank Cram, and
Natasa Jucks, who were part of the integrated design team.
“The main challenge to developing a heritage site such as
this,” Cram explains, “is to seamlessly integrate site ameni-
ties without compromising the existing features. We incor-
porated the mature tree stock into the design and worked
with the dramatic slope of the site, adding vegetation where
new roadways or parking were required, while maintaining
the views and vistas of the original design.”
Cram adds that the site development work was part
of the overall effort to achieve LEED certification, spe-
cifically by minimizing site disturbance, restoring open
ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT
SMS Engineering Ltd.
CIVIL CONSULTANT
space and implementing water-efficient landscaping by Samson Engineering Inc.
planting hardy, drought-resistant plant species. Akman LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
Construction contributed by recycling waste, installing Hilderman Thomas Frank Cram
triple-glazed windows in the Pine Ridge building and
TOTAL AREA
spraying its outer walls with Icynene, a spray foam 135,000 square feet
insulation. Energy-efficient HVAC systems throughout
the building also contributed to the LEED certification, TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST
$45 million
although Brinkhurst notes that last winter, two con-
struction heaters were adequate for the tradespeople
working inside the Pine Ridge building.
The additional flexible space and the new location will
serve students and instructors well, adds Brinkhurst, but
there’s another characteristic that particularly delights him. natural light. It’s a phenomenal out-
“As I walked through the old building, I noticed that almost come that gives each space something
every room has natural light,” he notes. “Even a woodwork- special, and I think our students will
ing shop inside the building connects with windows with enjoy it.” ■

OCTOBER 2010 79

p.76-79Len Evans.indd 79 9/3/10 11:07:11 AM

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Architecture Information Services
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p.80-83Academic Canal Site_Carlyle.indd 80 9/3/10 11:08:56 AM

 Academic Building –
Canal Site – Carleton University
by Angela Altass
C arleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, will soon
have a new academic building to house a new Mas-
ter of Applied Science in Biomedical Engineering
program as well as aerospace and sustainable engineering
programs.
“A substantial amount of space in the building will also
be set up for graduate student growth and new academic
programs or units,” says Darryl Boyce, assistant vice-
president of Facilities Management and Planning, Carle-
ton University. “The facility will also house programs that
directly contribute to our academic focus on sustainability,
environmental and health policy and regulation, and
globalization.”
Located alongside the Rideau Canal, the 95,000-square-
foot Canal Building, scheduled for substantial completion
in December, has been designed to meet a high level of
sustainability. “The building’s sustainability has been rated
using the Green Globes rating system and is currently rated
at 5 Green Globes, which is the highest level,” says Boyce.
“We are also using the latest technology in building auto-
mation and the automation control system will operate on
the IT communication network down to the field device
level. We will be using the latest performance evaluation
strategies published by ASHRAE to evaluate and monitor
the energy and indoor environment for the operation of the
facility.”
The building has been designed and built to Green Globe
standards and, as such, is a green building, says Robert
MacLean, president, R.E. Hein Construction. “Carleton
University, like other institutions and property owners, has
moved toward sustainability,” says MacLean. “The design
concept sought to improve the building’s energy efficiency
and has incorporated leading edge controls and smart
building management, an energy efficient building enve-
lope, photovoltaics and a ‘live’ roof.”
COURTESY GRC ARCHITECTS
p.80-83Academic Canal Site_Carlyle.indd 81
The vision of the architectural design
was to create a building in context and
material suitable for the university, says
Alex Rankin of GRC Architects. “Two
firms, Moriyama & Teshima Architects
and GRC Architects originated their
joint venturing on the Canadian War
Museum,” says Rankin. “This joint ven-
ture continued for a project for Carleton
University, however, the project siting
was changed to two sites and two build-
ings. This results in one called the
Canal Building and the other called the
River Building. Both of these have pro-
ceeded to construction with the Canal
Building scheduled to be finished first.
Moriyama & Teshima Architects pro-
vided the concept design for both build-
ings. GRC Architects developed the
design and construction documents for
the Canal Building.”
The Canal Building links and forms
part of the adjacent Engineering
Building Complex, notes Rankin.
“The building forms a landscape plaza
bound by the Architecture Building
and the Student Commons,” he says.
“The highly visible west facade pro-
duces shading from the low western
sun and provides a strong visible state-
ment to Colonel By and the western
side of the campus. A shallow L-shaped
form allows maximum daylight pene-
tration to classrooms, laboratories and
offices.”
The principal goal is to integrate the building within
the campus and ensure a consistent, high-quality land-
scape that blends seamlessly with the rest of the campus,
says Martha Lush of Corush Sunderland Wright. “The
Canal Building is located in the heart of the campus with
the main entrance fronting onto the principal pedestrian
route through the campus centre,” says Lush. “Facing the
entrance on the other side of the walkway is an interior
courtyard with two buildings fronting onto it. The Canal
Building landscape must create a distinctive front entrance,
address the principal pathway and balance with the quad
for the University Centre and Architecture buildings. Pav-
ing material is cast-in-place concrete with accent pavers,
low retaining walls, street furniture and lighting to provide
outdoor amenity spaces throughout the year. Carleton Uni-
versity is committed to universal access for people of all
mobility and the Canal Building is located on a slope, with
the grade change along the principal walkway of approxi-
mately half of one floor. As a result, there were significant
discussions with the client and the architect to establish the
finished floor and integrate the building within the land-
scape while maintaining accessibility to all the doorways.”
The building’s exterior includes precast panels, Solarban
60 curtain wall, Carleton Ironsport Brick and aluminum
composite panels.
“West facade fins minimize solar gain while taking
advantage of views to the canal,” says Rankin. “The west
facade is the most prominent facade, visible from Library
Road and Colonel By Drive. The south facade is an exten-
sion of courtyard space formed by the Architecture Building,
Mackenzie Building and University Centre. Stepped block
at the south facade mimics the form of University Centre
and provides a friendlier scale of building for the court-
yard space. Clear glazing at the courtyard lends a transpar-
ency that promotes movement through the building and a
9/3/10 11:08:58 AM

COURTESY GRC ARCHITECTS
connection of spaces. Ribbon windows at the north facade
maximize natural lighting. A green roof and photovoltaic
panels provide learning environments for programs housed
within the building.”
The building will be taking advantage of 10 kilowatts of
power generated by the photovoltaic panels in the roof, says
Wally Eley of Crossey Engineering Ltd., adding that these
systems allow the engineers of tomorrow to see green and
efficient technologies put into practice today. “An interest-
ing aspect is that both the Canal and River buildings were
being designed concurrently,” says Eley. “One of the chal-
lenges was in dealing with existing services. We were able
to use some of the existing services but we had to bring
some power from quite far away which required feeders of
significant length.”
The main challenge of the $30.4-million project has been
LOCATION dealing with the conditions underground, says Boyce. “There
1125 Colonel By Drive was more rock on the site than expected from the geotechni-
Ottawa, Ontario cal investigation and the foundations needed to be redesigned,
OWNER which delayed the project for about six weeks,” he says.
Carleton University GRC Architects has undertaken at least four projects at
ARCHITECT Carleton over the years and is used to the exigencies of rock
GRC Architects in joint venture with profile wrinkles. “There was no difference on this building,”
Moriyama & Teshima Architects says Rankin, adding that it caused “multiple pile modifica-
GENERAL CONTRACTOR tions for construction.”
R.E. Hein Construction MacLean notes that although the building is founded on
a varied rock formation and difficult soils challenged the
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
Adjeleian Allen Rubeli Ltd. early stages of the project to structurally anchor the build-
ing, the project is on track for January occupancy. “The
MECHANICAL/ finished product will be brick and precast concrete clad,
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER
Crossey Engineering Ltd.
with large areas of glass and composite aluminum panels
suitably landscaped for its location and the enjoyment of
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Carleton’s students and faculty,” he says.
Corush Sunderland Wright
The Canal Building is a concrete building comprised of
TOTAL AREA reinforcing concrete slabs, columns and shearwalls, says
95,000 square feet Neil Johnston of Adjeleian Allen Rubeli Ltd. “There were two
TOTAL COST main challenges for this project,” says Johnston. “Due to the
$30.4 million varying rock elevations, we were required to use drilled bat-
tered piles to properly seat the piles. Tying the new building
tunnel with the existing pedestrian tunnel was a challenge.”
The project was financially secured with government
The building has several levels of stimulus funds, says MacLean, and with those resources
fallow space, which had to be designed came needed employment to those who helped to design,
for unknown future requirements, build and manage the construction of a facility that will be
says Eley. “Of course, there is the chal- used to educate thousands for years to come.
lenge of working on a building in the “It is an honour for me to work for Carleton University
heart of a lively and vibrant campus,” since I have been an adjunct professor there for many years,”
he says. “There were traffic issues to says Rankin. “Also, Alex Leung, the project associate archi-
deal with but overall the project has tect, Jason Moriyama and Neil Johnston are all Carleton
gone well.” graduates.” ■

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p.80-83Academic Canal Site_Carlyle.indd 82 9/3/10 11:09:00 AM

 W ith the completion of The
Carlyle, another piece of the
puzzle is in place at Victo-
ria Hill, the ambitious master-planned
community under development by the
Onni Group of Companies on the 65-
acre site of the former Queen’s Park
Care Centre in New Westminster,
B.C. Located on the north side of the
Fraser River, nestled between Queen’s
Park and Glenbrook Ravine Park, the
property affords residents grand views
of metropolitan Vancouver and the
North Shore Mountains and a vista
to the southeast that extends as far as
snow-capped Mount Baker in Wash-
ington State.
At 26 storeys, The Carlyle is the
tallest residential building at Victo-
ria Hill, surpassing the taller of the
two adjacent highrise towers by three
storeys, and it is also situated at the
highest point on the property. The
building presents an Art Deco facade of
reinforced concrete and glass exterior
walls, with over-sized balconies for
each unit. One-bedroom suites range
from 620 to 650 square feet, two-bed-
room units (with den) are 900 to 975
square feet, and the six top-floor pent-
houses range from 915 to 1,200 square
feet. “The views are outstanding, and
they’re one of The Carlyle’s main high-
lights,” says Beau Jarvis, Onni’s vice-
president of development. “With that
in mind, we built the project with
oversized balconies that can fit full-
sized patio furniture.”
The Art Deco look and feel derives
from the set of design guidelines that
Onni inherited with the site. “Those de-
sign guidelines came from the previous
owner, the BC Building Corporation,
along with the City of New Westmin-
ster and members of the public,” says
Jarvis. “Together, they went through a
whole charrette process and a rezon-
ing process, during which they figured
out how the site was to be developed
– the heights, the densities, and what
it was going to look like. There’s an in-
fluential heritage community in New
Westminster, since it was the original
capital city with many heritage build-
ings, and the heritage component is
very important.” The site’s heritage
buildings, which Onni was required
to restore and maintain, had been con-
structed in different styles, and future
buildings were to reflect in some way
these original structures. “The nurse’s
lodge, for example, was Tudor Revival,
and we have echoed that elsewhere at
Victoria Hill,” says Jarvis. “With The
Carlyle, there’s a heritage building on-
site called the Boiler House, which was
the steam plant for the former Wood-
lands asylum and school, and it’s from
the Art Deco school.”
The residential interiors, designed
by Onni’s in-house team, feature solid
p.80-83Academic Canal Site_Carlyle.indd 83
granite countertops, natural grained
cabinetry and a stainless-steel appli-
ance package, with over-height ceilings
(eight feet, eight inches) throughout.
The building also has a games room
parking garage to the fourth floor,
where there’s an outdoor amenity area
at grade with McBride.”
This is also where a pedestrian over-
pass extends from the building across
Block walls that allowed us to build
a series of small terraces that are an
easy, cost-effective solution to grad-
ing.” In keeping with Onni’s mandate
to preserve some of the site’s natural
and lounge with kitchen, meetings McBride Boulevard to Queen’s Park, features, two fir trees on the build-
rooms and two furnished guest suites. part of the amenity package that Onni ing’s south side got special treatment.
The Carlyle, situated in the north- was required to fulfill under the master “They had significant value and were
west corner of Victoria Hill, is the plan. The walkway is a built extension protected,” he says. “Even the pathway
fourth project of this master-planned of an east-west greenway that, as Jarvis between them was done in a very par-
community designed by Chris explains, bisects a north-south green- ticular way, a sort of floating walkway
Dikeakos Architects; the firm had pre- way in the centre of the site, known that wouldn’t damage the roots.”
viously been responsible for the low- as the Grove. These features and other For Gradowski, The Carlyle’s high-
rise condominium residences in the landscaping considerations are meant light is the Art Deco-themed, two-
southwest corner, the two highrise to enhance appreciation of the site’s tiered water feature, a pair of pools
towers to the north of that, and the pastoral aspects, including many old- connected by a waterfall on the south
Glenbrook town homes on the east side growth trees and green space. face of the parkade. “The water feature
of the property. “It’s definitely a show- Details for The Carlyle’s landscape at the top, where the waterfall starts,
piece project for the area,” says Brian architecture were the responsibility has a distinct character, with juxtaposi-
Rowland, the project manager for The of Pawel Gradowski at Durante Kreuk tions of two elements. On the building
Carlyle at CDA. “There aren’t a lot of Ltd. “Creating spaces that were flat side, it’s very geometrical and the other
highrises along McBride, other than was a big challenge,” he says. “It was half of the pond is soft and green, with
Victoria Hill’s. The concrete structure done through a series of terraces go- native plantings. The pond basically
provides durability and isn’t as suscep- ing down clockwise. We had to con- dives from the building into nature.
tible to moisture as stucco.” struct a lot of retaining walls. The Once the water gets to the lower pond,
One of the project’s main challenges building itself acted as a retaining there’s a series of pumps that recircu-
had to do with terrain considerations. wall, and then we used smaller Allan lates it. It’s a very cool element.” ■
Back in October 2007, when the two
towers were being completed, Chris
Dikeakos commented on the issue of
site terrain. “This was a fairly tight
property with a very awkward shape
to it,” he said. “As well, it had quite a
The Carlyle
steep slope from the back side to the by John T.D. Keyes
front street.” Similar considerations
applied with The Carlyle. “It’s a very
steep site along the north side, as well
as sloping along McBride Boulevard,”
says Rowland. “It drops away with
quite a steep hill as you get into the
Victoria Hill property. So we had two
levels at grade. The project’s main en-
try is from Ross Drive, but it also has
exits at the fourth floor of the building
to the McBride street level. To improve
the look, we buried the parking garage
in the hill, so you enter at level one on
the Ross side and go up through the
LOCATION
280 Ross Drive
New Westminster, B.C.
OWNER/DEVELOPER
The Onni Group of Companies
ARCHITECT
Chris Dikeakos Architects Inc.
STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT
John Bryson & Partners
MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL
CONSULTANT
SRC Engineering Consultants Ltd.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
Durante Kreuk Ltd.
PHOTO: ALFRED MEIKLEHAM
TOTAL SIZE
192,201 square feet
TOTAL COST
$45 million
9/3/10 11:09:02 AM
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SRC Engineering.indd 1 3/10/10 10:42:14 AM

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for a future issue of Award, please email:
Dan Chapman, Publisher
dchapman@canadawide.com

We congratulate Solterra on the completion

of the Vita at Symphony Place project.

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 B ringing revitalization to the heart of Vancouver’s arts
district is Symphony Place – a 389,000-square-foot
residential and mixed-use development that success-
fully harmonizes European high fashion and contemporary
West Coast living. Two residential towers – Dolce and Vita,
Nemetz had to have sub-distribution at
level 4.5 to efficiently run electrical
services to the towers. “In mixed-use,
we also have to segregate and meter the
loads appropriately so each component
meaning “sweet life” – are constructed of glass and concrete is responsible for what it uses.”
on five-storey podiums and are joined by a porte cochere Interior finishes tie into arts and

COURTESY SOLTERRA GROUP OF COMPANIES

that straddles the alleyway between them. Paving patterns culture with sliding art glass walls,
carry across the lane to create a small urban piazza. mosaic marble kitchen backsplashes,
Vita, the premier tower with 147 units on 28 floors, is sleek appliances, European faucets,
complete and its sister tower Dolce, with 194 units on 31 shower water tiles and hardwood
floors, will finish later this year. The podiums incorporate floors.

Vita at Symphony Place

by Jessica Krippendorf

the unique details of New York’s Art Deco buildings and

warm brick, glass, and flamed granite exterior finishes,
while integrating into the established character of the area
through the use of brick, punched windows and cornices.
“Each of these design elements are featured in the adjacent
buildings, improving and strengthening the integrity of the
overall neighbourhood,” says Laura Rizzo, vice-president
of marketing for Solterra Group of Companies. “The tower
portions were designed in glass and concrete with contem-
porary, elegant lines and shape mirroring a crystal being
suspended in its podium.”
Above-grade public parking, micro office spaces, hotel
space, and double height retail space at the ground level
around the perimeter are successfully combined in Vita’s
podium. Residential parking is below grade.
Amenities include a full gymnasium, hot tub, change
rooms and children’s area. A residents’ lounge offers an ala-
baster bar and custom millwork, with an open air section
that connects to an accessible rooftop with a glass gazebo.
Fulfilling the developer’s requirement to make a public art
contribution is “Cadenza” – a 120-foot-long by 25-foot-high
wall of decorative exterior glass on Vita’s podium facade cre-
ated by glass artist Lutz Haufschild. “The inspiration was a
melody,” says Rizzo. “It is broken into strands of colour and,
when lit, it echoes the rhythm of a musical rhapsody.”
Cadenza inspired a prominent art and glass theme
throughout the project. The units feature sliding glass panel
doors by Joel Berman, and custom glass pieces also appear
in the elevator lobbies and in the elevator cab. Glass cupolas
mark the ground floor entrance to the towers, and the po-
dium windows are expressed vertically over several levels.
As it connects and engages the towers, the porte cochere
doubles the drop-off space to create a more significant urban
piazza than if the buildings were working independently,
says Greg Borowski, principal, Merrick Architecture –
Borowski Sakumoto Fligg Limited. “It’s glass at ground level
and features a coffered ceiling that presents rhythms con-
nected to where the lighting is,” he says.
The multiplicity of uses is Vita’s most functionally unique
feature, says Borowski. This was also the development’s chal-
lenge. “When you have a residential tower going through
above grade public parking the structural grids sometimes
don’t align. We had to create the most effective integration of
the different structural needs at different levels.”
Working over an alleyway meant negotiating the removal
of some infrastructure poles to relieve congestion and maxi-
mize safety issues, says electrical consultant Steve Nemetz,
Nemetz (S/A) & Associates Ltd. “Once they were removed,
DEREK LEPPER

the building could project further to the property line,” he

says. “It maximized the usable space.”
Since the residential portion doesn’t start until level five,

OCTOBER 2010 85

p.84-87Vita.indd 85 9/3/10 11:10:17 AM

p.84-87Vita.indd 86 9/3/10 11:10:20 AM
 Tara Wells, principal with Portico Design Group says project manager. Granite was brought
engineered horizontal grain veneer used throughout Vita from the interior columns into the
created an upscale, linear effect. “It’s calming and sophisti- sidewalks to create continuity. “We
cated,” she says. were also allowed to carry the paving
Quartered walnut, quartered wenge and rift-cut white oak patterns across the property line and
veneers were used for the kitchen and bathroom cabinets,
says Mark Skakun, owner of Excelsior Kitchens. “Fridge
panels, side panels, and even the edge tape is done on the LOCATION

COURTESY SOLTERRA GROUP OF COMPANIES

horizontal grain,” says Skakun. In the kitchens, refrigerators, 565 Smithe Street
Vancouver, B.C.
dishwashers and hood fans are integrated within the cabin-
etry, he adds. “It creates a very simple look that is actually OWNER/DEVELOPER
quite detailed.” Solterra Group of Companies
Cabinet doors operate on touch latches and channels be- ARCHITECT
tween the soft-close, full-extension drawers are used to open Merrick Architecture – Borowski
them. Upper cabinets come right to the counter and feature Sakumoto Fligg Limited.
solid wood door edging and three-quarter-inch boxes. One- STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT
inch bottom shelves on the upper cabinets house the wiring Glotman Simpson Consulting Ltd.
for puck lighting. Stainless steel apron sinks undermount on MECHANICAL CONSULTANT
the lower cabinets. SRC Engineering Consultants across the alley to create a unified pattern at the front door,”
While most of the bathrooms offer pedestal sinks, ap- says Paul. “The City recognized the importance of having
ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT
proximately 12 per floor have short depth cabinets holding Nemetz (S/A) & Associates Ltd.
the surface materials and ground materials read as one.”
a cantilevered vessel sink on a four-inch apron of solid sur- Another goal was to maximize the greenspace in the
face, giving the illusion of a thicker counter. INTERIOR DESIGN area, she says. The children’s play area, hot tub space, and
Portico Design Group
The bathroom cabinetry, constructed in the same veneers seating area feature trellising and vines to create shade on
and touch latches, is suspended eight inches from the floor CABINETRY the higher levels. Planters with vines face the laneway on
and secured with custom strapping. “Solterra really brought Excelsior Kitchens both buildings to bring a hanging garden effect into the lane.
a strong European touch to the West Coast,” says Skakun. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS Drought-tolerant planting and high-efficiency irrigation re-
Doing so also meant choosing softer, muted woods over Durante Kreuk Ltd. duce water use and shade trees on the amenity decks and on
richer tones, says Wells. Taupes, ivories and ochre are used TOTAL AREA
the streetscape help reduce the heat island effect. Planters
in the amenities spaces for a softer palette. “The end result 389,000 square feet (213,000 for Dolce; on the upper decks reduce the amount of hard surfaces and
was a marriage of palettes that blended nicely.” 176,000 for Vita) help reduce peak storm-water run-off rates.
Outside, the towers mirror each other, meaning land- “Overall, we are extremely proud of the project,” says
TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST
scape architects Durante Kreuk Ltd. had to ensure they Undisclosed Rizzo. “The end result turned out as we imagined, and the
present on the exterior in a unified way, says Amber Paul, whole neighbourhood has changed.” ■

Do you have a project

of interest to our readers? If you would like your project to be considered
for a future issue of Award, please email:
Dan Chapman, Publisher
dchapman@canadawide.com

PROUD TO BE PART OF THE

ST. JOSEPH’S HEALTH CARE -
EST. 1954 PHASE 2 PROJECT.
HASTINGS & AZIZ LTD.
Consulting Structural Engineers
tel 519-439-0161 200 Queens Ave., London, ON Suite 400 N6A 1J3

1406 Osprey Dr. Unit 7

Ancaster ON L9G 4V5
Tel: 905-304-3644
info@cfmswest.ca
MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL COMMISSIONING
FACILITIES MANAGEMENT SUPPORT
CFMS West is proud to be the mechanical and electrical
commissioning consultants for the St. Joseph’s Health Care -
Phase 2 project.

3051 Osler Street

London, ON N5V 3K2
Tel: 519-455-2741
Fax: 519-453-9954

Pleased to have worked with EllisDon Corporation

on the St. Joseph’s Health Care - Phase 2 project

OCTOBER 2010 87

Gander Building.indd 1 7/29/10 2:11:50 PM

p.84-87Vita.indd 87 9/3/10 11:10:24 AM


PHOTOS COURTESY ST. JOSEPH’S HEALTH CARE
St. Joseph’s Health
Care – Phase 2 –
Ambulatory Care Renovations
by Robin Brunet
H ealth-care projects share similar potential risks,
mainly revolving around budget overruns associ-
ated with delays, equipment selection and change
orders when the facility is handed over to the owner.
So when funding was generated to redevelop St. Joseph’s
Hospital, which falls under the umbrella of St. Joseph’s
Health Care in London, the project was assigned to Infra-
structure Ontario. Infrastructure Ontario was created as a
Crown agency in 2005 with the aim of minimizing over-
runs and delays on large-scale health care undertakings.
“Although a good deal of the design work on the St. Joseph’s
Hospital renovation was underway when we were assigned
to exercise due diligence, we worked closely with the ar-
chitects, project managers and other participants to help
ensure a smooth delivery and eliminate, if possible, any
nasty surprises arising from the construction process,” says
Infrastructure Ontario vice president Lawrence Quinn.
The redevelopment project at St. Joseph’s is multi-phased,
consisting of three significant renovations to existing build-
ings. Phase 1 involved a $32.2-million redevelopment of ap-
proximately 81,175 square feet of the 100-year-old acute/
ambulatory care facility in order to accommodate at least
10 major care delivery areas, including a new urgent care
centre as well as other clinical support services in London.
Phase 2 involved redevelopment of the same six-storey
building at a cost of $49.2 million to provide 112,000 feet of
renovated space for services in endoscopy, ophthalmology,
ambulatory gynaecology and diabetes/endocrinology. Ellis-
Don Corporation was awarded the Phase 2 contract, while
88 OCTOBER 2010
p.88-91St. Joseph_Villa Caritas.indd 88
Left: New Ivey Eye Institute Opening Celebration - president and CEO,
Cliff Nordal, visits the new Ivey Eye Institute. Below: Ivey Eye Institute
waiting room.
D. Grant & Sons Ltd. committed to the
first phase. Both phases were designed
by London-based architects Tillmann
Ruth Mocellin, which has a long his-
tory of health-care projects in Ontario.
Principal-in-charge Tom Tillmann
and his firm began working on upgrades
in 1998 and became involved in the am-
bulatory care renovation in the summer
of 2006. “The idea was to redesign the
interiors to better suit individual user
groups,” he says. “As a result, each floor
wound up having a different layout, and
this meant that the contractors had to
re-route plumbing and other services
from floor to floor.”
Tillmann adds that the ambulatory
care building had many additions and
upgrades. “The facility dates back to
1892 and was built upon in the 1930s,
the ’50s, the ’60s and ’70s, but our ren-
ovation focused on the areas built after
the 1930s. Our goal beyond tailoring
the renovations to specific user groups
was to create a new corridor system
and improve wayfinding.” Complicat-
ing matters for contractors was the fact
that Tillmann had the drawings for the
original facility but none for the up-
grades that had been performed over
the decades. “These kinds of problems
are routine for renovations, but they
seemed bigger in this case because the
project was so extensive,” he says.
Quinn has nothing but praise for
the expertise of the architect and con-
tractors, but he points out that by in-
corporating Infrastructure Ontario
into the planning and construction processes, remark-
able efficiencies were achieved. “The toughest part of any
health-care renovation is to avoid disrupting the normal
flow of operations or compromising the health of patients,”
he says. “Our due diligence began with asbestos removal
and infection control: we had to determine precisely what
amount had to be removed in order to safely install new
systems. We had to plan the sequential movement of reno-
vation crews and install special air-tight tarps so as not to
release any particulates into the facility.”
To avoid any issues during the commissioning of the facil-
ity, Infrastructure Ontario worked with the hospital to pre-
select all the equipment for the new facilities and required
that the architectural plans accommodated them precisely.
“We insisted that the hospital engage the equipment ven-
dors and that any changes to infrastructure would be at the
vendor’s cost,” says Quinn. It took six
months to ready the project for tender
in 2007 under a build and finance
arrangement with the contractors.
EllisDon project manager Ryan
Simmons says the first thing he and
his crew had to get used to on site “was
the fact that we were constantly work-
ing while surrounded by occupied
areas. We commenced in June 2008,
by which time the D. Grant crews
were on site. Although we worked
in different wings, we often shared
the same sub-trades and occasion-
ally performed renovation in the same
areas, such as the mechanical room.”
At peak, 150 people from both compa-
nies were working inside the building
in negative pressure enclosures.
The lack of drawings for the previ-
ous upgrades led to crews uncover-
ing “unforeseen pipes and electrical
conduits that we didn’t know were live
or not,” according to Simmons. Ellis-
Don and D. Grant were obliged to fit
more services and ducts into limited
floor-to-ceiling height spaces. “I recall
the height of level five being not even
12 feet,” says Simmons. “But ultimately
we got the job done, thanks partly to a
good design and the ingenuity of our
sub-trades. In fact, we finished in April
ahead of schedule and on budget.”
Work at St. Joseph’s isn’t over yet.
Tillmann points out that Phase 3,
which will get underway next spring,
involves the demolition of 100,000
square feet of wood frame buildings
and the creation of 70,000 square feet
of new space. ■
LOCATION
268 Grosvenor Street
London, Ontario
OWNER
St. Joseph’s Health Care, London
DEVELOPER
Infrastructure Ontario
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
CONSULTANT
CM2R Inc.
ARCHITECT
architects Tillmann Ruth Mocellin
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
EllisDon Corporation
STRUCTURAL/MECHANICAL/
ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT
Vanderwesten Rutherford Mantecon
TOTAL SIZE
Phase 1: 81,175 square feet
Phase 2: 112,000 square feet
TOTAL COST
Phase 1: $32.2 million
Phase 2: $49.2 million
9/3/10 11:13:36 AM
 Villa Caritas
by Jane Harris Zsovan

S et among the mature trees on

the campus of Edmonton’s
Misericordia Community Hos-
pital, Villa Caritas, a 150-bed psychiat-
ric care centre for Alberta seniors, adds
a new dimension to this urban neigh-
bourhood. “130 beds will be dedicated
to acute psychiatric care, another 20
to transitional care. In addition, there
are five multi-purpose units equipped
with kitchenettes for life skills training
and family events,” explains Jennifer
Haggerty, VP planning and support
services for Covenant Health. The total
price tag for construction, equipment
and furnishings for the facility is $51.4
million.
The front of the building faces 87th
COURTESY IBI GROUP ARCHITECTS ENGINEERS

Avenue. “Seniors’ facilities tend to be

set back off the street. We took the op-
posite view; that seniors still want to
be connected with what is going on in
the world,” says Peter Bull of IBI Group
Architects Engineers. The front-facing
windows from dining rooms on each
floor maintain a visual connection
with street activity. Built close up to the
avenue, the front area is landscaped
with trees, shrubs and lawns. “In
places where you place the parking out “We placed a lot of emphasis on outdoor space. We tried to maintain existing flooring at the entrance create mock
front, the patients have no connection trees and shrubbery, extensive landscaping courtyards,” notes Haggerty, adding doorsteps. The colour scheme at the
with the street,” says Bull. that healing gardens will be planted to give patients and families space for soli- entrance is carried into spacious
The three-storey steel-and-concrete tude and meditation. “We spent a lot of time saving trees. There was quite a bit of patient rooms with large windows.
structure has a small penthouse above effort inventorying trees that were removed early in construction,” agrees Bull. Common lounge areas and dining
the third level, as well as a small base- IBI Group Architects Engineers provided the architects, civil engineering and rooms facing the street also enhance
ment. Caritas Villa resembles a wood- landscape design for the project. “It was an all-encompassing project,” says Bull. the sense of hominess as well as the
frame building thanks to the recycled He notes that the design shortens the corridors and maximizes light flow from the patients’ connection with the neigh-
eight-by-eight and eight-by-ten recy- central core to the pods radiating from the central core. It also provides viewing bourhood. “We aimed to create a sense
cled telephone poles used as timber, access from the nursing station. of porch or entrance,” says Bull.
and the curved roof structure extend- Most patients are housed in four 30-bed nursing pods on the second and third “It’s not a LEED-certified facility
ing from the third-storey roof. Din- levels of Villa Caritas. On each floor, central corridors link the nursing pods to but we did build efficiency in – light
ing room windows on each level add the central reception and service area, elevators, and a dining area large enough recovery, energy efficiency, an air-
interest to the facade along the street. to serve all the residents in one shift, including those in bulky mechanical wheel- tight building envelope, heat recovery,
”It’s very unusual in appearance for a chairs. A fifth pod, on the main level houses 20 beds. Five of the main floor room energy saving components – to dem-
seniors’ facility,” says Bull. have kitchenettes which can be used for life skills practice or family events. onstrate good stewardship in line with
The exterior features beige brick and Visitors enter the building through central doors on the main level, which our key values,” says Haggerty.
stone scavenged from Pinewood, a for- steps to a spacious central receiving area. The main floor industrial kitchen, din- Cost control was a major challenge
mer maternity home torn down on the ing room and chapel accommodate the day program, spiritual, administrative for the design and construction team.
same site during the first phase of con- and support services to the patients. These cost challenges resulted in using
struction, as well as corrugated metal The interior palette is a warm blend of earth tones complemented with soft fixed-rate construction contracts and
siding. “The exterior costs are actually greens and brighter oranges. This colour scheme benefits patients with mental ill- detailed project planning. “Tenders
slightly less than a typical stucco exte- nesses such as dementia, according to Haggerty. Furnishings and materials reflect went out in 2006 at the peak of the
rior. It fits into the neighbourhood and the need for infection control – an important consideration. hot construction market. Our architect
fits into the streetscape, but is a much One challenge was ensuring that the elderly patients felt they were living in a was in touch with our vision for the
higher-end addition than many of the home-like environment. This was accomplished with warm colours, small wings facility, which meant we were able to
walk-up apartments in the neighbour- and glazing that allows the patients to view the gardens and street activity. Curved control costs without compromising,”
hood,” says Bull. bulkheads above the patient’s doorway and colour variations in the Marmoleum says Haggerty.

OCTOBER 2010 89

p.88-91St. Joseph_Villa Caritas.indd 89 9/3/10 11:13:38 AM

 Sargent Painting Ltd.
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p.88-91St. Joseph_Villa Caritas.indd 90 9/3/10 11:13:40 AM

 She credits Chandos Construction
Ltd. with its expertise in managing the
hot construction market and changing
requirements of the project. “Our con-
struction team did a really good job of
getting materials,” says Haggerty. “This
came from having a really good rela-
tionship with the sub trades.”
Chandos was well into the construc-
tion phase of the project, which began
in late 2008, when Alberta Health
Services asked Covenant Health Care
Group, the villa’s owner, to upgrade
the intended use from a complex and
transitional seniors’ care facility to a
seniors’ psychiatric facility. The design
team slowed construction and returned
to the drawing board.
Collaboration was key to the proj-
ect’s success, especially as building
materials and the design were upgraded
to ensure the safety of the psychiatric
patients. “We slowed down completion
because we knew we had to install up-
grades. Once the transfer of programs
was approved, we worked with medi-
cal staff at Alberta Hospital to identify
components that needed to be upgrad-
ed,” says Haggerty.
The original plan for tempered glass
glazing was upgraded to ensure tinted
safety windows were incorporated into
the design and a partial divider was
added to the dining rooms. Painted
drywall has been rendered more
durable through the application of a
protective coating. Plans to build out-
door patios from the main floor dining
room were put on hold when the villa
was repurposed as a psychiatric facility.
Bull credits the entire team’s collab-
orative approach and, above all, Cove-
nant Health’s leadership for the project’s
success. “Covenant Health was abso-
lutely great to work with,” says. Bull. “It
really is in the business of finding
better ways to care for seniors.,” ■ High Performance Aluminum Windows
Curtainwall & Skylights
LOCATION
Northeast corner of the Misericordia Aluminum Entrances & Storefronts
Community Hospital Campus
Edmonton, Alberta
Automatic Door Operators
Decorative Film
OWNER/DEVELOPER
Covenant Health Group
ARCHITECT/LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT We are proud to have partnered with
IBI Group Architects Engineers
Covenant Health Group, IBI Group Architects
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Engineers, Chandos Construction Ltd.
Chandos Construction Ltd.
and the many other subtrades on
STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT
Walters Chambers and Associates the construction of Edmonton’s Villa Caritas.
MECHANICAL/
ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT
Stantec Consulting
TOTAL AREA
135,000 square feet
CELEBRATING 27 YEARS OF INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE!
TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST
$51.4 million
1541 DUGALD ROAD WINNIPEG, MANITOBA R2J 0H3 E-MAIL: ALLANS@MTS.NET

SPECIALISTS IN
INDUSTRIAL
MILLWORK &
BUILDING
MATERIALS
Serving Western Canada
since 1937

Congratulations to Villa Caritas

15711-128 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T5V 1K4
Phone: 780-447-1344 Fax: 780-447-2406
Email: info@citylumber-millwork.com

Drywall (1997) Ltd.

Proud to have been the drywall and steel stud contractor

for the Villa Caritas project.
Congratulations to Chandos on their 30th Anniversary.
Proud to be a contractor of choice since
UÊÀÞÜ>Ê the beginning!
UÊ-ÌiiÊ-ÌÕ`Ã
UʘÃՏ>̈œ˜ÊÊUÊ
VœÕÃ̈V>Ê
iˆˆ˜}Ã
205 Turbo Drive, Sherwood Park, AB Tel: 780-416-8668 Fax: 780-416-8664

OCTOBER 2010 91

p.88-91St. Joseph_Villa Caritas.indd 91 9/3/10 11:13:42 AM

 this as a subtle green component of the
design,” adds David Roche, develop-
ment manager at UBC Properties Trust.
The glass, concrete, and masonry
building appears to embrace the site’s
sloped topography. A central breeze-
way allows pedestrians to pass through
the building, blurring the distinction
between interior and exterior spaces.
KASIAN ARCHITECTURE INTERIOR DESIGN AND PLANNING LTD.
and sinks, plus a storm-water pond to
capture storm run-off. “The concept is
to create a highly efficient, ‘living’ build-
ing, one that has very little impact on its
surroundings in the long term, rather
than one that was simply built using en-
ergy reducing strategies,” Joubert says,
though he adds that most building ma-
terials were sourced locally and virtually

“You don’t just arrive at the Centre, you
flow through it,” McDonald says.
But such flow and elegance did not
come without challenges. The origi-
nally planned pad foundations had to
be redesigned as a continuous raft/slab
when pockets of the excavated glacial
till liquefied. “Soil types on this site can
vary dramatically within a very small
area,” explains Willie Joubert, project
manager with general contractor Stuart
Olson Construction. “We performed
geotechnical testing, just as we test all
sites. The testing missed these pockets
all sub-trades are from the area.
“The Arts and Science Centre is part
of the evolving story of this univer-
sity; a new chapter,” says Guy Taylor,
Kasian’s lead architect for the project.
“By providing both casual and formal
spaces, the building itself helps foster
an environment that creates the dia-
logue necessary for learning. When
students gather for lunch or study ses-
sions, it stimulates creative thought.
And when you have creative thought,
that’s when learning happens.” ■

Arts and Science Centre– by a matter of a few metres.” The soil

variation was so unusual for the area,
he adds, that geology students came to
LOCATION
UBC Okanagan (UBCO)
Kelowna, B.C.
Phase II – UBCO study the landscape during excavation.
Since labs/educational facilities
are among the most energy-intensive
OWNER/DEVELOPER
UBC Properties Trust
by Susan M. Boyce building types, meeting the stringent ARCHITECT/INTERIOR DESIGN
requirements of 5 Green Globes (the Kasian Architecture Interior Design

T he year was 2005 when Kelowna’s
Okanagan University College
made a transition from college to
fully accredited university. Renamed the
University of British Columbia Okana-
gan (UBCO), this new status was a cata-
lyst for physical change and expansion
on the campus.
First came the Charles E. Fipke
Centre for Innovative Research, which
opened in 2008. A series of other build-
ings, residences and retrofits of exist-
ing structures followed. Now two years
later, Fipke Centre’s sister building, the
$40-million Arts and Science Centre is
opening the doors to its first semester
of students and professors.
The 86,000-square-foot building, an
unexpectedly small footprint for a
building of such complexity, was envi-
sioned as a social focal point and a link
between the existing academic core and
a new breed of scholars. “The Arts and
Science Centre creates a new precinct,
a change from the formalized space of
the original college into the smoother,
more transparent and soft architecture
of the new university,” says Michael
McDonald, principal of Kasian Archi-
tecture Interior Design And Planning
Ltd. Kasian incorporated iconic details
– natural stones and plantings, trellises
and terraced landscaping – to give a
feel that’s distinctly UBC but also
uniquely Okanagan.
The facility houses two lecture the-
atres, classrooms, a series of research
and teaching labs, an animal care
facility, and food services. There is also
a collegium where students can relax
between classes. “Students who might
otherwise jump in the car to head for
the nearest café or coffee shop in town,
tend to stay – so you could also look at
maximum rating possible), as well as And Planning Ltd.
the equivalent of LEED Platinum rat- GENERAL CONTRACTOR
ing already achieved by the Fipke Cen- Stuart Olson Construction
tre (the first lab building in Canada to STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT
achieve that rating), required extensive Bush Bohman & Partners
planning and detailing.
MECHANICAL CONSULTANT
The building taps into the geo-ex-
Cobalt Engineering LLP
change groundwater energy system
that provides energy from the Okana- ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT
gan Aquifer that runs beneath the cam- Falcon Engineering Ltd.
pus. Projected to reduce UBCO’s carbon GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEER
dioxide emissions by more than 88 per EBA Engineering Consultants Ltd.
cent, or 2,959 tonnes per year, the sys- LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
tem is equivalent to taking 14,000 cars Perry + Associates
off the road over the next two decades.
TOTAL AREA
Sophisticated irrigation controls 86, 200 square feet
are tied in to a weather monitoring
station, and landscaping that incor- CONSTRUCTION COST
$26.85 million
porates indigenous, drought-resistant
plants reduces irrigation requirements. TOTAL PROJECT COST
Other water management features in- $40.26 million
clude waterless urinals, low-flow toilets

Electrical
Engineers for the
Arts & Science
Building - Phase II - 210-1715 Dickson Ave., Kelowna, BC V1Y 9G6
Tel: 250 762-9993 Fax: 250 861-3290
UBCO, Kelowna +%,/7.!s"52.!"9s6)#4/2)!

Proud to have been the painting contractor

for the Arts & Science Building project
Ph: 604.244.8244 | Fax: 604.244.0356
Email: aprl@telus.net
www.atlaspaintingandrestorations.com

Celebrating 35 Years of Service

92 OCTOBER 2010

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