Award

1 2 3 70 | FEBRUA RY 2019 Amit Chakma Engineering Building – Western University PHOTOGRAPHY [1+3] BY LISA LOGAN PHOTOGRAPHY/COURTESY PERKINS+WILL; [2] COURTESY WESTERN UNIVERSITY Amit Chakma Engineering Building – Western University by ROBIN BRUNET T he new 100,000-square-foot Amit Chakma Engineering Building (ACEB) is a crucial component in the ongoing evolution of Western University's engineering program, whose enrolment has grown from 1,500 students in 2009 to 2,700 students currently in undergrad- uate and graduate programs. When development began in the summer of 2015 on this LEED Platinum facility, the University and archi- tects at Perkins+Will sought extensive input from the eventual end-users: the undergraduate engineering students, who requested spaces for socializing and study, breakout rooms, flexible work areas, tiered classrooms, and out- door courtyards and gardens where they could showcase their projects. Gregory Kopp, acting dean of the Faculty of Engineering, says thanks to this input, "there is lots of collaborative research space to support interdis- ciplinary areas such as mechatronic systems, biomedical and sustainable engineering. Also, we recently launched a new School of Biomedical Engineering and a Centre of Engineering Leadership and Innovation, both of which have their administrative homes in the new building. "Making ACEB a LEED Platinum building would set Western apart as a leading university by serving as a showcase for a whole-building approach to sustainable design." If suc- cessful in obtaining the designation, ACEB will be only the third univer- sity teaching or research building in Canada to achieve that level. Andrew Frontini, design direc- tor, principal at Perkins+Will, notes that his company was retained as the design lead and architect of record, while Cornerstone Architecture "was invaluable in providing a lot of support during construction as well as stick handling the municipal approvals." In addition to broadening the engi- neering faculty, the University and the architects saw this project as a chance to create an icon. "At the heart of our ideas was a focus on engineering, but with the new facility we wanted to establish an identity on Western Road in the campus, as well as be a leader in sustainability," says Frontini. The rectangular form of the build- ing was enhanced by cantilevering the upper levels (just above the ribbon of glazing) at one end, thus achieving a visual landmark on Western Road. "This gave a lightness to the overall structure and made the upper levels seem to float," says Frontini. The architects focused on obtaining energy and atmosphere LEED credits, and this was accomplished in a variety of ways, one of the most obvious being a low window-to-wall ratio (30 percent to 70 percent) for the overall build- ing envelope, "and using integrated shading with vertical fritted glass shading – or 'fins' – on the west and east facade," according to Frontini. Contributing to LEED points were: locally sourced Canadian maple, lime- stone quarried in Wiarton, Ontario, and regional steel for all structural steel in the facility; a rainwater col- lection and harvesting system; LED lighting with occupancy sensors; pas- sive chilled beams providing energy efficient cooling; and a 105kw solar photovoltaic renewable energy system. It was decided to use energy-sav- ing electrochromic glass on the second level of ACEB, "and we expressed this material architecturally as a horizon- tal ribbon that rises to roof level at one end, acting as a visual counterpoint to the limestone used for the ground floor that echoes to the campus's collegiate gothic style," says Frontini. Instead of a labyrinth of corridors, a single corridor circuit was devel- oped for each lower level, located on the perimeter for exposure to sunlight, with an abundance of laptop bars and seating space for social interaction. "The upper two levels were developed for research and less for the social ele- ment," says Frontini. A 2,500-square-foot fabrication space was created for prototyping and the Innovation and Engineering Design course projects; and engineering gal- leries were developed as light-filled spaces stretching the length of the building where students could gather and work together. The facility's atrium was designed as a showcase space to host events and better engage with youth, students, industry, alumni and friends; it would be augmented by an adjacent large classroom with a skyfold door that, when open to the atrium, would create a 4,500-square-foot exhibition space. Norlon Builders Inc. proved to be the ideal choice to construct ACEB, as the company had previously worked on Western's Delaware Hall renova- tions, its new Academic Building, the Physics & Astronomy Building, and the Advanced Facility for Avian Research. Construction commenced in 2016, and Rick Stranges, lead engineer for VanBoxmeer & Stranges Ltd., notes that "IT services located south of the existing engineering building that ran underneath ACEB had to remain intact, so we worked our footings and foun- dation around it. Also, for the 30-foot outward cantilever we designed a stan- dard truss structure." Stranges adds that "elsewhere, there were large spans we had to resolve, and we pushed the limit by using precast plank floor slabs roughly 50-feet long. Also, the photovoltaic arrays on the roof required the creation of a steel truss system anchored at strategic points." Complicating the construction pro- cess was federal government funding for ACEB that obliged Norlon to sub- stantially complete the entire facility by April of 2018. "Schedules were pushed in order to obtain a letter of occupancy, but the Norlon team was exemplary in delivering everything on time, and as of January the only remaining installations were the glaz- ing shades," says Frontini. With ACEB fully operational, Western University expects engineer- ing enrolment to increase by 25 percent. Gregory Kopp is excited by the potential growth, and he summarizes the impor- tance of the facility by stating, "Through a combination of new, innovative, and collaborative learning spaces for our students, to the building's sustainable features, to our new program offerings, the Amit Chakma Engineering Building establishes Western University and its Faculty of Engineering as a leader both nationally and globally." A LOCATION 1400 Western Road, Western University, London, Ontario OWNER/DEVELOPER Western University ARCHITECTS Perkins+Will / Cornerstone Architecture GENERAL CONTRACTOR Norlon Builders Inc. STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT VanBoxmeer & Stranges Ltd. MECHANICAL/ ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Chorley + Bisset CIVIL CONSULTANT Development Engineering (London) Ltd. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Ron Koudys Landscape Architects TOTAL SIZE 100,000 square feet TOTAL COST $45 million Chorley.indd JMR Electric.indd Cornerstone.indd

• Cover