Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/109465
Renaissance Edmonton Airport Hotel by Laurie Jones rom the moment the Renaissance Hotel at the Edmonton International Airport (EIA) comes into view, whether by land or air, there is one word that comes to mind ��� unique. It is the first hotel ever to be connected to the Edmonton airport via a glass-enclosed, 200-foot pedway, and that is only one of the special aspects in this modernistic property. ���It is a fresh angle on accommodation, and the best thing about the Renaissance is that it touches on all senses,��� says Rahim Meghji, director of Platinum Investments Ltd. ���We customized this hotel to bring local themes into the building, including the fact that Edmonton is a winter city for many months of the year. We sculpted the hotel lobby and lounge to provide spaces that are light and airy.��� Meghji notes that the design provides significant amounts of natural light into each room, including the restaurant. ���We have taken the design approach from Renaissance and created warmth by incorporating texture rather than pattern. We are using a lot of light blues and ice blues to blend with our often-wintery surroundings.��� The first floor has a 6,500-square-foot ballroom, meeting rooms and pre-function area, giving business travellers and local residents opportunities to hold conferences or smaller events. The 213-room, eight-storey hotel incorporated a new building technique called the Girder-Slab�� (G-S) System. This has made the hotel more soundproof and energy efficient, and allowed for the addition of the eighth floor, one more than the original design but still compliant with NAVCAN height restrictions. ���This is a fairly new technology that incorporates an integrated beam system with the hollow core plank,��� says Michael Goldsmith, president of Goldsmith Consulting Design Associates Inc. ���It allowed us to go higher between floors without worrying about beams underneath the structure. Without the Girder-Slab System, it would have only been seven storeys.��� The most important driver for making a decision to use the G-S System was that it simplified the process at the site. ���You are dealing with two elements of construction - the structural steel and the precast that is pre-manufactured and assembled much quicker than conventional means of construction,��� says Peter Timler, vice-president of engineering, Supreme Group, the parent company to Supreme Steel Edmonton, the steel contractor for the Renaissance. ���Typically, conventional cast-inplace method of concrete construction would have been more costly, however the G-S System reduced the structural cost.��� F Renaissance Edmonton Airport Hotel p76-79Renaissance.indd 77 Williams Engineering Canada Inc. played a key role in developing the structural steel framing system for the Renaissance Hotel. ���We designed the entire structural steel frame for the building, including utilizing the D-Beam system by Girder-Slab Technologies,��� says Lauchlin Smith, team lead, structural. ���While Girder-Slab had wanted to have its system in Canada for years, it had not found a project that was suitable. The Renaissance Hotel is the first building to include the D-Beam system, and we also utilized it in a unique way. The exterior of the hotel is clad with a hybrid pre-cast concrete-steel stud wall panel utilizing the D-Beams as the edge members. This is something that Girder-Slab people had not tested, but we were confident it would work.��� To maintain a sound barrier against the jet noise, the exterior of the wall was finished with 2.5 inches of concrete, then six inches of spray foam. This gives an STC (Sound Transmission Class) rating that is higher than solid concrete. The interior walls also have high-sound-dampening insulation. The meeting rooms are completely sealed to diminish the airplane sound and outdoor activity. ���If you are at an airport hotel and are in a meeting room that overlooks the tarmac, it can be distracting,��� says Meghji. Everyone involved in the development of the Renaissance at the EIA has been pleased with the outcome. ���We are proud to have built the first hotel attached to the airport in Edmonton,��� says Ed Gooch, principal, Edward F. Gooch Architects Inc. ���It is a unique site with a very small, triangle-shaped footprint. Renaissance demanded a higher level of quality with everything from design to service. We came up with a design that fit well and addressed the challenges of having a hotel right beside the noise factor of continual flights taking off and landing. One way we addressed that was to install triple glazed windows on the exterior of the building. While the meeting rooms are enclosed, they open to a large, ambient walkway system that includes the coffee shop and bistro.��� Robert Laschever and Tobin Schermerhorn, co-owners of Cauhaus Inc., an architecture/interior design firm specializing in hospitality projects, provided the interior architecture/design for all of the guestroom and public spaces. ���This hotel reflects the modern direction the city is going through,��� says Laschever. ���Edmonton is on the forefront of the province���s expansion and with the influx of people from all over the world, we wanted the design to reflect this growth.��� Schermerhorn adds that from a decorative standpoint, the colours are cooler on the perimeter moving to warmer rendering courtesy Platinum Investments Ltd. colours near the heart of the building. ���On the exterior windows and arcade, the finishes are white and cooler. As you get into the centre of the public space, the library has soft, warm colours,��� she says. ���The design also incorporates the variety of festivals and cultural components of the city that make Edmonton unique.��� Executives at the hotel���s head office are quick to give positive feedback on the finished look of the latest property. ���We are thrilled to introduce��Renaissance Hotels to Edmonton,��� says Tina Edmundson, senior vice president, lifestyle brands for Renaissance. ���The modern design of the newly expanded EIA terminal represents the future direction of this vibrant community, making it a great fit for the Renaissance brand.��� ��� Location Edmonton International Airport Leduc, Alberta Owner/Developer Platinum Investments Ltd. Design Architect/Project Manager Goldsmith Consulting Design Associates Inc. Architect Edward F. Gooch Architects Inc. Structural Engineer Williams Engineering Canada Inc. Mechanical Engineer Salem Engineering Inc. Steel Contractor Supreme Steel LP Civil Consultant Focus Corporation Ltd. Interior Designer Cauhaus Inc. Total Area 189,000 square feet, including pedway Total Construction Cost $29 million february 2013��� ��� /77 13-01-22 3:45 PM