Award

A PR IL 2019 | 43 Advanced Research and Innovation in Smart Environments (ARISE) Building – Carleton University PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOM RIDEOUT/COURTESY MONTGOMERY SISAM ARCHITECTS INC. Advanced Research and Innovation in Smart Environments (ARISE) Building – Carleton University by ROBIN BRUNET C arleton University's new home for applied research in various tech- nologies including clean health and information – the Advanced Research and Innovation in Smart Environments (ARISE) building – is part of the institution's goal to reduce energy con- sumption, while expanding research capabilities. It's also a project that ran up against several challenges, which were surmounted by designers and builders working at the top of their game. Trevor Stewart, director, capi- tal renewal and construction for the University, says, "In 2016 we con- sidered creating something new by demolishing our old Life Sciences building, which we called the 'Bunker on the Hill' because it had been built in the 1980s on a hillside and resembled a bunker made of concrete. But when we received government funding for upgrades, we decided to convert the Bunker instead." Montgomery Sisam Architects of Toronto, which had previously created Carleton's Health Sciences building, was retained to revamp the facility, with locally based Bryden Gibson Architects retained (as it had been on the Health Sciences project) as the architects of record. "Both firms had proven their expertise, which was important this time out because the design needed to be expedited," says Stewart. Tony Ross, principal at Montgomery Sisam, decided to retain only the main structural components of the three- storey facility and fortify them "to accommodate a vertical expansion of two and a half storeys," with these new levels featuring a generous floor- to-floor height plus floor-to-ceiling windows to bring in as much natural light as possible. Ross also focused on designing ARISE as a program-ready space. New core ele- ments such as elevators, shaft stairs, and service-based program spaces were clustered along the north side of the floor plate, while a series of research suites occupied the remaining perim- eter. Ross arranged these suites so that they would feed into and off of a shared east-west axis that serves as a collision space, encouraging formal and informal interactions between research groups. A second axis, known informally as the Gallery, was created to run north- south across the centre of the floor plate and serve as a shared space for exhibiting ongoing work on each floor. For the exterior, the architects and Carleton administrators considered several cladding strategies. "ARISE was not only sandwiched between two older building but also by the Rideau River, and Montgomery Sisam got the idea that ARISE should have pure white cladding, almost like an iceberg," says Stewart. The board decided that was too stark, so the architects successfully pro- posed a panel system of Muntz metal comprised of about 60 percent cop- per, 40 percent zinc, and a trace of iron. "It develops a warm brown patina that would be a good fit with our other brick buildings," says Stewart, adding that the panels would be augmented with a com- bination of stone and a ceramic fritted glazed aluminum curtain wall. Ross created a new at-grade main entrance to the fourth floor and retained the existing ground floor entrance with sloped landscaping and a new plaza mediating between the upper and lower conditions. McDonald Brothers Construction Inc. broke ground in 2017, and while gut- ting and shoring up the interior was straightforward, driving piles through the lower floors to support the new upper floors (which would contain no struc- tural columns) was a major task. "The soil conditions were variable," says proj- ect manager Paul McDonald, referring to the fact that bedrock was as close as 16 feet to the surface at one end of the facility and over 160 feet down at another. Installing the Muntz cladding was another challenge "due to the nature of how the panels had to be assem- bled and their caulking," says Stewart. McDonald adds, "The panels had to be isolated from other materials, so they were attached to a stainless steel sup- port system – by workers using gloves." Despite the extra effort required to transform the Bunker into ARISE, other opportunities arose to improve the site. "The third floor of the revamped building connects to an existing tunnel network, and we were able to punch windows into the tunnel to bring in natural light," says Stewart. The project was completed in December, and McDonald echoes the sentiments of his colleagues when he says, "Collaboratively, we created a beautiful facility that is a great addi- tion to the Carleton campus. We're very happy with the outcome." A LOCATION Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario OWNER/DEVELOPER Carleton University ARCHITECTS Montgomery Sisam Architects Inc. / Bryden Gibson Architects GENERAL CONTRACTOR McDonald Brothers Construction Inc. STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT WSP MECHANICAL/ ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Chorley + Bisset Ltd. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT CSW Landscape Architects TOTAL SIZE 58,500 square feet (of which 34,500 square feet is the addition) TOTAL COST $29.5 million 8:18 AM 1:30 PM

• Cover