Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/124234
departure for us. It was completed years before LEED and other sustainability standards were introduced, and is still a very sustainable building when measured against contemporary LEED Gold projects. It is where we made our role as environmental stewards known." The Terrace received the 2003 Natural Resources Canada Energy Efficiency Award for new buildings, drew attention from Time magazine and was the only Saskatchewan project featured in the 2008 book, Canada Innovates: Sustainable Building. "The Terrace really set us apart," Youck says. "We call our process 'sensible sustainability' and although we tend to be modest about our acumen, we continue to be creative and responsible, sustainable designers." Since the Terrace project, the firm has added an impressive string of energy-efficient and LEEDcertified projects to its portfolio, including the transformation of an aging and mostly vacant shopping mall and office tower into the Government of Canada's LEED Silver Alvin Hamilton Building in downtown Regina. Youck is particularly proud of the University of Regina's Research and Innovation Centre, which was grafted onto an existing lab building. "We did a ton of research on other lab facilities, and with the people who would work in the centre," says Youck. "The result is a facility that is the equal of any academic research lab in North America. The Research and Innovation Centre also illustrates that there is no specific P3A style; our work is based on client needs." The Regina Provincial Correctional Centre is a particularly notable new construction project; one of the few LEED-certified correctional facilities in North America. It was a collaborative effort through the Strategic Prairie Region Alliance, a joint venture established by P3A, aodbt Architecture of Saskatoon and ONPA Architects of Edmonton to enable them to take on specialized and complex projects. Another recent example is the Regina Public School Board's Arcola Community School, which is billed as a school for the 21st century. The Arcola Community School commission is an example of how P3A has built its credibility. Having worked on several modest school renovation projects, the school board selected P3A for the project specifically because the firm hadn't designed a school before, but had the reputation of being innovative. P3A has also been involved for several years in the consultation process and design work for what is referred to as the North Central Shared Facility. The facility – set to begin construction in fall 2013 – will replace Scott Collegiate, opened in 1924, with the new high school, a daycare, a recreation centre and a public library branch integrated into a single community centre. P3A is also involved as architectural advisers in the Regina Revitalization Initiative, a generational opportunity for the city that includes the redevelopment of rail freight container yards across the street from the firm's office into residential and commercial space, and the design and construction of a new sports stadium with a total project cost of $278 million to replace the city's aging Mosaic Stadium. "It's very difficult for local firms to participate in large projects like this," Youck explains, "but when the city called for proposals, global consulting firm Mott MacDonald teamed up with Pattern Architects (a London-based design company that specializes in stadia design) and began looking for a local partner. A former Regina boy, Jon-Scott Kohli, works for Pattern, and he recommended us. When you live and work in a province that exported talented people for three generations, that's what happens." P3A has assisted in the concept development and urban planning aspects of the project, and is an integrated part of the design team under lead consultant Mott MacDonald. The stadium design concept has P3A's fingerprints all over it, with careful consideration given to maximizing spectator comfort during Regina's all-too-short summers, and maximizing protection from the elements when Saskatchewan's beloved Roughriders football team hosts playoff games in windy, chilly November. Kelly emphasizes that the firm will only enter into strategic partnerships with other firms if the cultural fit feels right, as it does with Mott MacDonald and Pattern. P3A even sent a staff member to London for a month to gather knowledge and experience; a move that Youck and Kelly believe will strengthen the firm in the future. Currently, P3A is assisting in preparing technical specifications for the stadium project, and will advise the city on evaluating submissions. It will then serve as the local representative to ensure the design and construction follow the specifications. The new stadium is expected to open in 2017. The P3A approach to architecture and design may have changed significantly since Joseph Pettick founded the company, but the legacy lives on in an expanding portfolio of high-profile projects that will continue to contribute to the changing face of the firm's Saskatchewan home. ■ Clockwise from top left: Regina Public Library Prince of Wales Branch; Arcola Community School, Regina; City of Regina Fire Department No. 4 Fire Hall. p08-11 P3coverstory.indd 10 13-04-05 1:51 PM