Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1320139
D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 0 | 65 Clover Bar Lodge P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E SY B ER RY A RC H I T EC T U R E + A SS O C I AT E S CLOVER BAR LODGE by NATALIE BRUCKNER T he new Clover Bar Lodge assisted living facility in Sherwood Park, Alberta, has been welcomed with open arms by the community as it provides seniors in the area independent living in a beautiful home-like set- ting, and is an important addition to Strathcona County's affordable hous- ing landscape. Conveniently located close to ame- nities and within walking distance of shopping centres and major stores, the lodge offers a supportive living environment to seniors 65 years of age or older. In 2017, the Alberta Government allocated $32.4 million to replace the existing 1960s building with a con- temporary Lodge that would better meet the needs' of the area's growing senior population. "Studies in the municipality revealed that between 2001 and 2018, the senior proportion of residents increased from 6.9 percent to 14.5 per- cent. By 2047, seniors are expected to represent approximately 20 per- cent of Strathcona County's total population. With this increase in the number of seniors living in our sub- region, we knew that the number of people who would need affordable seniors living options would increase in kind. As we have for the past 50 years, Heartland Housing Foundation wanted to ensure that the needs of those seniors would be met within our community," explains Heartland Housing Foundation's C.E.O. Nancy Simmonds, who worked closely with Alberta Seniors and Housing, Berry Architecture + Associates, Shunda Consulting & Const Mgmt, and the sub trades on this design-build project. The four-storey lodge, which is now nearing completion, consists of 144 unit seniors' facility with fully barrier- free suites designed for B3 occupancy. B3 addresses the demand for a more flexible range of care accommodation for an aging population, and provides safe and affordable housing options for seniors and persons with disabilities. Shunda Consulting & Const Mgmt was tasked with taking the 7.2 acre site from greenfield to fully devel- oped with landscaping and utilities. Shunda broke ground in July 2018, and while the site was clear, there were some additional requirements neces- sary before construction could begin. "The ground conditions in Sherwood Park consist of extremely heavy clay so we incorporated rig mats to help man- age and maintain mobility around the site and keep access to the building clear," explains Maggie Koons, project manager and estimator at Shunda. For the design of the Lodge, Heartland Housing Foundation wanted it to reflect the beautiful land- scape on which it is situated and give residents access to those views throughout the entire building. With an understanding of the local area, Berry Architecture + Associates was able to create a design using mate- rial that would both complement the surroundings, while offering a true residential feel. "It's a big building, so we wanted to play with the differ- ent materials and break down the facade at the varying elevations," says Isaac Martinez, architect at Berry Architecture + Associates. "For the exterior finishes we chose timber accents and stone, which complement the Sherwood Park neighbourhood. Fibre cement board was used for the majority of the exterior finish as it was both cost effective and durable." As an accent to the building, Berry Architecture designed a large fea- ture canopy with glulam posts and beams along with timber decking – supplied by Western Archrib and installed by Beam Craft – which marks the entrance of the Lodge and gently draws residents and visitors in. Once inside there is a sense of coming home due to the design of intimate spaces, varying "neigh- bourhoods," and a beautiful colour palette specifically chosen not just for its esthetic value, but also to serve as a natural wayfinding tool – resi- dents can recognize their "home floor" based on the specific colour of accent walls on that level of the building. "One of our priorities for this space was to ensure residents could enjoy freedom of movement and reduce the kinds of barriers and hazards that may impede mobility and safety," says Simmonds. "This building, in addition to being barrier-free, also supports resident wellness through the addition of a therapeutic tub room and encour- ages socializing in the common rooms and dining halls." There are a number of additional amenity spaces throughout the Lodge including multipurpose rooms, activity rooms, a second floor patio, hair salon, coffee bistro, resident laundry rooms, commercial kitchen, commercial laun- dry, and dining areas on each floor. Paying homage to the original building was also important, and so a stained glass window from the 1960s' Lodge is now featured prominently in the main foyer. The window fea- tures memories of the first 100 years of Alberta and was created by 11 contrib- uting artisans. Between the floors, the common areas, and individual suites, Shunda incorporated a load bearing structural steel and concrete deck system that exceeds the minimum code standards. Windows have been strategically located throughout the building to ensure everyone has a view to the outside and to allow natural light to stream into the building. Allmar sup- plied the doors, frames, architectural hardware, lockers, mailboxes, sliding grill, and washroom accessories. In the centre of the Lodge, Berry Architecture designed a courtyard that is semi enclosed and provides a wonderfully peaceful place to sit and enjoy the great outdoors. This area is also connected directly to a large multipurpose room that will host functions/parties/events for the resi- dents. There is also a west patio by the main floor dining room as well as a second floor patio on the southeast corner of the building. With a scheduled opening of January 2021, the team is well on track and are very proud of what they have achieved together. "This project was unusual in a very good way; we were able to have our full team including the Heartland Foundation and the Clover Bar operations team involved from day one and fully involved in the design process from the start. So many things that become challenging on other projects were never issues for this one," says Koons. The entire team is in agreement, and Simmonds adds: "We are so proud of the work our lodge staff, finance team, facility management team, and leadership did to prepare our residents for a seamless move. We rec- ognized early in the process that the team had to work collaboratively for this to be successful, and for residents to experience a pleasant transition into their new homes … which was no small feat during a pandemic!" A LOCATION 4000 Sherwood Drive, Sherwood Park, Alberta OWNER Alberta Seniors and Housing OPER ATOR Heartland Housing Foundation ARCHITECT Berry Architecture + Associates DESIGN BUILD CONTR ACTOR Shunda Consulting & Const Mgmt STRUCTUR AL CONSULTANT Siefken Engineering Ltd. MECHANICAL CONSULTANT Reinbold Engineering Group ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Acuity Engineering & Consulting Services Ltd. L ANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Associated Engineering TOTAL SIZE 107,000 square feet TOTAL COST $29.1 million 4:21 PM