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D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 0 | 67 Chappell Family Building for Nursing and Population Health – Thompson Rivers University (TRU) P H OTO G R A P H Y BY A D R I EN W I L L I A M S/CO U RT E SY S TA N T EC A RC H I T EC T U R E LT D. CHAPPELL FAMILY BUILDING FOR NURSING AND POPULATION HEALTH – THOMPSON RIVERS UNIVERSITY (TRU) by LAURA NEWTON T he opening of the Chappell Family Building for Nursing and Population Health in September 2020 marked the beginning of a new era of Thompson Rivers University (TRU) nursing education. Designed to stand out as a state-of-the-art health care training facility, the new build- ing is part of the larger campus-wide modernizing TRU Master Plan. "Satisfying the societal need for greater health-care services is a pro- vincial government priority," explains Les Tabata of TRU, noting that the new building not only works to help accomplish this, but ensures that the future of TRU nursing education keeps pace with standards set out by the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN). "Those were the driving forces for modernizing the facilities and technology for the School of Nursing," explains Tabata. In keeping with the design guide- lines of the modernizing TRU Master Plan, the building construction required the use of high-quality and natural materials that reflect both the broader geography of the region and the specificity of the campus, including brick, glass, wood, and metal panels. "The patterning of the metal panels was abstracted to reflect at once the cardiac rhythms of the human body and the weave of local indigenous baskets," explains Brian Christianson of Stantec Architecture. "The two entrances to the build- ing are accessed by navigating a naturalized landscape that includes traditional healing plants," describes Christianson. The North side of the building offers seating for quiet study or group interactions, while an eye- catching pinecone water feature can be found at the southwest corner of the site, created by Canadian artist Floyd Elzinga. Approaching the building from the south along the newly constructed College Drive pedestrian access, lifelike manikins resting in hospital beds are clearly visible through the ground floor windows. "The design team's intent was to create the sense of 'nursing on display' for passersby," says Tabata. The three-storey building's exte- rior envelope consists of a combination of premium Alucobond clear anodized panels and composite zinc finished metal cladding with intermittent copper finished metal panel seg- ments. "Exterior grade burned clay brick completes the solid components of the building envelope," explains Sean Donelan of PCL Constructors Westcoast. "A double-glazed, clear tem- pered glass curtain wall system covers approximately 40 percent of the total building exterior face. Architectural grade cedar wood soffit finishes the six-metre overhang along the north and west face of the building." The cast-in-place concrete build- ing is constructed on 165 circular flight auger (CFA) piles. Donelan explains that, because the Chappell Family Building for Nursing and Population Health is located between the existing library and culinary arts building, con- struction of the structure required the use of acoustic and vibration sensitive construction techniques to minimize the operational impact to students and staff in the surrounding buildings. "The use of CFA piles in lieu of driven piles was a cost-efficient solution to this problem, saving the university over a million dollars in direct costs." Upon entering the building, vis- itors are greeted by a dramatic three-storey atrium that is visually open to the north and south, organiz- ing the building with faculty spaces to the west and teaching and learning spaces, including labs, a multipur- pose classroom and a large meeting room, to the east. "The atrium also serves to bring natural light deep into the building footprint ensur- ing faculty offices and teaching and learning spaces not located on an exterior wall will have access to natu- ral light," says Christianson. Uniting the building with the sur- rounding forested site, the ceiling of the atrium is constructed of nail laminated timber panels, while the three-storey west wall of the atrium is clad in linear wood panels. "The interior floors are a combina- tion of polished concrete and resilient vinyl flooring. Exposed architectural concrete is formed on select interior core walls," explains Donelan. Impact- resistant drywall provides the wall finish to most of the circulation paths and classrooms, while acoustical ceiling tiles (ACT) and high-impact resistant acoustic panels are standard ceiling finishes in all classrooms and labs. Labs throughout the first, second, and third floors enable an unlimited number of teaching scenarios to allow students to practice techniques in a realistic, yet safe environment. High- fidelity manikins are monitored and controlled by nursing faculty in a con- trol room, while video and audio are captured for students to review with their instructors in the debrief rooms. Designed to meet and exceed LEED Gold, Christianson notes that "the building's mechanical systems are fully electrified resulting in near zero GHG emissions." To add to the sustainability of the building 158, 385W roof-mounted solar panels provide for a total DC capacity of 60.8kW. "This system is connected to the building's main electrical switchboard to provide electrical load displacement during building opera- tion," explains Donelan. A heat recovery chiller reclaims sur- plus heat from internal spaces that need cooling all year to offset building heat- ing and hot water loads. The building also utilizes low-flow water fixtures, energy-saving heat, light and ventila- tion sensors, as well as high-efficiency LED lighting, a digital addressable lighting interface (DALI) system to maximize lighting control, and energy metering and tracking software. Overall, the Chappell Family Building for Nursing and Population Health provides students an opportu- nity to learn in, what Tabata calls, "one of the most realistic environments in Canada." The new facility and its capabilities "puts TRU on a trajectory to become the model for other nursing programs in Canada and beyond." A LOCATION 840 College Drive, Kamloops, B.C. OWNER /DEVELOPER Thompson Rivers University (TRU) PROJECT MANAGER Colliers Project Leaders ARCHITECT Stantec Architecture Ltd. GENER AL CONTR ACTOR PCL Constructors Westcoast STRUCTUR AL CONSULTANT Aspect Structural Engineers MECHANICAL /ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Stantec L ANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Durante Kreuk Ltd. TOTAL SIZE 54,000 square feet TOTAL COST $37 million 11:18 AM 8:40 AM 7:12 AM 8:44 AM 8:52 AM