Award

June 2013

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courtesy HDH Architects Weyburn Comprehensive School by Bill Armstrong n the late 1960s comprehensive high schools were built in many of Saskatchewan's large and small cities, offering students from the urban community and surrounding rural areas a full range of academic programmes that were typically not available in the smaller high schools. Four decades later and many of these buildings are receiving a refresh to reflect changing student needs. This is the case for the reconstruction of Weyburn Comprehensive School. As with most buildings from this era, one of the main reasons for the renovation was to remove the asbestos found throughout the school. In fact, asbestos proved to be one of the few "surprises" that cropped up during the complex $31-million project, which is the first phase of a two-phase project. Spence Eeg, who managed the project for the general contractor, Quorex Construction Services Ltd., notes that discovering additional asbestos that couldn't have been anticipated in the original scope of the project required "timely removal" which affected the schedule. "In reality, for a building of this age, there were relatively few surprises thrown our way," says Eeg. The other main reason for the project is to accommodate a growing number of students in Weyburn, which is located in the midst of a major oilfield. After considering the option of adding relocatable classrooms to other schools, the South East Cornerstone Public School Division opted to reconstruct the comprehensive school and expand the grades offered. The school division also partnered with the post-secondary Southeast Regional College, Sunrise Early Learning and Teen Parent Support Centre and the City of Weyburn, that supported I Weyburn Comprehensive School p64-65Weyburn.indd 65 performing and creative arts spaces though its leisure services division, to create a truly comprehensive Southeast Education Centre for the community. The first contract for the ambitious two-phase plan includes new construction and extensive renovations, followed by demolition, new construction and further renovations in the second contract. The work included in the first contract will be completed in August 2013. It consists of a 3,200-square-metre addition that includes a new entryway, large multi-purpose auditorium, performing and visual arts spaces, band and choral music rooms, and a new school administration area. Classrooms, science labs, the library/resource centre, a commercial kitchen and the daycare were renovated in this phase. One of the architectural and design challenges, notes construction architect Alan Downing of HDH Architects of Saskatoon, was to expand and renovate the existing school so the completed project reads as one building. "The existing school is a massive area and a rather bland exterior image," he observes. "The new design presents an image of a vibrant, progressive education centre and performing arts theatre," Downing explains. "We achieved this by using exterior finishes on the new addition that are in harmony with the existing building, and then adding special architectural features that give each entry an identity specific to the contributing parties: the school division, the City of Weyburn, the Regional College and the daycare. For example, the new entrance for the school and the community is a striking glazed structure leading into a grand commons hall that serves both the school and theatre audiences." The nature of the project also gave Downing and principal architect Keith Henry the opportunity to incorporate many energy-efficiency features into the design. These include wall, roof and window construction and orientation that maximize daylight harvesting and passive solar gain, combined with shading devices to reduce glare and lighting controls that reduce energy consumption. A hot water system replaced the original steam system to provide better controls over airflow, heat recovery and indoor ambient air temperatures. For the first time, the facility will also include air conditioning. All of the mechanical systems were sized more accurately to reflect the energy-saving strategies integrated into the architectural design and electrical systems. The new construction and renovations also allowed for the installation of water-conserving plumbing fixtures, landscaping to minimize site irrigation, the use of low-VOC materials, recycling of existing materials – and construction waste reduction – where possible, and to maximize the use of local and regional materials. The facility is also fitted with the latest wireless technologies. Spence Eeg notes that for a building of its age, the basic structure was solid, featuring structural steel with terrazzo floors, masonry and hollowcore precast concrete on a concrete foundation. Because the various trades were interdependent on each other in moving the work forward, coordinating the trades was extremely important Most of the trades people were from Regina, Eeg notes, and while weather did not affect the work on-site, a tough winter sometimes made it difficult for the trades to make the one-hour trip from Regina to Weyburn on schedule. Safety was another area where coordination and cooperation were essential, Eeg adds. "Scheduling was complex, requiring additional planning to reduce noise levels during school hours and to restrict access at times when buses were loading and unloading. Hoardings and walls were used to keep the construction zone secure, and to control traffic flows through areas being renovated." When work on electrical conduits, HVAC or sprinkler lines in hallways was required, this work stopped during class changes so that students and staff could move safely in these areas. "The cooperation we received from the principal, the staff and students has been commendable," says Eeg. The people of Weyburn and surrounding areas look forward to seeing the results of phase one first-hand in August 2013, to be followed quickly by a further transformation of the South East Education Centre in the work set out in the second contract. n Location 107 2nd Avenue North West, Weyburn, Saskatchewan Owner/Developer South East Cornerstone Public School Division Architect HDH Architects General Contractor Quorex Construction Services Ltd. Structural consultant BBK Engineering Mechanical consultant HDA Engineering Electrical consultant Ritenburg & Associates Ltd. Total Area 3,200-square-metre addition (plus renovations totaling 4,317 square metres) Construction cost $31 million june 2013    /65 13-05-30 2:31 PM

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