Award

June 2013

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courtesy Horizon Builders Ltd. Dood Cristall Family YMCA by Jessica Kirby onstructed to connect families and shed light on a rejuvenated downtown neighbourhood, the Dood Cristall Family YMCA in Brandon acts as a beacon to the community, while encompassing contemporary style and architecture that addresses end-user flexibility. The 52,000-square-foot facility, constructed over 18 months, includes a junior four-lane, Olympic-sized pool, a recreational pool with a waterslide, a new gym, multi-purpose rooms, an exercise studio and a new fitness studio combining cardio and muscular equipment. A children's play space and 48-seat daycare centre complete the YMCA's vision to bring the community together and increase programming flexibility, while breaking out of a brick-box design model. Since the original building's construction in 1966, end-user's fitness and activity demands have changed dramatically and the new building was constructed to reflect that, says Lon Cullen, the YMCA's CEO. "Users want more recreational features, family adventures and fitness-ondemand," says Cullen, who also oversaw the project's development. "They want to go on their own schedule in addition to traditional classes." The exterior esthetic was designed to create a sense of community transparency and improve the perception of safety in the busy downtown neighbourhood. The building is clad in architectural steel and local Tyndall limestone which is in keeping with the neighbourhood context. Extensive curtainwall allows visibility from the street and provides abundant exterior lighting and internal natural daylighting. "Wide open spaces appear throughout, many of them built with glass walls, or walls that are simple to take down and move as the building's needs change over time," says Cullen. Connectivity was also a key design feature. "When you walk in you can see what's happening," says Cullen. "You can see people swimming, kids playing on the play structure, and through the open atrium, adults on fitness equipment. Your first impression tells you what we are doing here – helping families and people." The building is designed to address high-water use while meeting Manitoba's Green Building requirements and the strict objectives of a LEED silver certification. Water recirculation and a high-efficiency heating system help the building meet the inherent challenges of maintaining minimum required water and air temperatures in a glass building located on the prairies where seasonal weather fluctuations can plunge to -30 C. Joe Shaw, senior mechanical engineer with mechanical and electrical consultants MCW/AGE Consulting, says the company designed and specified the HVAC systems in the building. The project's main feature is the system in the natatorium where the central C 13-04-26 10:22 AM " air conditioning unit dehumidifies the air and transfers the recovered heat from this process back into the pool water. "Systems in other areas utilize heat recovery from exhaust air to preheat incoming cold outdoor air, and this is a significant part of the changing room ventilation system that operates on a 100 per cent outdoor air/exhaust arrangement," he says. Other systems, such as that in the fitness room, use variable air volume systems to efficiently accommodate variable occupancy loads, and all systems include economizers to ensure the benefits of free cooling are utilized when outdoor air temperatures are suitable. "Finally, there is one small system in the basement where air circulated from the crawlspace beneath the pool tanks is dehumidified and the heat recovered is transferred into the pool water," says Shaw. The project also uses high-efficiency domestic hot water heaters selected and sized to meet peak demands of occupancy and water usage. Sanitary Wide open spaces appear throughout, many of them built with glass walls, or walls that are simple to take down and move as the building's needs change over time." Dood Cristall Family YMCA p70-75Remand_Dood YMCA.indd 75 – Lon Cullen CEO, YMCA fixtures were selected to provide lowwater consumption and meet the LEED accreditation requirements, and the pool's disinfection system will utilize carbon dioxide as the main sanitizer, significantly reducing the quantity of chlorine required. The building is constructed using a concrete foundation and hollowcore for most of the floors on both levels. The framework is structural steel, steel floor and roof joists, with flat roofing. A combination of Tyndall stone and architectural steel siding clad the exterior, specified by MCM Architects in an unusual and esthetically pleasing configuration and palette, says Rod Lindenberg, president of Horizon Builders Ltd, general contractor on the project. "There is no way that you will be able to drive by this building without turning your head," says Lindenberg. "It has that type of presence, already." Horizon Builders completed the concrete work, structural steel, masonry, hollowcore, electrical, mechanical, exterior metal finishing and all interior finishes. "When we hand over the keys to the new building, and once the Y has vacated the old building, we will coordinate the demolition of the old building and create a new parking lot and landscaping to finish off the project," says Lindenberg. The building's standard structural steel with in-fill steel stud construction featured an air/vapour barrier applied to the exterior sheeting with four inches of rigid insulation. "Interestingly enough we clad the interior of the steel stud in-fill, but we did not fill the cavity with any fibreglass insulation," says Lindenberg. "It is left hollow. All insulation is outside of the air/vapour barrier." At the initial bidding of the project, Horizon Builders Ltd. anticipated handing over the keys by late April. "That was my goal," says Lindenberg. "We will be a solid couple of months beyond that date, which disappoints me. We always strive to meet our goals." Nonetheless, the company is "pushing hard on all trades, but not at the risk of doing a poor job," says Lindenberg. "Nobody wins at that. I would far rather take the heat for being late as opposed to delivering a poor job. I am confident that the Y will move in and the building will be great in all respects." Cullen says the YMCA is pleased with the results, and was happy to have local contractors complete the work. "It was a national competition and we had good numbers from the successful local contractors," he says. "They were the best choice and they delivered on the math. This building is really built by Brandonites, for Brandonites." n Location 231 – 8th Street, Brandon, Manitoba Owner/Developer YMCA of Brandon Architect MCM Architects Inc. general contractor Horizon Builders Ltd. Structural Consultant Crosier Kilgour & Partners Mechanical/ Electrical Consultant MCW/AGE Consulting Landscape Architect McGowan Russell Group Inc. Total Area 50,000 square feet Total Cost $18 million june 2013    /75 13-05-30 2:34 PM

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