Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1408886
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 1 | 83 Willow Square Continuing Care Centre P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E SY A L B ERTA H E A LT H S ERV I C E S; R EN D ER I N GS CO U RT E SY S2 A RC H I T EC T U R E WILLOW SQUARE CONTINUING CARE CENTRE by ROBIN BRUNET C reating a residence that exhibits a host of best practices is never easy but always beneficial to the end users, and this is certainly true of the new Willow Square Continuing Care Centre in Fort McMurray. Brian Corkum, principal, S2 Architecture, explains, "Willow Square incorporates the very best design and programming ideas for seniors' care and provides a residential rather than institutional experience." David Ponich, executive director, capital management at Alberta Health Services, points out that previously, acute and long-term care facilities were located in Fort McMurray's Northern Lights Regional Health Centre. "So there definitely was a need, and this project would allow for 144 new beds, with 108 ready upon opening." Murray Crawford, senior operat- ing officer at Alberta Health Services, adds, "We had many requirements, including each resident having his/ her own room, with bathrooms in each room and programming such as zero threshold showers, overhead tracks, and other components. We relied heavily on S2 Architecture to achieve the overarching requirement of providing a homey ambiance." Work began in 2017 after an RFP resulted in three architecture firms being shortlisted for the design-build project. "We were handed 900 pages of requirements from the Alberta gov- ernment and given three months to produce a design," says Corkum. "To say the schedule was aggressive would be an understatement." S2's design grouped residential rooms into small households each with their own kitchen and dining component (in addition to a central kitchen for the entire complex). These households (Crawford refers to them as "cottages"), were grouped around two inner courtyards, and seen from above this layout resembled a figure eight, which also minimized walking distances and eliminated dead ends. S2 imparted a residential appear- ance to the exterior of the facility with pitched roofs along the perimeter of the 48,976 square foot structure, a com- mercial-style building envelope covered with horizontal panels that look like lap siding, a front veranda, and extensive landscaping. "Walking inside, guests would be greeted by a lounge/living room with a fireplace, soft seating and aquarium, and a library," says Corkum. "Operational elements such as the reception desk, security and adminis- tration offices were placed and designed in a more discreet manner." Corkum goes on to note that "when you're a long-term care resident your outside world starts to shrink, so we tried to bring in elements of the world not only in the form of the courtyards [which, being internal, would pro- tect users from strong wind and other adverse weather] but also by devel- oping a bistro, a beauty salon, and other amenities. We carefully selected nature-based artwork for the walls and spent a lot of time determining the appropriate lighting levels." A significant space at Willow Square was the integration of a Medicine Wheel room, dedicated for local First Nations traditional cere- monial practices. The design of this special room was created with the input from local elders in conjunction with the Athabasca Tribal Council. Willow Square would also be built to LEED Gold standards. "A geother- mal system used in combination with boilers and chillers would balance the heating and cooling requirements throughout the year," says Corkum. "We also prepped the roof for photo- voltaics, and the building envelope allows optimal levels of natural light into the building." Within several weeks of S2's design being approved in early 2018, "dirt was being moved on site," according to Corkum. "Again, everything hap- pened very quickly." However, a monkey wrench was thrown into the works in the form of the April 2020 flood, which caused all of downtown Fort McMurray to evacuate. "Our main building was untouched, but the underground parking and some mechanical com- ponents were flooded," says Cedric Labonte, regional director – Calgary at Pomerleau Inc. "The water drained away over the course of a week, but we had to rip our drywall, doors and duct- ing and basically redo everything." Pomerleau also had to contend with COVID-related challenges. "Procurement and shipping took three times the normal length, but we took each hurdle as it came," says Labonte, adding that Willow Square's hybrid concrete slab/steel structure made for quicker construction timelines com- pared to other types of construction. Crawford says of the completed facility, "It's a beautiful building, plus there's expansion potential on the third level for two more cottages when future needs arise." Ponich concludes: "The architects and builders should be proud of what they've accomplished. The people who helped build this province deserve something good in their senior years, and this is a great home for them." A LOCATION 6 Hospital Street, Fort McMurray, Alberta OWNER /DEVELOPER Alberta Health Services / Alberta Infrastructure PROJECT MANAGER Colliers Project Leaders ARCHITECT S2 Architecture BRIDGING ARCHITECT MTA | Urban Design Architecture Interior Design DESIGN BUILD CONTR ACTOR Pomerleau Inc. STRUCTUR AL CONSULTANT Tetra Tech Canada MECHANICAL CONSULTANT Tetra Tech Canada / The HIDI Group ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Tetra Tech Canada / Janick Electric BUILDING ENVELOPE CONSULTANT Pinchin Ltd. CIVIL CONSULTANT CIMA+ LEED CONSULTANT Stantec L ANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Scatliff + Miller + Murray TOTAL SIZE 48,976 square feet TOTAL COST $110 million