Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1433288
D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1 | 65 Augustana P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E S Y PAG N OT TA I N C .; R EN D ER I N G CO U RT E S Y D I A LO G AUGUSTANA by NATALIE BRUCKNER T he Augustana, named after the Augustana Church that once stood on the site, is a beauti- ful new addition to the Government District in downtown Edmonton and demonstrates Pangman Development Corporation's commitment to build- ing innovative projects that bring new energy to existing landscapes. Rising 30-storeys up into the sky, the mixed-use rental development is comprised of a trendy retail base and a chic, modern apartment tower in a location that not only provides a lively downtown experience, but is secluded enough for residents and visitors to enjoy the peaceful ambiance of the iconic River Valley. The large site on which the build- ing sits didn't come without its challenges, as Tyler Lepine from Pagnotta Inc. explains: "As a zero lot line property within downtown, construction laydown space was min- imal." However, Pagnotta managed to skillfully overcome this by paying tremendous attention to detail and planning in order to successfully co- ordinate the multiple trades and their materials in, and out of site daily over the course of the project. For the design of the building, Dialog worked closely with Pangman to ensure it would complement its sur- roundings with a certain vibrancy, and also acknowledge the importance of this downtown corner site and its proximity to the Legislature Grounds, the landmark Federal Building, and Centennial Plaza. This was achieved not only through careful design but also in the selec- tion of aesthetically striking, durable, and low-maintenance materials. "The building façade is built from a combi- nation of aluminum composite metal [ACM] panels, aluminum windows, and PVC aluminum clad windows. Augustana tower is one of the tall- est towers in Canada to be completed fully in ACM panels," says Lepine. David James, architect at Dialog goes on to explain that using brick along the base of the podium and par- ticularly at the residential entrance helps complement a pedestrian scale, while the upper podium – clad in black ACM panel – is to be conceived as a shell, with residential units (clad in white ACM) carved into the second and third floors. "The residential tower, primar- ily clad in a copper-penny colour ACM panel, includes two 'armatures' [frames] that pop out from the build- ing and wrap the southwest and northeast corners of the tower, taking inspiration from the vertical expres- sion and fenestration pattern from the landmark Federal Building across the street. The colour palette for this project is intended to complement the building massing of the podium and tower, and to fit-in with the surround- ing downtown context," James adds. The podium forms a continuous street edge and a uniform three-sto- rey building height, while the upper floors of the podium are intended to be animated with activity via residen- tial terraced suites wrapping the south and west façade. "The tower is stepped back from the podium to respect both the con- textual heritage of the surrounding area and the environmental exterior condition for pedestrians by offset- ting downdraft. The residential tower proportion is tall with a slim building profile that respects the narrowness of the site," explains James, who adds that the tower envelope treatment is visually simple with respect to detailing and is environmentally responsible as it responds to each orientation, with smaller, punched windows on the north-facing eleva- tion, and larger, full height windows on the southern elevation. Topping off the project is an animated upper tower level that is com- pletely devoted to shared staff amenity space, including a large outdoor terrace overlooking Edmonton's River Valley. Stepping inside Augustana's resi- dential tower you are struck by its warm and welcoming ambiance. "This sense of home concept begins at the main-entry sequence at level 01 with a distinct recessed entrance forecourt for the residents, it extends throughout the amenity areas at levels 02, 03, and 30, and continues through to each unique residential suite lay- out," says James. Lepine adds that there are several great features within the building, but one in particular that stands out to him is the incorporation of exposed concrete into the interior design. "The elevator lobbies, suite columns, and select ceilings are exposed concrete, which gives the Augustana Tower a subtle modern-industrial flair." Light streams into the suites through the large windows that pro- vide amazing views to the surrounding area. In addition, Lepine says that the level 30 amenity space that overlooks Edmonton's beautiful River Valley offers sunrise and sunset views year round. Another unique feature is the mov- able wall in the bachelor suites. "These function as both a rotatable television mount and cabinet space. The wall is located in between the bed and liv- ing room creating a subtle divider wall between the spaces. Wheels are built into the wall that moves on floor tracks incorporated into the flooring. The wall can be moved in-and-out of each living space with ease giving the tenant full access to either area without compro- mising square footage," says Lepine. While the project, like any other, faced its challenges, open communi- cation between the team made them easy to overcome. "The owner decided to engage Pagnotta at the onset of Dialog creating construction docu- ments and early communication between the owner, Pagnotta, Dialog, and other sub-consultants created an integrated team approach for solving all project challenges – be it related to the overall design, construction details, material availability or project scheduling," explains James. Today, Augustana stands proud and is not only a striking building, but goes a long way in helping the city meet its rental demand challenges. The team involved are extremely proud of what they achieved and the responses they have received. "The continual collaboration between the developer, architect/consultants, and Pagnotta made overcoming any proj- ect challenges smooth and efficient," says Lepine. James agrees, adding: "My favourite comment so far that I have read online is 'you feel at home in this building.' Knowing that the occupants are sat- isfied with their living-experience is something that I am most proud of. I also enjoy the public realm aspect of this project and that the design has made a valuable contribution to the surrounding area – the public realm design complements an open- streetscape environment that exists nearby within the Capital Plaza project as well as along Capital Boulevard." A LOCATION 9901 107 Street NW, Edmonton, Alberta OWNER /DEVELOPER Pangman Development Corp. ARCHITECT/STRUCTUR AL CONSULTANT/ L ANDSCAPE ARCHITECT DIALOG GENER AL CONTR ACTOR Pagnotta Inc. MECHANICAL CONSULTANT Wasnea ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Arrow Engineering CIVIL CONSULTANT WSP INTERIOR DESIGN Lawlor Design TOTAL SIZE 196,969 square feet TOTAL COST $50.3 million