Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1433288
D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1 | 59 Advanced Manufacturing Research Facility – National Research Council R EN D ER I N G CO U RT E S Y D I A M O N D S C H M I T T A RC H I T EC T S + N U M B ER T EN A RC H I T EC T U R A L G RO U P ADVANCED MANUFACTURING RESEARCH FACILITY – NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL by ROBIN BRUNET A ccording to Éric Baril, direc- tor general of the Automotive and Surface Transportation Research Centre, the idea for the National Research Council of Canada's (NRC) new advanced manufacturing research facility in Rosser, Manitoba, originated in 2015 after government funding became available. He says, "The facility would specialize in the development of tech- nologies to support the Canadian manufacturing aerospace industry, which is undergoing significant trans- formation technologically speaking." Baril adds that painstaking design development was required for the building on the inside and out: inside, "because flexibility was required to accommodate future end-users with needs as yet unknown," and outside, because the building deserved a dis- tinct identity to suit its function. Design work kicked off in earnest in 2016 with Diamond Schmitt Architects and Number TEN Architectural Group forming a joint venture. "We spent a great deal of time determining the programming," says Aaron Pollock, architect at Number TEN. "Eventually, we focused on designing the exterior while Diamond Schmitt tackled the interior planning, including the lab- oratory and associated support and administrative spaces." Diamond Schmitt principal Peggy Theodore says given that the needs of future end-users is not known, anticipating the research activity and providing flexibility to adapt was cru- cial. Many components were designed with future proofing in mind, such as large adaptable laboratory spaces, additional mechanical and electrical infrastructure, and an overhead crane designed to carry heavy loads allow- ing for future research needs. A six-metre-wide 'street' was cre- ated with overhead clerestories that connects the lab zones, with a ser- vice tunnel and catwalk running along its length. "This central street brought much-needed natural light deep into the facility," says Diamond Schmitt associate Martin Kristensen, adding that the lab program was orga- nized around a series of interior day lit streets to provide visual identity and a diversity of experiences for end-users. Given the facility's 67,600-square- foot size, the architects were careful not to overwhelm guests. "We used wood panels to impart warmth in the reception/waiting, meeting, training, and lunch room spaces," Kristensen says. "The lobby space leads to a double height staircase, and we located open NRC offices and collaboration areas upstairs past the access control point." Diamond Schmitt and Number TEN chose glass, metal, and ceramic panels for the exterior cladding. To express the motion inherent in many of the disciplines that would be con- ducted in the new facility, a 'kinetic screen' was developed covering 5,000 square feet of the building's northeast corner and composed of 13,111 small stainless steel tiles with flexible con- nections that move with the wind. "An enlarged NRC logo is etched into the stainless steel tiles, and because we wanted to make the screen resilient but not noisy, a mock-up underwent extensive wind tunnel testing in Ottawa," Pollock says. Kevin Todd, project manager for Penn-co Construction Canada Ltd., says that shortly after his firm was awarded the project in July of 2019, "The depth of the building founda- tion created a challenge because it was below the water table. Our excavation kept filling with ground water, so the design was changed to raise the lowest section of the foundation by one metre." Todd goes on to note, "The build- ing is constructed with a pad and pier concrete foundation and a steel structure with infill structural stud framing and masonry walls. The interior finishes vary considerably between the office and the lab spaces: the lab spaces have epoxy painted LOCATION 2690 Red Fife Road, Rosser, Manitoba OWNER /DEVELOPER National Research Council of Canada / Public Works and Government Services Canada ARCHITECTS Number TEN Architectural Group / Diamond Schmitt Architects GENER AL CONTR ACTOR Penn-co Construction Canada Ltd. STRUCTUR AL CONSULTANT Lavergne Draward & Associates MECHANICAL CONSULTANT Smith + Andersen ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Crosier Kilgour & Partners Ltd. L ANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS Scatliff + Miller + Murray TOTAL SIZE 67,600 square feet TOTAL COST $44 million 2:30 PM