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M A R C H 2 0 2 2 | 77 Leduc RCMP Building Expansion P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E S Y S T EP H EN S KOZ A K AC I A RC H I T EC T S A N D P L A N N ER S LEDUC RCMP BUILDING EXPANSION by NATALIE BRUCKNER T he City of Leduc and the Leduc RCMP are well-known for con- tinuously looking for innovative and effective ways in which to improve and modernize service delivery and foster relationships with community partners and stakeholders – and this is quite evident in the recent expansion of the Leduc RCMP Building. Originally constructed in 1996, the 1,100-square-metre build- ing, nestled in the centre of the city, had more than outgrown its cur- rent space, as Cameron Chisholm, manager, RCMP Administration and Enforcement Services, explains: "The building was vastly insufficient for the number of law enforcement [RCMP, Alberta Sheriff, and Leduc Enforcement Services] and the sup- port staff resources that work at the detachment. Through regular growth of personnel over time, the existing space just became inadequate." The process for expanding and ren- ovating the existing premise actually began back in 2015 after the com- pletion of an accommodation needs assessment. Initially, consideration was given to options including: explor- ing other sites in Leduc for a new build; building a separate building on site; or having a satellite build- ing off-site. It was eventually decided that an expansion – which would con- tain more office space, storage, and holding cells – that would tie into the existing building would be the most cost-effective solution and made the most sense as far as functional- ity and operations were concerned. There were a multitude of other benefits of an expansion including remaining in the existing location that is well suited to an emergency ser- vices building and being on a site that is large enough to accommodate a multi- storey expansion with parking. The current site could also house an addi- tion for Fire Services and a standalone outbuilding. "Opting for an expan- sion also meant the City wouldn't be saddled with a half-empty build- ing, deemed surplus for an indefinite period of time following construction and relocation of policing to another location," explains Ron Nemeth, prin- cipal at Stephens Kozak ACI Architects and Planners who worked alongside Keith Tegart (building designer) and Dara Hoffman (interior designer). Construction phasing on this proj- ect was critical as the City needed to be able to continue serving the public. "The approach to maintaining continu- ity of operations began during design as we established internal boundar- ies between work areas and successive construction areas. Once in the field, the construction manager [EllisDon Construction] worked to ensure that operations, public access, and life safety could all be carried out with minimal disruption," says Nemeth. When it came to the design of the extension, the team involved was mindful of its community presence and strove to convey a restrained yet welcoming presence. The original building has a very a specific exterior look that features stucco, red and white masonry veneer along the base, and bright red metal roofs and accents. "While most of the existing exterior was carefully consid- ered to remain, the finishes selected for the building additions were cement panel cladding and metal flashings that were selected for dura- bility and are in a more neutral colour range to purposefully differentiate between old and new areas." A variation of greys add a touch of warmth and reduce the visual bulk considering the tall floor-to-floor requirements for this building type. The original building also features a prominent entrance canopy. This was reinterpreted as a wayfinding fea- ture, while at the same time visually connecting the new street façade to the tower with a familiar curve motif. "The curvature of the original red roof is indeed a statement and we wanted to acknowledge that strong element in the expansion. For the three-storey tower at the back we applied a similar curvature albeit with a gentler arc. The arc of the roof extends beyond the south façade and is supported by an enhanced expres- sion of the structural solution. From a distance that gesture also indi- cates that the south façade is the most prominent and is where access to the tower is located," says Nemeth. Viewed from the north there appears to be the void of a two-sto- rey-tall triangular volume truncated from the northeast corner of the tower, and Nemeth says this is not without justification. "Two opera- tional considerations led to this gesture: a serviceable emergency ser- vices garage still exists nearby and in order to maintain practical vehicular access/egress to the garage we needed a graceful way to reduce the building footprint at grade, while maximiz- ing workspace on the upper floors of the tower. Furthermore, this pris- matic setback at grade also allows for safe and quick egress of Leduc Fire Services emergency vehicles to the north, if required," explains Nemeth. Inside, durable materials were again chosen and some unique fea- tures are introduced, including alcoves or nooks designed with privacy in mind and a single, gender-neutral locker room for an inclusive solution. There is a select playfulness to the extension that is apparent in the seemingly random placement of the windows into each stairwell – a ges- ture that Nemeth says strays from the geometry of the cladding pan- els. The darkened windows (also a nod to security) exist as addi- tional geometric elements in this monochromatic composition. Images that were taken by a City of Leduc employee and former RCMP member have been placed on accent walls throughout the building; they showcase the history of Leduc as well as the progress and welcoming sites outside of the city. Energy efficiency was a key consider- ation in this project and as such the roof of the tower addition features 222 solar panels to help offset the electrical costs. A new Building Management System along with the analytic software has been installed to make it easier to adjust the building controls and provide bet- ter comfort levels to the occupants and the efficiency of the HVAC systems. Any expansion comes with its challenges, but thanks to open com- munication, a unified desire to build something that would stand the test of time, and the use of a construction management delivery model, the result is a building that everyone can be proud of. "Having a good relationship from the onset with the general con- tractor facilitated existing and ongoing policing operations at the detachment. While it would have been easier to build a new standalone police building, con- trolling costs within a limited budget was a priority for proper stewardship of resources," says Chisholm. A LOCATION 4119 50 Street #1, Leduc, Alberta OWNER /DEVELOPER City of Leduc ARCHITECT Stephens Kozak ACI Architects and Planners CONSTRUCTION MANAGER EllisDon Construction STRUCTUR AL CONSULTANT Protostatix Engineering Consultants MECHANICAL CONSULTANT Williams Engineering ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT MP&P Engineering L ANDSCAPE ARCHITECT McElhanney GL AZING SUPPLIER & INSTALLER Crystal Glass Canada TOTAL SIZE 5,526 square metres TOTAL COST $21 million

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