Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/147234
South Campus – Bow Valley College photo courtesy Stuart Olson Dominion Construction Ltd. by Stacey McLachlan our universities on one campus: it's an unusual proposition, but a collaboration that's sure to benefit Calgary's student population. Bow Valley College's new South Campus in the downtown core provides satellite facilities for Athabasca University, the University of Lethbridge and Olds College, as well as resources for those enrolled at Bow Valley College (BVC). "When the project started in 2005, BVC was planning for growth from 4,900 full-time-equivalent students to 7,000," explains Martin Jones, partner at GEC Architecture. "[BVC] had already long outgrown the original building and was leasing downtown office space that had been adapted to teaching spaces. It was basically inefficient and ill-suited to its use," says Jones. The seven-storey building (plus an ample 210-stall underground parking garage) contains more than 50 new classrooms. But there's more to the building than just learning spaces. A fourth-floor roof garden offers a place of greenery and peace in the middle of the busy city, while a 208seat cafeteria, in-house Tim Hortons, bookstore, multi-faith centre and print shop provide visitors with the other necessities of college life. Together, the South Campus and the North Campus (across the street) create a gateway to downtown Calgary along 6th Avenue. "At the same time, this arrangement establishes Bow Valley's presence as a gateway to education in a symbolic sense," says Jones. Private skywalks unite the two buildings. As the rest of the South Campus block is being developed, the building will be part of a complex that connects F South Campus – Bow Valley College p54-55South Campus.indd 55 the street level along Calgary's transit corridor with a terrace as part of the city's +15 pedestrian skywalk system; future restaurants and retail will help complete the complex. Metal and glass were used to integrate the building with the esthetic of Calgary's downtown core, but terracotta tiling adds texture and warmth to the design. "The terracotta tile cladding is a Swiss product that is hung on an aluminum suspension system," Jones explains. "We liked it because it is an earthen material that complemented the precast cladding on the original parts of the North Campus, while also possessing a much lighter appearance." Canadian art (including pieces from students) is peppered throughout the campus, but international inspiration can be found all over. "One of the things common to all cultures is the use of pattern as decoration and/or cultural expression – think tartan and other indigenous textile patterning," says Jones. "We did some research and identified the types of patterns that are associated with different cultures. You will see these patterns incorporated into a number of glazed elements in the building – windows, 'shadow boxes' in glazed spandrel patterns and wall coverings – all derived from cultures throughout the world." The school's diversity is further celebrated with the South Campus' Aboriginal Centre that honours and facilitates First Nation traditions - a tribute to the Nitsitapii people on whose land BVC stands. Aboriginal images, like the buffalo, adorn the windows of the centre, miming the designs painted on the sides of the Nitsitapii tipis. The South Campus project is certified LEED Silver thanks to water-conserving plumbing, ENMAX district energy, room occupancy sensors, ultra-efficient electric motors and low-voltage lighting control. Recycled elements were also used in certain instances. "All new structural steel had been recycled and significant amounts of cement-reducing agents were included in the concrete mix design," explains Mark Ritchie of Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd., the project's structural consulting engineers. The campus goes above and beyond in its aim for sustainability. The fourthfloor roof garden is populated with drought-tolerant prairie perennials and shrubs, and the garage rewards ecoconscious behaviour like car-pooling and biking with special parking spots. Light Rail Transit (LRT) access is seamlessly integrated with the 7th Avenue campus entrance. "Approximately 80 per cent of learners, as well as a significant portion of faculty and staff, use transit to get to and from the college," Jones points out. Working on a constrained site in the downtown core proved to be difficult. Safety and site access were both critical challenges addressed by the team and "a significant underground water source below the site made for challenging excavation and water removal," adds Ritchie. David Taylor, project manager for general contractor Stuart Olson Dominion, credits the team for the project's success in the face of the unique challenges. "Strong relationships and a high degree of coordination and communication were necessary with all stakeholders for safety, site logistics and schedule management," says Taylor. The former police headquarters was nearby and faced fire-exiting issues during construction. The team addressed the problem by building an exterior exit corridor that was suspended along the back and side of the building and directly over the site excavation. The South Campus location also happened to be the starting point of the annual Calgary Stampede parade, so during the event the construction site was reorganized to ensure the safety of the gathering crowd. Despite these challenges, construction was completed on time and on budget. The Campus celebrated its grand opening in May and now welcomes students from across the world to learn, meet and share, now, and well into the future. n LOCATION 345 – 6 Avenue SE, Calgary, Alberta OWNER/DEVELOPER Bow Valley College design PROJECT MANAGER Duke Projects Inc. ARCHITECT GEC Architecture GENERAL CONTRACTOR Stuart Olson Dominion Construction Ltd. STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd. MECHANICAL CONSULTANT Stantec Engineering/Emans Smith Andersen ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Maskell Plensik & Partners Engineering Inc. TOTAL AREA 278,848 square feet TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST $160 million august 2013 /55 13-07-12 1:43 PM