Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/147234
Hanson Square by Lawrence Herzog ituated in the heart of Calgary's upscale Lower Mount Royal neighbourhood, Hanson Square is a sleek and contemporary mixed-use retail and commercial office development. Named after the Calgary family that has long owned the land on which it sits at 17th Avenue SW and 8th Street SW, the four-storey building includes a 25,000-square-foot Best Buy consumer electronics store – the city's first major second-floor retailer. It also contains retail at street level and two levels of professional office space, as well as a 154-vehicle underground parkade. Eight years after the project was first envisioned, the completion of Hanson Square marks a significant milestone for developer Western Securities Limited, which has now moved its corporate offices into the building. "We are delighted to have it complete and we are very pleased with the reaction to this project," says Mike Brescia, VP, commercial assets, Western Securities Limited. "There are a lot of eyes on this groundbreaking development to see how it performs, especially as the city moves away from allowing big box stores on the street level in urban areas." The building was constructed on a former brownfield site and is located directly across the street from the Devenish Building, a 102-year-old community landmark. Exterior treatment tempers the building's massing to respond to its context and adjacencies, says Svetozar Garnenkov, senior associate, BKDI Architects. "The choice of materials was informed by the surrounding buildings and the historic structure across the street. The use of the brick cladding and curtain wall helped us to blend it into the street." Brick at the lower level of the retail podium mediates the scale and material of adjacent historic buildings. By exploring the modern use of brick patterns, glazing, canopies and light fixtures, the building's overall expression leans towards a contemporary look, Garnenkov notes. Hanson Square meets 17th Avenue with shops, restaurants and a grand entrance to the Best Buy on the second level, accessed through a double-height lobby. The moving elevator cabin and escalators are exposed through the glazing to be S 86/ august 2013 p86-87Hanson Square.indd 86 visible from outside. From inside, clear glass curtain walls provide views from the second floor to Tompkins Park. The second floor is more than seven-metres high and the design team was challenged to provide the volumes needed without making the building resemble a big box store. "We did it by being careful with our articulation and with smart use of curtain walls and setbacks," Garnenkov says. "Because of the higher volume second level it compares with the normal height of a five-storey building. That meant we needed to pay attention to ensure that sunlight was still reaching the street level, which was a design requirement from the City of Calgary." The location of this project also required close attention was paid to the equipment selected in order to satisfy the City of Calgary's Noise Bylaw, adds TYZ Engineering Ltd., engineering consultants on Hanson Square. The project aimed for highest design quality and wellintegrated continuous retail frontage, completed with an eye on the urban design objectives and policies of the Centre City Plan, 17th Avenue Urban Design Strategy and Lower Mount Royal ARP. Pedestrian movement was at the forefront of the design process, with attention paid to setbacks, canopies, hard landscaping and tree planting, BKDI notes. Setback of office space on the third and fourth floors reduces massing along all elevations, while outdoor patio spaces enhance employee comfort and enjoyment. Energy-efficient strategies were employed to reduce the environmental footprint, including facade materials with good thermal properties and high efficiency. When it came to the mechanical design of the building a number of leading edge energy-efficient systems were also employed, including a chiller that incorporates a waterside free-cooling economizer to provide cooling all year to satisfy the tenant's requirements, notes TYZ Engineering Ltd. As the former home of a gas station, the site required remediation to deal with soil contamination. Work was overseen by Stuart Olson Dominion, general contractor on the project. Based on high-soil vapour concentrations, which indicated a potentially high level of flammability, the soil was treated on site by aerating prior to transport. High levels of the water table and the depth of the underground parkade necessitated dewatering on site. Waterproofing, sump pumps and foundation cut-off walls were needed to prevent water egress into the finished building. "The team created something on this corner that really fits with the area and they really took advantage of the location," Brescia says. "It's a great addition to this neighbourhood and we're proud we played a part in it." n courtesy western securities Ltd. LOCATION 901 – 917 17th Avenue SW Calgary, Alberta OWNER Hanson Square General Partner Inc. DEVELOPER Western Securities Ltd. PROJECT MANAGER Luxe Developments ARCHITECT BKDI Architects GENERAL CONTRACTOR Stuart Olson Dominion Construction Ltd. STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT TRL & Associates MECHANICAL CONSULTANT TYZ Engineering Ltd. ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Stebnicki & Partners TOTAL AREA 91,161 square feet TOTAL COST $19.5 million Hanson Square 13-07-12 2:08 PM