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D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 2 | 83 KF Centre for Excellence But perhaps a pièce de résistance is the feature stair. "Walking toward the reception area you are automati- cally struck by the 23-foot-tall spiral stair. That took longer to make than the whole building," says Quinn. Fabricated from glulam by StructureCraft, the feature stair is believed to be the largest self supporting mass timber spiral stair in the world. "We used a sheet steel guard punched with two diametres of holes to create a rotating pattern of propellor forms that suggest movement using a 'stop motion animation' technique as one moves on the stair," says Meiklejohn, who adds that it also features a con- cealed intermediate landing. The extensive use of wood inside creates a cosy ambiance, despite the openness of the building with its 36-foot ceilings. "The warmth of the wood beautifully contrasts with the sleek painted metal on the aircraft they contain," says Meiklejohn. "A key design features was creating objects and boxes out of all the functional rooms contained within. Washrooms, offices, storage, and meeting rooms are all treated as 'objects' in the space that the roof and floors float over." Up on the second floor Quinn says visitors will encounter a huge open expanse of space with a patio out the back – the "tail" of the building. For the roof, Imthorn explains that the hub consist of two-by-four Dowel Laminated Timber (DLT) spanning over 60-foot clear, adding that "the roof systems of our two symmetrical 14,600-square-foot hangars are con- structed to replicate aircraft wings, complete with spar truss' at the lead- ing edges to span over the doors." Impressively, the 500,000-feet of locally sourced, dimensional lumber that was incorporated into the build is estimated to reduce carbon by 1,753 metric tonnes. To say this build was a challenge, is an understatement. Not because of the intricacies involved in the design and the systems used, but because of the pandemic, the Coquihalla Highway being completely washed out by an atmospheric river, forest fires that restricted material trans- port permits, a heat dome, global labour, and material shortages. In spite of this, the skilled and passionate team managed to pull it all together and opened the doors to the Centre on August 31. "This was an exceptional client, a world- class building, and was completed through unprecedented times. It's a legacy for Barry and every- one at KF," concludes Imthron. A LOCATION 5800 Lapointe Drive, Kelowna, B.C. OWNER /DEVELOPER KF Aerospace Centre for Excellence Assoc. ARCHITECT Meiklejohn Architects Inc. CONSTRUCTION MANAGER Sawchuk Developments Co. STRUCTUR AL CONSULTANT StructureCraft MECHANICAL CONSULTANT Rocky Point Engineering Ltd. ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Smith + Andersen CIVIL CONSULTANT Urban Systems Ltd. L ANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Outland Design Landscape Architecture (now Ecora) TOTAL SIZE 65,000 square feet TOTAL COST Undisclosed P H OTO G R A P H Y BY S H AW N TA L B OT/ CO U RT E S Y K F A EROS PAC E C EN T R E FO R E XC EL L EN C E A SS O C . Japp Construction.indd 1 Japp Construction.indd 1 2022-11-22 10:19 2022-11-22 10:19 Saskatoon (306) 244-3717 Regina (306) 761-2222 We are proud to be the general contractor for Sakāskohc High School quorex.ca General Contracting • Construction Management • Design Build • Special Projects Teamwork Builds Quality Quorex.indd 1 Quorex.indd 1 2022-08-17 12:15 PM 2022-08-17 12:15 PM March 2023 ANNUAL INDUSTRY FEATURE: Steel Building Systems Book your ad space now: | Dan Chapman 604.473.0316

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