Award

68 | D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 Rankin Inlet Air Terminal Expansion R EN D ER I N GS CO U RT E S Y P R A I R I E A RC H I T EC T S I N C . RANKIN INLET AIR TERMINAL EXPANSION by JESSICA KIRBY R ankin Inlet is home to 2,850 people in Canada's north. Its airport, Rankin Inlet CYRT, acts as the gateway to the Canadian arctic from western Canada and as a regional hub for Nunavut's Kivalliq region. Besides providing essential transportation for residents, it also continues to serve the region's thriving mining and mineral exploration sector. That's why the construction of the new 36,200-square-foot Rankin Inlet Airport terminal is more than a construction project. Indeed, this work, along with a new NAV Canada flight service station on the second level, will meet its technical require- ments: accommodating passenger demand during the departure's peak hour of upwards of 289 pas- sengers and during the arrival peak of upwards of 328 passengers. But as Darrin Nichol, director, Nunavut Airports, says, the project will meet the growing capacity while considering the region's unique needs. Living in a remote area means travel is necessary for accessing many services, and travellers often wait for hours, and delays due to weather are common. "In the Arctic, we don't have the volume of flights other places have, and other factors can conspire to keep people here for a long time," Nichol says. "It was critical for us that the ter- minal space prioritizes comfort and is appropriate and suitable, taking into consideration the realities of living and travelling in the Arctic." The work will also add two gates sized for Code C jet aircraft (B737- 400/700 combi) and three gates sized for Code C regional turbo prop (ATR42/72), along with modern pas- senger check-in, boarding, luggage, and arrival services. Besides allo- cating more space and smoother transition areas, the interior design reduces physical barriers, providing robust accessibility. Travellers will enjoy a warm, inviting environment, starting with abundant natural light through generous glazing and an aesthetic that captures cultural themes and feels appropriate and wel- coming for residents. The exterior consists of multi- coloured metal cladding, glass curtain walls, and feature aluminum pan- els. The cladding design was thought of at two scales. "The airside building elevation was designed to be viewed from the air or at far distances and featured a building cladding with vibrancy and warmth using a stri- ated coloured metal pattern directly inspired from the northern lights and complementary to a collage of colours found on other community build- ings," says Damien Fenez, principal with Prairie Architects. "The landslide pedestrian-oriented building eleva- tion, at both the arrival and departure entrances, featured the image of the caribou, which has a major migra- tory path running through Rankin Inlet. The image of the old head frame of the nickel mine forms part of the community origins." The selected images were identified by the com- munity during an open consultation process and were voiced as impor- tant symbols to Rankin Inlet. A key feature of the one-storey conventional steel building with a mezzanine to house the mechani- cal systems and control tower is the foundation – a massive concrete foot- ing and slab set on eight-inches of rigid insulation placed above a ther- mosyphon system. "The principal function of the thermosyphon is to maintain frozen ground below the insulation layer," says Tim Van Bewer, project manager for NDL Construction, Ltd. "This frozen state provides a very stable and reli- able base for the entire building at a very low maintenance and oper- ating cost for the full life cycle." Construction is 14 months into a 48-months schedule, and so far, the most challenging element has been logistics. Prairie Architects Inc. devel- oped a multi-phased approach that maintains the operation of the exist- ing terminal and minimizes any impact on passenger travel, medical transport, law enforcement, and the delivery of perishable goods during the full duration of construction. All project materials are shipped by sealift from Bécancour, Quebec, or Churchill, Manitoba, during the mid- July to early October shipping season that only sees one to three sailing per season, depending on community. "Once the project was awarded, we signed contacts with our subtrades, issued purchase orders to suppli- ers, ordered materials, and reserved space on the ships," Van Bewer says. "Acquiring project materials as early as possible ensured our construc- tion materials were on site when we need them. Issuing purchase orders for equipment and materials well in advance mitigated potential additional expenses and schedule slippage." The airport project team had rebar, cement, aggregates, insulation, and various membranes on site prior to the first sealift of the season, which allowed foundation construction to start in May. As a result, the team will be able to close in the building and heat the space, facilitating work throughout the winter. "We overlap all the trades so that they start their portion of work, get just far enough ahead of the next trade so they can start their scope of work, and so on," Van Bewer says. Speaking of trades, finding the number of skilled trades required for projects this size, even in the largest northern communities, is a major chal- lenge. Tradespersons are brought in from other parts of Canada, and NDL Construction Ltd. partners with local workers to deliver on-the-job training, hires local apprentices, or indentures workers into an apprenticeship pro- gram. "They gain the experience and skills that benefit the employee and the company, and we build our local human resources in the community and throughout the north," Van Bewer says. "The north is a tough place to do anything," Nichol says. "There are no roads, there is inclement weather, and most things are brought in by boat. I have been nothing but impressed with everyone involved. We are quite happy and appreciate that we are on track and on schedule." A LOCATION Unataqtutsait Street North, Rankin Inlet, Nunavut OWNER /DEVELOPER Government of Nunavut ARCHITECT Prairie Architects Inc. GENER AL CONTR ACTOR NDL Construction Limited STRUCTUR AL CONSULTANT Wolfrom Engineering Ltd. MECHANICAL CONSULTANT SMS Engineering Ltd. ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT KGS Group TOTAL SIZE 36,200 square feet TOTAL COST $60 million

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