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M A R C H 2 0 2 4 | 67 Sheldon Kennedy Centre of Excellence P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E S Y P L AC E A RC H I T EC T LT D. SHELDON KENNEDY CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE by JESSICA KIRBY T he Sheldon Kennedy Centre of Excellence – named after the first NHL player to speak out against sexual misconduct by a coach – is a beacon of hope, learning, and connection for Central Alberta youth. The 69,000-square-foot structure brings together Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre (CACAC), the Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre, Alberta Health Services: Red Deer Child and Youth Addiction and Mental Health Outpatient Clinic, Move Your Mood Studio, and the Step Up Step Down live-in youth mental health program together under one roof. This one-of-a-kind building, strategically located on land gifted by the Red Deer Polytechnic campus, fulfils a long- standing vision to connect essential services for youth experiencing abuse. "The layout strengthens integra- tion for all partners involved, but most importantly, it is designed using an evidence-based model proven to reduce long-term impacts of abuse on children, youth, and families, cut back on systemic costs of child abuse, and, ultimately, save more lives," says CACAC CEO, Mark Jones. Seven years ago, Jones, then a school administrator, was inspired to create a mental health hub for youth after a rash of suicides among young people in Red Deer. Research and consultation with experts in understanding child abuse and trauma shifted the project vision to a facility that would have the most significant impact possible on children and families. "The vision was a place the children could go and tell their story one time," Jones says. "Then practitioners, par- ents, and children can work together on these complex issues in one place." The three-storey structure includes 41 counselling rooms, shared meeting spaces, therapy rooms, and a gym that provides physical and mental wellness for staff, as well as a 16-bed residential treatment centre for children expe- riencing mental health and addiction challenges. "These robust services are wrapped in an education program and supplemented by the Move Your Mood studio, which connects mind, heart, and body," Jones says. A communal lunchroom seats 88 and connects to a sheltered and heated rooftop patio called the Four Seasons Room that seats 112 with large, south-facing operable windows for year-round use. Shared observa- tion rooms allow Polytech students to learn and apply their experience toward prevention and to create better ways to address childhood trauma in the future. Brett Reynolds, project manager with Eagle Builders, says the building was constructed using a combination of structural steel and precast compo- nents. "We have a standard interior beam and column layout, and the exterior walls pick up the beams in the trusses so there are no beams on the exterior walls," he says. "The building is situated on a cast-in-place founda- tion and from there we went with a PVC roofing membrane that has an R-value of 50." The high R-value and a solar array on the roof are congruent with Red Deer Polytech's Green Campus ini- tiative. The precast panels are also 12-inches thick with an R-value of 20. "That might not seem high, but when you consider the thermal mass and the lack of cold transfer through the pre- cast, and wythe ties made of fibre glass so there is no combustion, it performs well above R-20," Reynolds says. "There are slow temperature changes, which makes it easier on the HVAC system." Using precast concrete as a pri- mary construction element allowed for quick construction, as well as being extremely low maintenance and durable. Eagle Builders also uses CarbonCure technology, which uses carbon that has been sequestered from the atmosphere, converts it to a liquid state, and injects it into precast concrete structures where it remains inert. "This gives the liquefied car- bon somewhere to live and allows us to reduce the amount of cement in the product itself," Reynolds says. CACAC wanted positive flow of access and natural, intuitive move- ment throughout the space. The interior was also designed to optimize mental health and well-being, with curvature, open ceilings, and abun- dant natural light that removes the institutional aesthetic. Heather Johnston, architect with PLACE, says the building's main requirement was creating a playful, safe inviting place for kids. "We ran through several design options before landing on one that showcases the interconnected nature of the build- ing's purpose, in a colourful way that is unique and interesting to children," she says. Adam Berezanski, project lead, Aggregate Design Studio, says the ele- vation features varied colour bands representing different groups within the building. "A dark blue line snakes across the entire building, visually con- necting all the bands of colour," he says. "The building's purpose was to create a union of services under one roof, and we wanted the look to mirror that." LOCATION 70 College Circle, Red Deer, Alberta OWNER /DEVELOPER Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre ARCHITECTS PLACE architect ltd. / Aggregate Design Studio GENER AL CONTR ACTOR Eagle Builders STRUCTUR AL CONSULTANT Grubb Engineering MECHANICAL CONSULTANT TWS Engineering Ltd. ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Phase 3 TOTAL SIZE 69,000 square feet TOTAL COST $29 million

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