Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/178290
PAUL JEN Fort McMurray Fire Hall #5 by John Atkinson roviding outstanding and multi-functional service to the Albertan community of Wood Buffalo is the primary goal of the new $24.5-million Public Safety Division Multi-Use Facility (PSDMUF) in Fort McMurray, featuring Fire Hall #5 (South Station). The innovative two-storey design is a metal-based structure that includes a fully functional ire hall, training tower centre (with a itness centre, it-challenge stairwell, climbing wall and weight rooms) and a ire ighters' memorial. Along with housing Fort McMurray's fourth ire station, the eco-friendly, state-of-the-art building will be regional headquarters for the ire prevention branch, a ire training centre, leet maintenance facility for the area's entire Public Safety division, an emergency management centre and a base for safety code services. It will house 41 employees. The four-year project – pre-design began in 2008; design development in 2009; and construction in the spring of 2010 – was essentially completed on March 1 2012. "We've created a true multi-use facility where the focus is on the global notion of customer service, not just another municipal building or ire hall," says Greg MacMillan, deputy chief, administration, public safety division, Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. "We wanted to re lect that in the name." "In our effort to provide cost-effective services across this region, multi-use facilities of this nature are a must," says MacMillan. "We need to respect both the environment and the tax base in providing centres to house our municipal resources." PSDMUF is targeting LEED Gold certi ication and has been registered with the Canadian Green Building Council (CaGBC) as a candidate. It incorporates many sustainable design components, such as energy-ef icient mechanical systems, powersaving electrical ixtures (including energy-ef icient lighting) and on-site stormwater retention ponds. Examples of eco-friendly features include radiant in-slab heating, raised looring, low water consumption plumbing ixtures, occupancy sensor switches, triple-glazed windows and a rainwater capture cistern for washing vehicles. Rae McLean & Associates Ltd. designed the mechanical and electrical systems – consisting of the heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting, power and emergency systems – with an eco-friendly emphasis. "High-ef iciency boilers provide heat to the building via the in-slab heating and heating coils in the air-conditioning units," explains Steve McLean. "The building's ventilation and air-conditioning units contain heat reclaim systems to recycle heating or cooling. The roof drainage is P Fort McMurray Fire Hall #5 p.96-97Fire Hall 5.indd 97 piped to a cistern and stormwater is used for washing the ire trucks and garage areas, while the plumbing system features low- low ixtures. Domestic hot water is provided by the highef iciency heaters." PSDMUF 's lighting is controlled by energy-saving motion sensors, while of ice lighting is provided by direct/indirect ixtures – ensuring even light levels and minimizing power usage. The maintenance and ire truck storage areas have high-ef iciency luorescent high-bay lighting, while the building's major electrical systems are backed up by a generator. The metal-based building is constructed on pile foundation and has a variety of cladding materials, including Prodema, aluminum panelling and metal siding. It also features giant overhead doors, allowing easy access for ire trucks. "The materials were both functional and economical and give the building an attractive appearance," says MacMillan. Adding to the structure's esthetics is the ire ighters' memorial plaza, located prominently in front of the main entrance. This gathering space – which will host commemorative ceremonies – features stained and patterned concrete, a statue pedestal and curved concrete memorial walls. Joseph Zachariah, project manager with the project management and capital project branch of the engineering department, says the cladding materials have been blended together and used in combination around the building. The training tower masonry also has a speci ic purpose. "The exterior of the training tower has been clad with masonry to avoid damage from the rappel training," says Zachariah. "The stairwell within the tower has also been designed to allow ire department personnel to train for FireFit competitions. The tower anchors one end of the dividing feature, the 'spine.' This is the operational separation between eight response vehicle bays and the six maintenance bays [including full-length pit and dual overhead cranes]. The spine feature also incorporates the indoor climbing wall." MacMillan and his team worked with architects Sahuri & Partners, plus a stellar set of contractors, engineers (including Rae McLean) and consultants on the project. One of those consultants was L.A. West, a team of landscape architects. Barry Gonnelly was the representative. "We were responsible for the landscape concept plan, design development, working drawings, tender administration and site landscape project management," says Gonnelly. He says the PSDMUF offers unique esthetic and ecofriendly features. "The programming for the space includes annual remembrance and awards ceremonies, which meant the building has to accommodate public gatherings. The wedge walls and paving patterns were chosen to re lect ladders as an analogy for rising to the challenges emergency workers face every day. The site uses native grass mixes and plant material hardy to the climate zone to minimize maintenance." Dino Loutas, of structural engineering irm Prostatix, says the main focus from a structural engineering standpoint was ensuring the facility was designed and built to cater to all the principal services that enable a ire hall to thrive in an expanding community such as Fort McMurray. "One of the most remarkable aspects of the design was to allow easy access to the ire trucks through large overhead doors, while at the same time maintaining a residential-friendly look to the facility," says Loutas. ■ LOCATION 200 Airport Road Fort McMurray, Alberta OWNER/DEVELOPER The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo ARCHITECT Sahuri & Partners Architecture Inc. GENERAL CONTRACTOR Marshall-Lee Construction STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Protostatix MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL ENGINEER Rae McLean & Associates Ltd. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT L.A. West Inc. TOTAL AREA 43,000 square feet (building) 243,000 square feet (whole plot) TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST $24.5 million APRIL 2012 /97 3/26/12 3:09:00 PM