Award

PHOTOS: MERLE PROSOFSKY PHOTOGRAPHY/COURTESY STANTEC ARCHITECTURE LTD. Edmonton International Airport – Terminal Building Expansion by Jessica Kirby ne need only glance at the curved, sweeping roof and generous glazing to know the Edmonton International Airport is at home in its environment, with its backdrop of vast Prairie grasslands and wide-open sky. The extensive expansion and renovation is Canada's irst LEED-certi ied airport, and boasts unique architectural elements including an interior living wall. The development spans 167,000 square feet of renovated space and 446,000 square feet of new space, including a new concourse. The work doubled the building's footprint, resulting in increased capacity for nine million passengers. The campus-wide project's main features include the 14-gate building expansion to the south terminal built by PCL Construction Management Ltd. and designed by Stantec Architecture Ltd., the architectural and engineering consultant. A combined of ice and air traf ic control tower comprising almost 130,000 square feet of of ice space, retail, and expanded baggage screening facilities, and an upgrade to the central utilities plant were also part of the work. The starting point for the interior design was the thematic master plan, which describes a journey through Edmonton and the surrounding areas as 'Canada's Gateway to the North,' providing a memorable and multi-faceted experience, says Janice Hicks, senior associate with Stantec, "It is not just about getting to your destination; it's the journey." To reinforce the primary theme of 'We'll move you,' elements of the brand graphic have been incorporated into the design of the concourses. "The streams of colour that connote ascent, light, travel, energy and motion are translated into zones for motion and rest," says Hicks. "A variegated band of blue porcelain loor tile twists and turns down the concourses, bringing to mind images of air currents, passages and waterways. The form of the design and the colour choices evoke impressions of boldness, aspiration, trust O Edmonton International Airport – Terminal Building Expansion p.56-59Edmonton Airport.indd 57 and friendliness, while maintaining a crisp and timeless esthetic." Plastic laminate wall panels keep the spaces open, fresh and traf ic-ready. Areas of wood introduced in the ceilings and upper walls tie into the actual structure of the departure level and visually soften the space. "We've also got great visibility from the inside to see the airplanes on the tarmac and to see off into the prairies in the distance," says Webster. The building achieves an intuitive, lexible design by maximizing the number of gates used interchangeably for domestic, international and transborder lights. "It was designed to make the customer experience better and memorable," says John Webster, architect with Stantec. "We used a lot of glass and inishes that increase customer comfort, like a variety of looring materials, ceiling and wall systems, and lighting designed to create a very comfortable space for passengers and the people who work there." Stantec identi ied points of traf ic and way inding by architecture instead of signage, he adds. "For instance, at each gate we dropped the ceiling to create an element that, as you look down the concourse, allows you to see the gate." The architectural team also used an interstitial corridor that allows separation of inbound and outbound passengers within the same public space. "So you don't arrive at the building and come into the basement," says Webster. "There is a space that lets you know you've arrived." A sweeping, wavy roof design evoking the movement of prairie grasses ties in architecturally with the interior identifying the location of the gates. It connects with the original building at a central hall and a structural system of derrick columns and industrial steel connections honour the city's relationship with the oil and gas industries. Contributing to the LEED certi ication is a displacement diffuser heating system and hydronic heating and cooling coming from a central utilities plant at the far end of the terminal. Air movements are kept to a minimum, negating the need for large ducting throughout. The building uses grey water salvaging and rooftop stormwater collection; rooftop thermal panels heat domestic hot water. The world's only living wall inside an airport covers a main wall and two sidewalls for a total vertical green area of 1,420 square feet. It features 32 unique species in a pattern inspired by cirrus cloud formations on the main wall and designs celebrating Canadian artists including the Group of Seven on the sidewalls. The fully planted system weighs only three to four pounds per square foot and the wall is made of 100 per cent recycled materials. An automatic drip irrigation system percolates down through layers of recycled ibres each day to water the plants, which will add oxygen to the terminal and absorb toxic indoor air pollutants like benzene and VOCs. Senior project manager for PCL Construction Management Inc. Marcel Jakob says the building envelope is a unique and aggressive design that uses traditional materials combined with strict and rigid tolerances. At ground level are precast concrete panels leading to a curtainwall system that spans upward to a metal panel sof it and fascia overhang. A clerestory runs the JUNE 2012 /57 5/25/12 12:02:36 PM

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