Award

Roy Ooms Photography / courtesy Stantec Robert Thirsk High School by Stacey Carefoot he design differences between learning institutions constructed in Alberta during the 1970s and today are about as abundant as gopher holes in a pasture. Gone are the days of building windowless brick and mortar schools with as few distractions and as little fresh air as possible. Instead, across the Alberta Prairies and in the province's cities, state-of-the-art learning institutions are popping up, leaving the schools of yesteryear looking even more uninviting. The Alberta government has invested nearly $1.4 billion over three years in new school capital projects and 22 new schools are expected to open in the next year alone. One of the largest new school builds in Alberta is the Robert Thirsk High School in northwest Calgary, named after astronaut and former Calgary Board of Education student Robert Thirsk. The Robert Thirsk High School is a part of the Alberta Schools Alternative Procurement II Public Private Partnership Project (ASAP). ASAP is the consolidated approach to designing, building, financing and maintaining schools across Alberta and is currently in its third phase. "Through this program, Stantec worked with Clark Builders as part of the delivery of four design-build high schools – three in Edmonton and one in Calgary. With bridging documents prepared by Alberta Infrastructure's bridging consultant Quinn Young Architects Ltd., a blueprint for the design and layout of the schools was complete," says Todd Hartley, principal at Stantec. Stantec provided all consulting services for the execution phase of the project, taking the schematic design through to completion. "The collaboration between all parties involved in the delivery of the school was critical to the success of this alternative delivery model," says Hartley. "Working through issues with the various parties – Alberta Infrastructure, bridging consultant and various contractors – was a new T Robert Thirsk High School p88-89Robert Thirsk.indd 89 and challenging process that is now the norm for delivery of schools throughout Alberta," he says. While this collaboration may now be the norm in Alberta, it doesn't come without its trials. "As the design-build team was required to deliver all four high schools at the same end date, we had to develop every design and build concurrently within an aggressive schedule," explains Hartley. As the contract is fixed price, challenges existed with maintaining the budget while attempting to keep the quality high and design intent intact. Through this type of delivery there are numerous parties that have competing interests. Ultimately,with both sides working together as a team to resolve issues, those competing interests became common goals, which were eventually met. Robert Thirsk High School has been designed to conform to the sloping site, creating the equivalent of a three-storey split level, yet still persevering site lines to the mountains and city skyline for residents behind the school. Occupant comfort was also a major consideration and specific attention was paid to the lighting system. "While the economic benefits of natural lighting design can be difficult to quantify, several studies have indicated that increased comfort levels for building occupants will result in increased productivity and learning ability," says Hartley. Direct and indirect lighting sources are found throughout Robert Thirsk High School. Electric lighting systems blend seamlessly with the building's natural illumination features. "By providing lighting that mimics a naturally lit environment, the occupants will be more comfortable within the space," says Hartley. Along with lighting efficiencies, the HVAC system design focuses on measures that reduced natural gas, water and power consumption. Hydronic heating is used throughout the facility and fed by energy-efficient condensing boilers with variable frequency drives. The plumbing system utilizes low flow fixtures that reduced water consumption by up to 45 per cent and reduced natural gas load for domestic hot water delivery. "As a rule of thumb, energy-efficient design measures have resulted in an approximate 25 per cent reduction in energy costs," says Hartley. Traditionally, schools are heavy users of energy, however, this design standard will see the Calgary Board of Education save thousands of dollars in costs each year. The school is currently under CaGBC review for LEED Silver compliance. From the street, visitors are welcomed to the main entrance marked by an expansive elevated glass awning feature surrounded by multi-coloured glass spandrel panels. The school's interior is outfitted for today's learner. Nine communities, classroom and common spaces are found throughout the school. A central learning commons that stretches the concept of library into a cooperative learning space is among the key features. Two gymnasiums, a theatre, dance studio, laboratories and commercial kitchen give students the room they require to grow, train and expand their learning options far beyond the brick and mortar bunkers their parents called school. The school is set to accommodate a total of 1,500 students. It also has some special features including a living wall, outdoor courtyard, a small roof garden area and a two-level learning commons. According to Robert Ashley, manager, architectural and engineering services for the Calgary Board of Education, sustainable landscaping design was also used to reduce water consumption and lessen the demand on the stormwater system during a rain event. "The comments about the school's overall design have been very complimentary," says Ashley. "This school has provided a wealth of insights into the ASAP design-build process that are invaluable as we move forward with future school designs." n Location 8777 Nose Hill Drive N.W., Calgary, Alberta Owner Calgary Board of Education Developer Alberta Infrastructure Architect/Consulting Services Stantec General Contractor Clark Builders Total Area 13,324 square metres Total Construction Cost Undisclosed october 2013    /89 13-09-13 4:19 PM

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