Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/292860
Abbey Master Builder Centre by Jerry Eberts photos: chris bolin T he town of Blackfalds, Alberta, has seen a quick and ongoing rise in population over the last few years, spurred by employment in the regional energy sector. With community leaders dedicated to providing the young, family-oriented residents a great quality of life, it is not surprising a new recreational facility would be proposed. What is surprising is the scope of the facility. Called the Abbey Master Builder Centre – or Abbey Centre for short – the project consists of a field- house/g y mnasium w it h spec t ator seating for 200, a 1,000-square-metre running track, fitness centre, children's play space (including a two-storey jun- gle gym), large concession stand and huge outdoor pool complex. "The design is based on connecting the building to the Trans Canada Trail, which originally bordered the site. Through the hard work of the client, we were able to work with the Trans Canada Trail [authorities] to bring it into the site, through the building and incorporate it into the track and back outside to con- nect up and continue its way across Can- ada. It is the only facility currently that actually incorporates the Trans Canada Trail right through a building that we know of," says Brian Bengert, partner and project architect with Architecture | Arndt Tkalcic Bengert. With the town's population increas- ing between 500 and 800 people a year, there has been a lot of recent building in and around Blackfalds. "We did a needs assessment in 2008," says Sean Barnes, director of commu- nity services for the Town of Blackfalds. "What we discovered was that people wanted a swimming pool, a gym, fitness centre and running track, as well as an indoor playground for kids. Those were the top five items that people wanted. Terry Powick, senior project man- ager at Manshield Const r uc t ion, describes the Abbey Centre as a major achievement. "The client and architectural firm were good to deal with," says Powick. "This was a really important project. I took myself off the grid for a year to devote time to it. But everything went pretty smoothly for a project of this size." Pow ick feels t he outdoor pool complex is a gem, including several out-of-the-ordinary aspects that will guarantee it's a big hit with the locals during the relatively short summer months. In fact, the pool will be open from March to September. "There is a 25-metre competition pool, what's called a Junior Olympic size, with a diving board at the deep end. This is a very large leisure pool with a beach entry, meaning it slopes gradually from the shallow end. It has a handicapped entrance and is accessible to all ages," says Bret t Dyregrov, president of Western Recreation & Development Inc. "There is a teaching pool just two- feet deep for very young kids and a vor- tex pool, which is a circle with rotating water and good for aquasizing. There is also a tot pool, just 10-inches deep. As well, there is a large, 30-person hot tub with wheelchair ramp," says Dyregrov. Towering over all this are t wo large water slides. "There is noth- ing in the area like this — indoors or out," adds Dyregrov. "Plus [there is] a 4,000-square-foot spray park with a custom train slide to match the train theme that runs throughout the Town of Blackfalds." The mix of recreational offerings at the Abbey Centre meant a certain amount of complexity for the structural consultant on the project, Read Jones Christoffersen Consulting Engineers. Design engineer Rebecca Henderson says that in terms of structural design, the Abbey Centre was an interesting project in that it consisted of signifi- cant steel, concrete and Glulam design. "We had to design around an exterior grade that sloped against a long span- ning foundation wall in order for the building to actually become a part of the Trans Canada Trail. We faced a lot of challenges in making it work due to poor soil, large spans, high loads and the need to contain the structure as it was in an open gymnasium area." Mechanical consult ant for t his projec t was St antec, and AECOM handled electrical consulting for the project. "The outdoor swimming pool was different for us," says Christine Anderson, manager of the electrical engineering group at AECOM. "But apart from some budget issues, it went fairly smoothly. It's a really nice project." Garth Bell of Earthscape Consultants was landscape architect. He says the Abbey Centre project was "the nicest site I've worked on. The land was a for- mer tree nursery, with a lot of mature plant material. We preserved as much as possible so it is like a mature site. "There are trails through the woods for both the Blackfalds area and the Trans Canada Trail. It 's really an amazing site." Architect Brian Bengert is obvi- ously pleased with the result of this complex project. "The process for con- struction has been good, but of note would be how the contractor – Man- shield Construction and particularly Terry Powick — was extremely good at coordinating and motivating trades on site during a tough Alberta market- place for construction to ensure that the timelines for the project were met. "Sean Barnes from the Town of Blackfalds has been instrumental in the process to making the project hap- pen. Between himself and Blackfalds' council, the project was easy to assem- ble. All we needed to do was draw their vision." n Location 4500 Womacks Road, Blackfalds, Alberta owner/DeveLoper Town of Blackfalds architect/interior Design Architecture | Arndt Tkalcic Bengert generaL contractor Manshield Construction structuraL consuLtant Read Jones Christoffersen Consulting Engineers MechanicaL consuLtant Stantec eLectricaL consuLtant AECOM LanDscape architect Earthscape Consultants pooL consuLtant Western Recreation & Development Inc. totaL area 79,000 square feet totaL construction cost $15.2 million April 2014 /59 Abbey Master Builder Centre p58-59_Abbey Master Builder.indd 59 14-04-03 9:06 AM