Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/292860
Surrey Pretrial Services Centre Expansion Project by Robin Brunet photos: LatreiLLe DeLage photography / courtesy DgBK architects B y their nature, the design and construction of correctional facilities are fairly low-key propositions: nothing, from the type of security systems or building materials used, is disclosed publicly in any detail. Still, the renovation and expansion of the Surrey Pretrial Services Centre has garnered a fair bit of attention, partly because the project has been long in the making, employed almost 250 people during construction and is expected to attain LEED Gold certification - the highest level of sustainability ever for a correctional facility in B.C. The project is the centrepiece of the $185-million first phase of the B.C.'s capital plan to expand correctional facilities. Work on the Surrey Pretrial Services Centre has effectively doubled capacity (the expansion included the creation of 216 new cells) and created 130 new corrections positions. The ex pansion and renovat ion project was delivered as a public private partnership and the competi- tive selection process was managed by Partnerships British Columbia, on behalf of the Ministry of Justice. It was organized as a design-build-finance- maint ain projec t w it h Brook f ield Financial, with Forum Equity Partners as an equity partner, PCL Constructors as design-builder, Honeywell as facility manager and DGBK Architects as the lead designer. The fixed price, perfor- mance-based agreement term is for 32.5 years, which included the construction period. DGBK was charged with designing the 216-cell addition to the existing pretrial facility, including a healthcare unit and expanded space for inmate programs. Renovations to the existing building included a new laundry and tailor facility, an upgrade and expan- sion of food services, a staff services/ administration upgrade and upgrades of admissions and discharge. Four new operational control posts had to be added to integrate the operations of the new and existing buildings. DGBK partner Greg Dowling, who has 17 years experience working on correc- tional projects, describes the design approach: "Basically the prov ince engaged a consulting team to create an indicative design incorporating all the elements required by BC Corrections. From there, we analyzed the design from an operational perspective to determine ways the facility could per- form better and be constructed easier." Some of DGBK's refinements per- tained to standardizing the living units. "It was important to keep things as simple as possible, for operational ease and because we were working to a fixed deadline," says Dowling. Con- crete was first poured at site in March of 2012, and work was completed in November 2013. Because corrections facilities by nature contain a minimal amount of glazing, the LEED Gold designation for the Centre was achieved with design innovations focused on elements such as radiant heating and cooling, low-flow toilets, and special mechanical and elec- trical systems. "However, we did have opportunities to bring natural light into the facility, which is important for the emotional well-being of the inmates and staff," says Dowling. "For exam- ple, we used secure glazing – which is very expensive – judiciously. In some areas, we found opportunities for more extensive applications of less expensive glazing to provide an abundance of nat- ural light in inmate areas, between the common rooms and the neighbouring secure exercise yard." It was decided early on to use the tilt- up method of construction (complete with encased conduits) and cast on site rather than standard masonry block, for the sake of speed and efficiency. Masonry walls were used for smaller rooms and in areas where tilt-up was not practical. All the cells were manufactured off- site as precast modules by the Oldcastle Precast Modular Group. They were transported by flatbed to Surrey and erected much like Lego blocks, com- plete with a finished exterior envelope and interior finishes. Rick Fernandes, project manager for PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc., says, "It was a real challenge to organize and construct everything so that this partic- ular process was successful. Essentially these modules, which would also serve as the building envelope, had to slide over a series of DYWIDAG threaded bars that were precisely placed in the ground floor concrete slab. It was like thread- ing a needle, but since we managed the quality control there were no mishaps." In fact, the erection of the structure for the expansion, including exterior and interior walls and the installation of the modules, took only 20 days to complete. Because the existing Pretrial Centre had to remain operational, renovation of the facility was broken down into 17 different sequential phases. This included installing a new security sys- tem with hundreds of cameras. "West- ern Pacific Enterprises and Honeywell worked together while the old system was still operational, so there was a lot of redundancy in order to ensure that security was maintained at all times," says Fernandes. "Another switchover involved the creation of a new industrial kitchen. In all instances we worked with BC Corrections and, at times, amongst the inmates." Dowling and Fernandes echo the sentiment s of their colleagues by describing the design and compli- cated construction process as an out- right success. "Everyone on board had extensive prior experience in building correctional facilities, and working with BC Corrections was great because they have a history of being open to new approaches," says Dowling. n Location 14323 – 57th Avenue, Surrey, B.C. owner The Province of British Columbia (BC Corrections Branch) DeveLoper Brookfield Infrastructure Partnerships Surrey FaciLities Manager Honeywell Limited project/construction Manager/Design-BuiLD contractor PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc. architect/Design teaM LeaD DGBK Architects structuraL consuLtant Bush, Bohlman & Partners LLP MechanicaL/eLectricaL/ civiL consuLtant MMM Group Limited LanDscape architect Durante Kreuk Ltd. corrections aDvisor Jug Island Consulting Ltd. FooD service Designer Lisa Bell & Associates coDe consuLtant GHL Consultants Ltd. LeeD/energy MoDeLLing consuLtant Morrison Hershfield BuiLDing enveLope/ geotechnicaL consuLtant EXP totaL area Existing Pretrial Centre: 13,000 square metres Expansion: 10,675 square metres totaL construction cost $90 million April 2014 /77 Surrey pretrial Services Centre Expansion project p76-77_SurreyPreTrial.indd 77 14-04-03 9:13 AM