Award

sod are used throughout the site. Xeri- scaping feature areas with indigenous plant material is employed to provide comfort and interest while offering educational cues about sustainability and ecosystems." The roof of the existing building was also replaced as part of this project, at a cost of approximately $5 million. "We did a complete roof replacement on the existing building, and skylights were added to the second floor rooms," says Hanover School Division's Dueck. "We had almost no natural light coming in with very limited windows. To try to resolve some of that we've added some windows on the original building and we've put the skylights in to bring natu- ral lighting in." The project vision was to create a campus setting that honoured the full spectrum of vocational and academic learning through the establishment of academies, says Jeff Moroz, associate with Stantec Architecture Ltd. "Our challenge was to facilitate an integrated design process that gen- erated an 'Architecture of Place' that respected one campus yet celebrated the vibrancy and diversity of various voca- tional, academic and Steinbach commu- nity functions," says Moroz. "The new campus encourages multiple points of community access into the overall facil- ity. The emphasis of authentic learning opportunities welcomes community members, similar to retail commercial endeavours where they experience hospitalit y, childcare, cosmetolog y, carpentry and metalworks services." A central atrium forms the commu- nal heart of the school, says Moroz. " T he a r c h i t e c t u r a l pl a n n i n g response was to place the gymnasium core against the existing gymnasium and extend the existing corridor sys- tem into the new section," says Moroz. "To create a distinct identity for the new school and to break up the sprawl- ing mass of the combined new cam- pus, the new programmatic elements were expressed individually through form and material selection, and these separate components were organized around the central atrium." The construction schedule poses a challenge for any school project due to the need to be ready for students and teachers at the beginning of September. "As this was both a renovation and addition project that essentially doubled the size of the school, the planning and execution of the phasing of the construc- tion was paramount," says Moroz. "It was a multi-step process that included relocating existing modular classrooms that were in the way, renovating and expanding the vocational areas prior to the addition being completed and constructing the new addition over the course of two school years while the existing school was in session. Further complicating matters was the decision to combine a complete re-roofing of the existing high school as part of the con- struction contract that was prepared by a different consultant group." T he big ges t desig n cha l lenge involved how to connect the new wing with the existing school in a seamless new campus model, says Moroz. All of the major electrical services had to be relocated before construction could start, says Ken Green, MCW/AGE Consulting. "A preliminary electrical load was required such that a new ser- vice could be provided to accommodate the existing school and the new school as the power authority would only allow one hydro service at the site," says Green. "This was engineered a year-and- a-half in advance so the services could accommodate the new school construc- tion. MTS cables had to be relocated at School Location 190 McKenzie Avenue, Steinbach, Manitoba owner Hanover School Division architect/StructuraL/ MechanicaL/civiL/ SuStainabiLity conSuLtant Stantec Architecture Limited GeneraL contractor Penn-Co Construction eLectricaL conSuLtant MCW/AGE Consulting LandScape architect HTFC Planning & Design totaL area 105,000 square feet totaL coSt $40 million the same time as the power." The staff parking lot was designed a year in advance of construction, says Green. "New LED lighting was specified for the parking lot to allow an energy efficient lighting source for a LEED credit," says Green. The school is targeting LEED Gold and includes a geothermal field on the property, chilled beams in the class- rooms and displacement ventilation in the assembly space. The exterior building envelope is a cavity wall system with a masonry veneer, which follows a provincial mandate that school projects be highly durable. "The main entrance to the school has been relocated to the other side of the building in order to create a new campus plaza facing south, adjacent to the bus loop and the outdoor learning environment," says Moroz. The construction of the project has gone relatively smoothly, says Gibson: "We have a very cohesive consultant team and a conscientious contrac- tor who have all worked very hard to deliver a good quality project." ■ october 2014 /63 Steinbach regional Secondary School

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