Award

Minto Recreation Complex by Susan Pederson courtesy perkins+Will W hen the Minto Recreation Com- plex in Barrhaven, Ottawa opens its doors to the community, lo- cal residents can work out and connect with one another in the state-of-the-art facility. Amid the contemporary setting and the flush of new memories being created, sits a historic piece of Nepean Sandstone, originally quarried around 1878 and preserved from the recon- struction of the West Block of Parlia- ment Hill, which was used to create a date stone for the complex. "This salvaged piece of restored masonr y material was graciously provided by the department of Public Works and Government Services Can- ada. It became available recently when it was removed from Mackenzie Tower on Parliament Hill and replaced with new stone," explains Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson. "It provides a great link between the past of our community and the vibrant future reflected in Bar- rhaven and other parts in the fast-grow- ing south of Ottawa." The historical significance of the stone, as well as the understated gran- deur of the facility seems fitting for a complex that is the largest recreation development in the city since amalga- mation. With construction completion by EllisDon slated for November 2014 and programming due to begin in Janu- ary 2015, Minto Recreation Complex will serve as the hub of a very active community. Facilities include two NHL-sized ice rinks and spectator seating, with 500 seats in one arena and 250 in the other, and a six-lane, 25-metre lap pool with two diving boards, a "Tarzan" rope and access ramp. There is a leisure pool with a hydrotherapy section and a unique shorter "lazy river" that can be dialed up to "raging river." The Complex also boasts a full-size gymnasium, café space, seven multipur- pose rooms that can be used for activi- ties like meetings, yoga or childcare, and an indoor walking/running track. One of the skating rinks is designed to also accommodate sledge hockey players, with plastic windows along the bench boards and no doorsill to prevent sledges from entering and exiting the bench area. Community members can enjoy outdoor features that include an artificial turf field for soccer and foot- ball, complete with lights for nighttime use. The upgraded field and lights are thanks to Minto Communities, a real estate development, construction and management company, and co-sponsor of the facility, who kicked in additional funds to provide these improvements, as part of The City of Ottawa's Commu- nity Champions Program. "Minto's upgrade of the sports field to artificial turf with lights is a huge benef it for u s ," add s Da n C hen ier, general manager of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services for the City of Ottawa. "This new CFL-sized football field with a soccer pitch in the middle now gives local clubs the opportunity to start their season much earlier than normal; allow for back-to-back contin- uous use without the damage natural turf would suffer; and the lights mean that more games can occur every day since we aren't dependent on the sun." Inside, swimmers cutting through the water can gaze up at huge wooden beams supporting the ceiling. The beams are made from laminated wood and provide a beautiful, almost sculp- tural focal point to the pool area. Matthew Johnston, project man- ager and associate principal with Perkins+Will Canada, says the wooden beams were chosen for their esthetic appeal as well as the material's abil- ity to deal with high humidity inside the pool area. "They also add a kind of warmth to the room. From day one, the client group agreed that this is an important feature, even though it is a bit of a departure to use that material in a pool environment," says Johnston. "In fact, many materials in this facility are a departure from traditional recreation facilities, where you would see a great deal of painted concrete blocks. We have selected architectural block, which is a more refined version and gives a differ- ent expression to this complex." The design for the facility utilizes modern economical methods and mate- rials throughout, such as the judiciously applied high-quality masonry veneer over more economical materials like metal, to achieve LEED Silver rating. Other features, such as an air-handling system that captures excess heat from the rinks to preheat pool water, are expected to contribute to an environ- mental certification that acknowledges green design. "We certainly appreciate the ben- efits of becoming a LEED silver facility – the savings we will see in operating costs and the high durability of the con- struction means that impact on future budgets is more easily accommodated," says Chenier. But as Johnston points out, the soul of the building does not come from the structural composition, but instead from the lives that are lived and the sto- ries that are created within the build- ing. "We see this complex as providing living rooms for the community, where families can grow up and friendships can develop. The design principles that emerge offer a very deliberate trans- parency within, and from the outside of the building, and an ability to see what's going on, as an interconnected commu- nity space," says Johnston. Indeed, the large windows and open areas allow for visibility into the interior space from outside, bridging the connec- tion between outside and in throughout the year, and across all genres of activ- ity. Creating that visual connection, in a space where people will be taking the time to look up from their devices and daily grind to enjoy physical activities, is augmented by the thoughtful placement of public art. "One of my favourite features of this facility is the way that the public art by Christian Giroux and Daniel Young, has really integrated into the look and feel of the project," adds Johnston. Young and Giroux are nationally recognized contemporary artists who constructed two modular sculptures, in a grid-like form of aluminum tubes and colourful pods suspended from the ceiling of the complex, which form richly compositional artwork. "The City of Ottawa has worked very hard to score a field goal on this project," says Barrhaven Ward Councillor Jan Harder. "Minto Recreation Complex will effectively double our ability to offer courses and services to our diverse Barrhaven community." ■ Location 3500 Cambrian Road, Ottawa, Ontario owner/deveLoper City of Ottawa architect Perkins+Will GeneraL contractor EllisDon Corporation StructuraL conSuLtant Halsall MechanicaL conSuLtant Smith + Andersen LandScape architect CSW Landscape Architects Limited BuiLdinG enveLope conSuLtant PTVD Engineering Inc. totaL area 163,000 square foot totaL coSt $54 million october 2014 /85 Minto recreation complex 4:28 PM 2:12 PM 10:22 AM 2:16 PM

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