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FEBRUARY 2015 | 65 Amber Trails Community School project manager at Bockstael. Extensive work was also required at the soccer pitch since this was also the location for the geothermal system, which required two layers of pip- ing going down 22 feet. "The provision of radiant floor heat for a school is novel for Manitoba, as is the system that collects rainwater from the roof and stores it in massive cisterns in the building's utility spaces for non-potable use," says Kozak. "Even the charging units for electric automobiles is unique, and we were fortunate that Bockstael embraced these LEED ele- ments and processes." Bockstael implemented LEAN construction principles and value engineering to build Amber Trails in just 19 months. Rather than conventional plywood formwork, the company rented a concrete forming system for grade beams and walls in order to save time and expense. As it turned out, any time savings became crucial, because the winter of 2013 delivered the most severe weather in decades and forced Dandewich and his crew to modify their approach to construction. "We decided to build the wings housing the classrooms first and then left the gym partially unclad in order to save heating and hoarding expenses," he says. "Whenever the winds grew so strong that the flames from welders' torches angled, we would shift the welding to different areas of the facility." For his part, O'Leary expects future school development to be influenced significantly by Amber Trails' design. "This facility was built to a 100-year standard and we couldn't be happier with the result," he says. "Everything we had hoped this school to be turned out to be the case, and more." A RENDERING + PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY PRAIRIE ARCHITECTS

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