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J UNE 2015 | 87 Dr. Turner Lodge RENDERING COURTESY BR2 ARCHITECTURE Dr. Turner Lodge by NATALIE BRUCKNER-MENCHELLI F ive years ago the Heartland Housing Foundation had a dream; to replace the aging one-storey, 58-unit Dr. Turner Lodge in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta with a new LEED standard building that would more accurately represent the philosophy of the company and provide its residents, active seniors aged 65 years of age or older, with a higher quality of life. "In 2010 a needs assessment was done to determine what type of seniors accommodation was required," explains Stew Hennig, Councillor, City of Fort Saskatchewan and current chair of the Heartland Housing Foundation. "At that time we had the old lodge that housed 58 residents and our assessment sug- gested that there was a need for twice that number." The board approached the Govern- ment of Alberta for funding, however, progress was slow and so, following a great many meetings, The Fort Sas- katchewan Foundation and Pioneer Housing in Strathcona County decided to amalgamate into one housing founda- tion called the Heartland Housing Foun- dation. "With the joint commitment from both municipalities, the deter- mined efforts of Peter Wlodarczak, Don Westman, Victor Budzinski and myself as the new board, plus a host of other very interested parties and the help of local MLA Jacquie Fenske, we finally got government approval," adds Hennig. In 2013 construction began of the new three-storey, 90-unit lodge at the corner of 95 Street and 94 Avenue, on a site behind the old Fort Saskatchewan Hospital. "The City had a master vision for the redevelopment of the entire site includ- ing the Lodge," explains Steve Bushnell, architect at BR2 Architecture. "It was necessary to design a facility that would interact with future commercial, retail and mixed-use residential units; to respect its neighbours while giving the residents a sense of home." BR2 achieved this by breaking up the building mass. "We wanted to make sure it wasn't one big building so we incorporated three or four compo- nents on the facade to create individual forms," adds Bushnell. "The project utilized stucco horizontal siding and vertical components not only to break the scale of the overall building but also make reference to the adjacent residen- tial neighbourhoods." Clad in concrete and steel, the mate- rials for the new Dr. Turner Lodge were chosen to ensure maximum safety for residents. Opting for a structural steel framing system with a cast-in-place concrete foundation held additional benefits, too. "We were challenged to provide structural systems that aided in the LEED certification of this proj- ect," explains Lindsay Mouser from Protostatix Engineering Consultants Inc. "Owing to the high recycled materi- als content of structural steel, and the significant fly ash content of the concrete utilized, we were able to aid in helping to realize the LEED certification." Head inside and the building is quite different in design to its prede- cessor. The focus is on natural mate- rials that create a warm and inviting atmosphere; dashes of colour and geo- metrical designs add vibrancy, while a natural wayfinding element and a focus on openness encourage interaction. The building features lounges on every floor that can be used as activity areas and offers space for support ser- vices. "Residents currently have just the one main gathering area, whereas the new building has a gathering space in the atrium and a waiting area that features a double-sided fireplace. It's a very inviting space that is comple- mented by soft colours and muted tones to give it a warm and welcoming feel," says Lynn Olenek, executive director of the Heartland Housing Foundation. Bushnell adds that the team was cog- nisant of the fact that the core compo- nents, such as the dining rooms, living rooms and common areas were cen- trally located for ease of access. The lower level, located underneath the main part of the building, has been designed to encourage the use by commu- nity groups, to "allow the residents to feel part of the community," explains Olenek. The space and materials used inside the building were carefully selected with the residents and durability in mind. "Walkers and wheelchairs bang up walls, so wainscoting protects the walls and adds a residential scale to the building," explains Bushnell. Hallways were widened to allow for wheelchair access and spaces were opened up. This usage of space along with the design requirements presented a particular challenge for Protostatix Engineering Consultants. "An excellent example of this was the combination of the need to maintain tight floor-to-floor clearances while still allowing sufficient room for mechanical systems and at the same time minimizing vibration – espe- cially in sensitive areas, for example in dining areas," explains Mouser. "Via the use of finite element analy- sis, review of all pertinent codes and commentaries and co-ordination with other team members, we were able to arrive at an efficient structural solution that met all required constraints and provided a pleasant space for the user group," Mouser adds. Resident suites, which vary in size from 350, 400 and 450 square foot, are all similar in layout with kitchenettes and a space to add a small beverage fridge and a microwave. Abundant glaz- ing allows for natural light to stream into these rooms. "Each resident unit has at least two windows and the dining room has a two-storey window allowing for maximum daylighting," says Olenek. LED lighting combined with a sensor network that detects when residents are present are among the sustainable measures employed in the building. "We needed to make sure we com- bined architectural and performance aspects so the lighting is more on the higher end with energy efficiency at the forefront," explains Jason Geisler from Concept Engineering. "In the corridors there is a minimal level of lighting at all times but when motion is detected it slowly ramps up; this allows for greater usability. The lighting never turns on or off as that causes problems with the eyes focus- sing," says Geisler. Also because of the restricted ceiling heights and materi- als being used, Geisler and the team opted for a different kind of lighting system to get the appropriate levels and power densities. Despite a tight budget, the team focussed on cost-effective strategies to achieve the LEED certification. This included additional insulation and high- efficiency boilers. "The building doesn't have geothermal heating or solar pan- els on the roof. What we designed is a building that is economic to operate," says Ken Fearnly, project manager for the development. Careful attention has also been paid to the landscaping of the site. The exte- rior area features a covered outdoor patio, and the grounds will be land- scaped for year-round use. There is an outdoor common area where the resi- dents and their neighbours can mingle and the roof of the building has been designed to be developed as a roof gar- den in the future. "We wanted to ensure there was connectivity to the outdoors," says Bushnell. Challenges presented themselves not only because of the tight budget but also the tight timeline. "The nature of the compressed schedule necessitated near constant co-ordination between all team members to ensure that any changes were captured in subsequent progress sets and accounted for," explains Mouser. "Despite these chal- lenges, the project schedule was main- tained and the respective structural portion of the project was delivered in a timely manner." A LOCATION 94 Ave, Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta OWNER Government of Alberta BUILDING OPERATOR Heartland Housing Foundation ARCHITECT BR2 Architecture GENERAL CONTRACTOR Graham Design Builders (JV) STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Protostatix Engineering Consultants Inc. MECHANICAL CONSULTANT Smith + Andersen ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Concept Engineering LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Douglas Walters Landscape Architects Ltd. TOTAL COST $19 million

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