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OCTOBER 2015 | 77 Trades and Technology Centre (TTC) – Parkland College PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY A+K ARCHITECTS Trades and Technology Centre (TTC) – Parkland College by ROBIN BRUNET C reating a new trades and technol- ogy centre in Saskatchewan seems easy, considering the numerous examples of prairies-style facilities dominating the landscape. Simply use metal cladding, make red and green the predominant colour scheme, and Bob's your uncle. But easy and predictable is exactly what Parkland College, the owners of the College's new $18.5-million Trades and Technology Centre (TTC), were determined to avoid. "It wouldn't have made sense," says Kurt Dietrich, part- ner of Regina-based A+K Architects (the joint venture organization of Alton Tangedal Architect Ltd. and Kreate Architecture and Design Ltd.) "For one thing, Parkland is home to many foreign exchange students, and there's a thriv- ing multicultural feel to the campus. So we worked closely with Parkland administration and other stakehold- ers to determine what the new facility should look like," Dietrich explains. In terms of function, the TTC con- tains multi-purpose shops, students' area, classrooms and other teaching areas in 29,000 square feet of space; the facility will train students in a variety of fields, such as mechanics, power engi- neering and welding. The mot ivat ion for developing the Centre was simple, and pressing. Saskatchewan is experiencing remark- able growth that is translating into an abundance of employment opportuni- ties, many of which are in the skilled trades; the Parkland project represents a significant expansion of services and program delivery options that previ- ously weren't available in the region due to a lack of suitable trades train- ing space. "Throughout our fundrais- ing campaign, we underscored that colleges build communities and com- munities build colleges," says Parkland president Dwayne Reeve. "This building is a key part of our vision for a stronger Saskatchewan and more opportunities for the people of the Parkland region." From the outset, the project received strong regional support. In September of 2012, the City of Yorkton donated 20 acres of land for the TTC valued at $3.48 million. Then, in October of 2013, Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall announced $10 million in funding to support the Centre's construction; by this time, $5 million had been raised from local and international busi- nesses/community groups, the planning phase was complete, the design was well underway and tendering proceeded the following month. Dietrich says the project was very much a case of design following function, seeing as how the two main components of the Centre were a 10,000-square-foot multi-trades shop (for heavy equipment repair and welding) and a power engi- neering lab. "Early on it was decided to have these two components on either end of the overall facility, acting as anchors on a north-south longitudinal plane," he says. "However, Parkland was very open minded about how the facility would look and what its detailing would be, so collaborating with the institution turned out to be a productive and pleas- ant experience." Dietrich adds that by locating class- rooms and administrative functions in the middle, "we created a learning facil- ity in which students of the shop and the engineering lab would easily mingle, compared to other such facilities where they're pretty much segregated. Our goal to integrate them was helped along by the design of our classrooms, which have folding walls." Instead of a prairies ambiance, which usually imparts a feeling of imperma- nence due to the undisguised and exten- sive use of metal sheeting, "we wanted the exact opposite; a facility that looked solid and permanent," says Dietrich. "We also didn't want the 10,000-square-foot shop to dominate the rest of the struc- ture, so we considered a wide variety of forms and finishes." One solution was to use cast bush hammered concrete to provide a stone- like appearance along the lower level of the facility; this gave the metal cladding of the upper levels a distinctly urban appeal normally found in upscale busi- ness park structures. A grand entrance LOCATION 273 Dracup Avenue, Yorkton, Saskatchewan OWNER/DEVELOPER Parkland College PROJECT MANAGER MHPM Project Managers Inc. ARCHITECT A+K Architects GENERAL CONTRACTOR Logan Stevens Construction STRUCTURAL ENGINEER BBK Structural Engineers MECHANICAL ENGINEER MacPherson Engineering Inc. ELECTRICAL ENGINEER Alfa Engineering Ltd. TOTAL SIZE 29,000 square feet TOTAL COST $18.5 million

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