Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/607779
DECEMBER 2015 | 91 L.R. Wilson Hall – McMaster University RENDERINGS COURTESY CS&P ARCHITECTS INC. L.R. Wilson Hall – McMaster University by PETER STENNING LOCATION McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario OWNER/DEVELOPER McMaster University ARCHITECT CS&P Architects Inc. GENERAL CONTRACTOR Bondfield Construction STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Halsall Associates MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Crossey Engineering Ltd. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT PMA Landscape Architects Ltd. LEED CONSULTANT Provident Energy Management Inc. TOTAL SIZE 175,000 square feet TOTAL COST $65 million I t has been called everything from a landmark to a game-changer by its many supporters, but one thing is certain, when the new L.R. Wilson Hall at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario is completed in 2016, it will pro- vide much needed teaching and other space for the institute's faculties of Humanities and Social Sciences. Designed as an active learning hub, the five-storey, 175,000-square-foot facility will contain a new 350-seat con- cert hall, a 150-seat multipurpose black box theatre and a 400-seat lecture hall. Built to LEED Gold standards, it will also include a research centre and data lab, a centre for health and aging, plus an indigenous studies program that will occupy 20,000 square feet. For McMaster administrators, the $65-million project is the outcome of years of lobbying to the provincial gov- ernment. A funding breakthrough occurred in 2012 when the province announced it would provide $45 million for the multipurpose facility; an addi- tional $10 million was donated by Lynton Wilson, the former University chancellor for whom the hall is named, and other monies subsequently became available. Located on the former site of Wentworth House bordered by a mature treeline along Forsyth Avenue and Sterling Street, L.R. Wilson Hall repre- sents an intense and productive collabo- ration between CS&P Architects Inc. and stakeholders. "This was the first time we worked with McMaster and it was a wonderful experience," says Paul Cravit, CS&P principal and director of design. "For us, the process began in 2013 by sitting down with a building committee headed by McMaster's dean, and then over a five month period all the neigh- bourhood stakeholder groups were brought in to decide exactly what the new facility should be comprised of and how it should meet their needs. Residents were also consulted on how the building should relate to the surrounding cam- pus and adjacent residences," Cravit says. "Out of these meetings came all the design considerations, and the result couldn't have been more pleasing." The original programme had deter- mined the facilit y would provide a unique mixture of classrooms and infor- mal spaces in which the students can interact and study. Instead of the stan- dard classroom setup of chalkboards and desks arranged in clusters for group work with the instructor in the centre, and an abundance of digital screens. But that was only one facet of the project's enormous scope. Careful con- sideration was given to the creation of the concert hall, multipurpose theatre, and music rooms. "We had to pay spe- cial attention to acoustical separation requirements, plus we decided these heavy-use facilities had to be on the ground f loor for easy public access," says Cravit. "On top of that, given that one side of L.R. Wilson Hall faces resi- dences and the other side faces univer- sity buildings, we located the access to these music facilities towards the uni- versity, so as to maintain the peaceful environment of the residences." For the same reason, the mixture of curtain wall and masonry that would comprise L.R. Wilson Hall's exterior was massed according to the building's ori- entation. "We located the majority of the glazing to the north and south univer- sity side, with more masonry and less glazing on the residential side of our building," says Cravit. "That way, we reduced the potential impact of night light transfer on the residences and provided excellent orientation for our graduate and research spaces." Also, in order to mediate between this very large facility and the smaller low-rise houses, the design concept broke down the structure into com- ponents consisting of a large podium – appropriate for the inclusion of the public elements as well as some of the active learning spaces – articulated forms for the performance halls, and a stepped-back, slender, three-level tower containing research labs and seminar spaces. Cravit is impressed that McMaster helped its design team gain inspiration by arranging for them to travel to insti- tutional facilities in Minnesota, Montreal and Chicago. "That was unusual, and it was a great way to brainstorm," he says. The airy, open interior was arranged simply, along a north/south, east/west crisscross route, at the centre of which is a small atrium with space for a café, and an outdoor courtyard. The lecture the- atre was located below grade to reduce the building's mass and designed to pro- vide a maximum of natural daylight pen- etration to its lobby space. Adverse weather conditions cou- pled with L.R. Wilson Hall's elaborate AV infrastructure and big spans were some of the challenges facing Bondfield Construction and other trades after the site was prepped in the fall of 2013. "Our job, as well as that of other disci- plines, has been helped significantly by the 'yellow bible' of standards that the University created, and it's comprehen- sive right down to the type of lamps and lighting levels appropriate for spe- cific areas of the facility," says David Young, electrical principal for electri- cal/mechanical consultants Crossey Engineering Ltd. Building to LEED Gold standards for Crossey means paying special attention to light power density as well as pro- viding lighting control devices such as occupancy and daylight sensors to limit the energy used for lighting when it is not required. For Fung Lee, pr incipal, PM A Landscape Architects Ltd., L.R. Wilson Hall is an opportunity for a variety of landscaping styles appropriate for a multi-departmental facility. "We have three or four key spaces to focus on, including the internal courtyard, which we've designed as a viewing garden and place of contemplation, and the terrace belonging to the indigenous studies program," she says. "For that area, we designed a native medicine wheel and community garden." Lee adds that a material palette based on naturalistic tones and textures was worked out to complement the mature trees surrounding the indigenous stud- ies area. "Also, for the very large green roof of the building, we did a playful graphic layout that changes in colour, texture and height over the seasons." As the trades work towards an early 2016 completion, Paul Cravit summa- rizes the L.R. Wilson Hall project by saying, "Overall, we've tried to cre- ate a facility that is open and inviting while at the same time respecting the needs for safety and security in a uni- versity setting. The only way this could be achieved was through intensive col- laboration with stakeholders, and in the New Year I expect the public will be pleasantly surprised by the outcome." A 10:30 AM