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FEBRUA RY 2016 | 91 Queen's Bench Court House Expansion PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY HDH ARCHITECTS Queen's Bench Court House Expansion by ROBIN BRUNET F ollowing recent years of economic growth and accompanying the influx of new residents and job creation, Saskatchewan developers are being tasked with fulfilling the pressing need for infrastructure improvement and expansion of public institutions. This applies to halls of justice, and the Court of Queen's Bench in Saskatoon is a good example of how a seasoned group of professionals came together to execute the intricate task of renovation, expansion and systems upgrades to one of the city's busiest and most important facilities – while that facility was still fully operational. Glennis Bihun, executive director of court services with the Ministry of Justice, notes that the original facility "was built in 1958, and a renovation and expansion was part of an overall plan by the provincial government to help create a safe and secure Saskatchewan and improve operational efficiencies." Bihun adds, "In particular, we needed bigger courtroom space, a second courtroom to accommodate large jury trials, larger offices, a substantial improvement in court security and, most especially, we needed to bring our family law division, which had been operating in a separate building a few blocks away since the 1970s, into the facility." Amalgamation of the Family Law Division and the courts was critical for security and service, since for decades judges and other staff had been obliged to walk across the back alley to conduct business in different locations. Wade Bergstrom, Ministry of Central Services regional director, North Region, points out that the challenges in providing these elements were substantial. "Obviously, the court house needed to continue to operate while all this work was taking place, so we needed a team that offered the best value and experience, and in terms of a design firm we found, through an RFP process, an excellent candidate: HDH Architects." The project was publicly announced as a three-year undertaking in the spring of 2009, and by the time HDH came on board a planning study had already been completed. "It was a useful document, but we still had to revise it," recalls partner Keith Henry. "Ultimately we designed a four-storey, 4,079-square-metre addition with basement to complement the existing 4,671-square-metre court complex, and developing the addition so that it would seem like a logical and organic extension of the original facility – which had a strong symmetrical facade and street presence – was something we had to give a lot of thought and energy to." It was decided to retain the original facade and orient the addition so that it stepped back from Spadina Crescent. "From there, many key elements came into place, including a single and universal point of access that would be convenient to the public and, because it was located in the new part of the courthouse, was no longer central to the facility," explains Henry. "This made the entrance far more desirable from a security perspective." Another design challenge stemmed from the fact that the old courthouse had a low (12-foot) floor-to-floor height, "and given the mechanical requirements for the new addition, the floors didn't quite align, especially at the second and third levels," says Henry. "We therefore designed a complexity of stairs that turned out to be a main visual feature and united the two building components in a very stylish and functional way." Due to the discrepancy in floor heights, two double-entry elevators were required for the revamped facility, and Daniels Wingerak Engineering Ltd. was obliged to design an air handling system that was separate from the HVAC of the original courthouse. Construction on the project began in 2011, and general contractor Graham along with Daniels Wingerak, Pow City Mechanical, electrical consultant PWA Engineering Ltd. and electrical contractor Alliance Energy had to abide by a court work schedule that was constantly updated in order to minimize any disturbance of the judicial proceedings. "The overall approach we took was to build the addition first, move court staff into that space, and then tackle the renovation of the original courthouse," says Bergstrom. "I really have to credit our project manager, Ivan Francis, for doing an outstanding job of co-ordinating the activity and addressing the usual surprises that crop up in any renovation project." For the exterior, Graham overcame the problem of working in a fairly confined site by carefully organizing its resources and material deliveries. The design of the addition recalls materials from the original courthouse's neo- classical facade of Tyndall stone cladding but made the new addition a 21st century showcase in its own right thanks to massive angular glazing in the lobby. Meanwhile, PWA and Alliance Energy performed numerous security systems upgrades throughout the facility and in the holding cells and courtroom improvements such as pop-up video screens in the jury stands that enable jurors to review evidence. The addition was finished for occupancy in April of 2014, at which point the renovation portion of the project commenced. The courthouse also underwent upgrades that included using water and energy conservation, renewable, regional materials in the stone walls, carpet and wood flooring, and mechanical systems with heat recovery, according to Henry. "Also, a big part of the design plan was ensuring that the expansion is wheelchair accessible," he says. "We needed to provide barrier-free access, because the existing court didn't have it unless you went around to the back lane and came in the back door." As of December, the finishing touches were being added to the renovation. "In retrospect there weren't that many nasty surprises," says Henry. "There were lots of clay tile walls and unexpected openings that required repair, but other than that, the work proceeded reasonably smoothly through teamwork and the co-operation of all parties." Bihun summarizes the sentiments of her colleagues when she says: "We're so pleased with the final outcome. The courthouse is both beautiful and functional, and it's entirely due to the patience of court staff, as well as the professionalism of the designers and builders." A LOCATION 520 Spadina Crescent, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan OWNER/DEVELOPER Saskatchewan Government Services ARCHITECT HDH Architects GENERAL CONTRACTOR Graham Construction STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Robb Kullman Engineering LLP MECHANICAL CONSULTANT Daniels Wingerak Engineering Ltd. ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT PWA Engineering Ltd. LANDSCAPE CONSULTANT Crosby Hanna & Associates TOTAL SIZE 95,000 square feet TOTAL COST $31.2 million 11:52 AM 1:35 PM

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