Award

A PR IL 2016 | 61 Okanagan College Trades Renewal & Expansion RENDERING COURTESY DIAMOND SCHMITT ARCHITECTS Okanagan College Trades Renewal & Expansion by NATALIE BRUCKNER-MENCHELLI O kanagan College isn't afraid of taking on a challenge. Case in point, the new Okanagan College Trades Renewal and Expansion project in B.C., which is not only targeting LEED Platinum and aiming to be energy neutral by meeting the requirements of the Living Building Challenge Petal Recognition, but a few weeks before construction began it was decided the project would use the principles of lean construction – a first for the team. Okanagan College Trades Renewal and Expansion Project will create a 59,000-square-foot expansion to the existing trades complex, and will retrofit 55,000 square feet of existing space. It will add shop, storage and ancillary space, and include 15, 20-seat classrooms/computer labs. The expansion and renewal is a result of the College experiencing phenomenal growth in its trades training profile since 2005; it is now the province's second-largest trades training institution. "We had acquired two leased spaces several kilometres away from campus for our electrical, plumbing and sheet metal programs and wanted to see those programs return to campus, for the benefit of the students and for the synergies of having those trades connect with the others on the campus," explains Heather Schneider, Okanagan College's regional dean for the Central Okanagan. "We knew we had to expand, but we also wanted to work with the 50-year-old shops that we had." It went without saying that Okanagan College would explore ways in which it could reduce its footprint; afterall the College is a strong proponent of sustainable building practices. In fact the institution had one of the first LEED Gold-certified buildings in the Okanagan (the Centre for Learning in Kelowna) and the first LEED Platinum-certified building in B.C.'s Interior (the Jim Pattison Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Building Technologies and Renewable Energy Conservation in Penticton). "Our experience as we pursue the Living Building Challenge at the Centre of Excellence in Penticton convinced the College to set that as a target for the Trades Complex in Kelowna too," says Roy Daykin, VP finance and administration. Sarah Low from Diamond Schmitt Architects – who alongside David Nairne + Associates Ltd. were the architects on the project – adds that the sustainability targets were the primary motivating force in the design. "The design objective was to normalize sustainability and show that it can be achieved in everyday buildings," she says. The team decided the first step would be to look at how to integrate the concrete and timber building on a former brownfield site with the rest of the campus. "We were mindful of where and how we were going to place the buildings to maximize existing space, but leave space for future expansion," explains Gary McEwan from PCL Constructors Westcoast, who has a long history with the College and was engaged under a preconstruction service and construction management agreement. Bringing the physical form of the building forward added visual presence to four connected elements, including the main three-storey building, which the current building lacked. The building's rainscreen wall system consists of a self-adhered membrane on exterior grade gypsum board, mineral wool insulation made from slag, a by-product of steel production, and a variety of claddings including aluminum panels, corrugated steel and fluted glulam timbers, explains Glade Schoenfeld from Read Jones Christoffersen. Around the building strategic glazing has been placed to ensure the window to wall ration is just over 30 per cent, which was critical in achieving the energy targets and also to create transparency throughout the building. Look up and you will see a pop-up standing seam roof with PV panels; the roof is at a 15-degree angle facing south, which is optimal for solar panels. All of the flat roofs on the project are Thermoplastic Polyolefin (TPO); some of those locations feature solar tubes, while others feature PV panels on racks. "We have developed a huge photovoltaic solar array to supply power and have drawn on a unique symbiotic relationship we have with the nearby municipal wastewater treatment plant to help heat the buildings. We had to rely on close working relations between ourselves, the architects, engineers and contractors to address these kinds of opportunities and challenges throughout the project," adds Daykin. From the street, a striking wood canopy that extends over the entrance invites the onlooker inside where they discover a three-storey atrium. "Gazing up you will immediately appreciate the incredible light coming in from the windows surrounding the atrium, admire the wood beams, ceiling and panelling in the space, and appreciate the easy and effective connection the space provides to the labs, classrooms, study spaces and shops. The atrium provides significant wow factor to the building along with an incredible sense of place. It will be the focal point for connectivity and networking in the complex," says Daykin. Here, once again, the team was able to use the design to maximize efficiency. "The atrium design acts like a solar chimney helping to move the air around the building. Hot air is drawn up to the top and during the summer electronic operable windows open up to naturally ventilate the space," explains McEwan. The atrium is very much the heart of the building, giving life to its surrounding. On one side of the atrium is a prominent feature stair that winds up the building and takes you to a study lounge space on the east side of the atrium on the second and third level, and classrooms on the perimeter. Smith + Andersen was tasked with designing a new sawdust collection system for the wood shop and a new smoke extraction system for the welding shop. "These systems were developed with energy conservation in mind using state-of-the-art technology and methodology," explains Don Poole, principal at Smith + Andersen. "The premise of the design is interrupting the airflow for stations not in use while maintaining the air velocities required in the systems in use. Simple in concept but technical in practice. These systems are extremely large for college systems. The woodshop system services 55 woodworking stations with a total of 15,000 cfm [cubic of air moved per minute] exhaust and the three welding systems service 90 welding and grinding stations with a total of 50,000 cfm of exhaust," says Poole. When it came to the landscaping, PFS Studio created a new courtyard with all local plantings. They were able to retain one of the original trees that provides the building with natural shading in the summer, and during the winter, when the leaves fall off, invites light into the building. As part of the Living Building Challenge, a hardy almond tree has been planted that will be harvested and used by the culinary arts students. Despite the usual challenges of any renovation and renewal, everyone involved in the Okanagan College Trades Renewal and Expansion project feels extremely proud to be part of something so forward thinking. "Working on and around existing buildings is always a challenge. You never really know what you are getting into until you open things up. Communication is everything and we were lucky to be working with such a great team of consultants and contractors. We were able to collaborate with Diamond Schmitt Architects, David Nairne + Associates Ltd. and PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc. openly to overcome all the challenges. Everyone worked together to ask the right questions and listen to each other so we could make informed and practical decisions," says Schoenfeld. A LOCATION 1000 KLO Road, Kelowna, B.C. OWNER/DEVELOPER Okanagan College ARCHITECTS Diamond Schmitt Architects / David Nairne + Associates Ltd. PRECONSTRUCTION/ CONSTRUCTION MANAGER PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc. STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Fast + Epp MECHANICAL CONSULTANT AME Consulting Engineers ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT AES Engineering BUILDING ENVELOPE CONSULTANT Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT PFS Studio SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANT Integral Group TOTAL SIZE 59,000 square foot (expansion) 55,000 square feet (retrofit) TOTAL COST $33 million

• Cover