Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/687429
J UNE 2016 | 75 Legacy Centre PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY MANASC ISAAC ARCHITECTS LTD. & THE TOWN OF SLAVE LAKE Legacy Centre by ROBIN BRUNET L egacy Centre could accurately be described as Slave Lake's version of the Phoenix rising from the ashes, in this case the ashes caused by a devastating 2011 wildfire that destroyed much of the Albertan town located 250 kilometres North of Edmonton. However, today the community can be proud of its brand new facility, which is the first of its kind in the region and offers community and cultural services as well as commemorates the tragedy. Legacy Centre has been designed by Manasc Isaac Architects Ltd. and built by Chandos Construction (both of whom worked on the original Government Centre and Library). It houses a 200-child daycare (as part of the Slave Lake Child Care Society), a new Elks Lodge No. 379 hall with a 500- seat theatre, a FireSmart information centre (located in the atrium, which can also host small-scale events such as art exhibitions and wine tastings), offices and two commercial kitchens. The facility also serves as an evacuation centre should fire ever wreak havoc in the region again. Brian Vance, chief administrative officer for the Town of Slave Lake, who presided over the rebuilding of the entire community, says that in the aftermath of the 2011 blaze, "we knew we needed a reception centre and had some money to fund it. But then we consulted our residents to determine what they wanted, and ideas kept growing. Very quickly we focused on a daycare and performing arts space, which were two well-known deficiencies in our community." Vance adds, "Then we partnered with the Slave Lake Elks Lodge, striking a deal in which we would build the new facility on their land in exchange for them being a partner in the Corporation." From that point on, as had been the case with the Government Centre and Library, the town relied on Manasc Isaac to determine the configuration and visual appearance of the new facility. After significant community involvement and multiple community workshops, a design was finalized. In some ways, the 2,945 square metre Legacy Centre shares elements similar to the Government Centre, in terms of both structures being designed according to sustainable values, First Nation four directions teachings and lean principles with flexible-use interiors. As such, the layout decided upon was simple, functional, and esthetically pleasing, with the stark black vertical structure of the Legacy Centre (reminiscent of a fire lookout tower) serving as the central focus point of the building, the large theatre space to one side and the offices and daycare to the other, clad by a fibreglass composite curtainwall system (GlasCurtain) imported from Europe. EIDOS would be responsible for cresting a complementary landscape consisting of both soft features and hard pavers that adhere to FireSmart requirements. Thanks to Manasc Isaac's skill, the multi-purpose hall for performing arts is a modernistic reinterpretation of a traditional theatre design with rectangular proscenium arch and thrust, fixed seating in the rear and mobile seating up front to facilitate usage rearrangement. The daycare imparts a soothing ambiance due to a warm wood ceiling and soft lighting, with unique touches such as sunken seating areas based on concentric circles and operable windows to ensure fresh air for the kids. As for the community events hall, its massive sense of space is accentuated by exposed glulam beams. Capping the interior is a visual showcase: a scissor-like main staircase with curved glulam components. While the Legacy Centre is striking even when seen from a distance, the daycare is unquestionably the visual standout of the project and evolved out of necessity: due to location considerations and in order to gain more parking space, the only area the all-important playground could be situated was on the roof of the facility. In order to provide unimpeded access to the roof from ground level, Manasc designed a sheltered ramp that would gently rise from beside the entrance and wrap around three corners of the building upon which the play area sits. Fran Yungwirth, project engineer for Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd., calls the ramp "a one of a kind challenge. Based on Manasc's input, we ensured that it was supported by steel columns – but with the column supports having steel branches resembling those of a tree. Plus, the ramp itself was clad mostly in a decorative aluminum balustrade that resembled foliage. It was an elaborate assembly, to say the least." Another challenge faced by Yungwirth was figuring out a method to anchor the rooftop playground equipment – which under normal circumstances would be anchored deep into the earth. "We designed a base that the equipment could attach to rather than penetrating the envelope, and we ensured that no fasteners were visible," he says. Construction was scheduled to begin in 2014, but Chandos Construction and partners were obliged to rethink the pile system that was originally designed for the beneath the foundation of the facility. "We had a problem with the original piles, as the water table was seven feet underground," says project manager Dennis Stucke. Unfortunately, the delay advanced the construction schedule into the winter months. "That meant everything had to be heated and hoarded," says Stucke. "Two-storey block walls had to be heated, and because they're firewalls we couldn't move ahead with other work like the glulam beams." Stucke retained Ravensfire Sculpture of Edmonton to fabricate the elements of the playground ramp and construct heavy-gauge metal rooftop "trees" that would act as sunshades. He says, "It's always a challenge to meet wood structures with steel structures, which was required throughout this project, but the end result is a truly beautiful building." Vance agrees, and he notes that of the project's $19.8 million budget, donations and provincial grants have covered $16.8 million. "We're enormously grateful to the energy community and other donors as well as various levels of government for making this much-needed facility come true for Slave Lake residents," he says. "The completed Legacy Centre, which opens in June, has exceeded our best expectations." A LOCATION 400 – 6th Avenue N.E., Slave Lake, Alberta OWNER/DEVELOPER The Wildfire Legacy Corporation (which includes five partners: Sawridge First Nation, MD of Lesser Slave River, The Town of Slave Lake, the Slave Lake Childcare Society and the Slave Lake Elks.) ARCHITECT/ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Manasc Isaac Architects Ltd. GENERAL CONTRACTOR Chandos Construction STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd. MECHANICAL CONSULTANT Smith + Anderson LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT EIDOS TOTAL SIZE 2,945 square metres TOTAL COST $19.8 million 8:33 AM 11:46 AM