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FEBRUA RY 2017 | 89 West Haven Public School PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY BR2 ARCHITECTURE West Haven Public School by ROBIN BRUNET O pened last fall, the K-9 West Haven Public School in Leduc is the newest school in the Black Gold Regional Division (BGRD), with a student capacity of 500. The project was a long time in the making. Requests for a new school started in 2006, as part of the division's capital submission plan, but BGRD wasn't granted approval from the Alberta Government until May of 2013. During that time, considerable thought on the part of BGRD was given to what the school could be. "We wanted a modern, state-of-the-art facility and to be able to provide endless learning opportunities," says Norman Yanitski, superintendent of schools, BGRD. "This included constructing a state- of-the-art student learning commons to serve as the centre of school life. We also wanted the new school to include updated music spaces, modern lab spaces and well-designed classrooms that were more student-centred and focused on student learning. "Flexible student gathering spaces were included in order to create a more inclusive, welcoming environment for the students and staff to interact, and build relationships and a community-like feel." Steve Bushnell, partner at BR2 Architecture, says that in addition to adhering to "robust performance specs," the architects developed West Haven according to LEED Silver standards. The school was also designed to house a total of 12 modular classrooms (four are currently on site), again for flexibility, but over the longer term, to accommodate changes in community demographics. Bushnell explains, "As the size of the student populace changes over time, these modulars can easily be transported to other sites where needed." Bushnell stresses that modulars have evolved considerably in terms of visual appeal and resiliency, "and with three large windows on one side of each modular, they fulfill the mandate of bringing as much natural light and ventilation into the learning environment as possible," he says. As part of the Alberta Government's initiative to create 230 badly needed new and modernized schools to the tune of $4.6 billion, efficiency of design and construction was of paramount importance to the West Haven project. Accordingly, the single-level school was developed as a load bearing steel frame with infill structure, which would allow for the roof to be completed first and provide all- important shelter for the bulk of the other construction requirements. Also, cladding was selected as much for practicality as esthetic appeal. "Masonry was predominantly used on the exterior and interior spaces," says Roubesh Seedoyal, project manager for Graham Group Ltd. "The outside cladding was brick veneer with composite metal panel on the upper portions of the building, while interior masonry even extended to some dividing walls. Compared to drywall, this provides strength as well as ease of maintenance." As a LEED Silver project, Smith + Andersen developed a radiant heating system to allow for energy-efficient heating from the bottom up rather than the top down, with a displacement system bringing low velocity air down to the floor. Electrical systems from SMP Engineering included sensors that would automatically dim or close the lights, depending on illumination levels and room occupancy. SMP associate Sunil Nakai says, "We co-ordinated and implemented a wide range of systems, current and up-to-date power distribution, fire alarm, security systems, as well as lockdown areas and card access zones to low voltage public address systems. The design build delivery method was favourable in that we were able to collaborate with the other trades at the beginning of the project and avoid unexpected problems during construction – which in this case was helpful, since the construction was governed by a tight construction schedule." This, combined with Smith + Andersen, BR2 and Graham having worked together on numerous past occasions simplified another challenge, that of incorporating the latest code requirements while anticipating potential future changes during the design and construction of West Haven Public School. "As a team, we were able to meet the many recent changes to the code related to energy and environmentally- conscious design, and also what could be done to anticipate future needs in terms of technology," says Nakai. Despite the intense focus on efficiency and flexibility, there was room for a few design flourishes. "The library is a big, tall space flooded with natural light and framed on the exterior by the metal cladding, and the building structure has corners of glazing," says Bushnell. Seedoyal says one of the biggest challenges of the construction phase involved the school gymnasium: "The masonry load bearing wall of the gym had to tie into the main LOCATION 325 West Haven Drive, Leduc, Alberta OWNER/DEVELOPER Black Gold Regional Division No. 18 ARCHITECT BR2 Architecture BRIDGING ARCHITECT ACI Architects Inc. GENERAL CONTRACTOR Graham Group Ltd. STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Protostatix Engineering Consultants Inc. MECHANICAL CONSULTANT Smith + Andersen ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT SMP Engineering TOTAL SIZE 50,000 square feet TOTAL COST Undisclosed steel frame, and with construction so accelerated we had to reschedule portions of the frame construction." One of the other challenges was the gymnasium and areas where the floor was to be polished concrete. In order to achieve the level of finish for the polished concrete, the slab had to be super-flat so that the exposed aggregate texture was consistent throughout the building. The prerequisite for the wood floor installation in the gym was that the gym had to be air tight, the heating system had to be operational, and all lights installed. The humidity in the gym also had to be at optimum level. Hence, there was a big push to get some of the mechanical and electrical systems operational in advance, to facilitate the gym floor installation and maintain our schedule. But Seedoyal adds that these issues were minor in a project that was largely trouble-free. "We even had decent weather, to the degree we were able to do asphalt work in mid- November of 2015, when usually the cut-off would be October," he says. BGRD's Yanitski adds, "The City of Leduc generously committed to helping to fund the development of a new playground with adjacent green space and an athletic field including two soccer fields." Despite a demanding design and construction schedule, West Haven Public School was completed ahead of schedule and on budget. Yanitski concludes, "Collaboratively, with support from the Government of Alberta, City of Leduc, Graham Group Ltd., BR2 Architecture, ACI Architects Inc., West Haven Public School Fundraising Society and several other community players, we have brought to life an innovative plan for an inclusive school dedicated to inspiring success in every student." A

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