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AUGUST 2017 | 67 Trades Technologies Renewal And Innovation Project – Lethbridge College RENDERINGS COURTESY DIAMOND SCHMITT ARCHITECTS; PHOTOGRAPHY BY GREGORY THIESSEN/COURTESY LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE Trades Technologies Renewal And Innovation Project – Lethbridge College by ROBIN BRUNET T he $70.1-million Trades Technologies Renewal and Innovation project not only gives Lethbridge College the ability to support over 880 new learners across eight trades areas and four technology programs; at 168,812 square feet, the facility (commonly referred to as the TTRIP building) is one of the largest projects in the city's history. The massive undertaking, which ultimately represented a 3.7-acre expansion of the campus infrastructure, called for renovating and renewing the existing trades space in addition to new shops, classrooms, labs and applied research space. "We first considered the project 10 years ago, partly because of student growth and also the advancing age of our existing buildings," says Lethbridge College project manager Francis Rankin. "We considered renovating what we had but ultimately decided that starting fresh would allow us to rectify the piecemeal additions that had been made on campus over the years – and give us a structure that would last for the next three or so decades." Indeed, existing trades programs were housed in a series of buildings constructed between 1962 and 1977. "We had state-of-the-art equipment and outstanding instructors, but the buildings had simply become out of date," says Rankin. Fundraising efforts garnered significant support from industry and the community, including the Lethbridge and District Auto Dealers Association and Art and Mary Jane Crooks. "In planning the project we decided to break it into two phases, with the first phase consisting of the automotive and heavy agriculture programs for a delivery date of September, 2015, and phase two including 18 classrooms, 22 office spaces, four main shop areas, six large labs, three meeting rooms, plus a tiered student study space," says Rankin. Diamond Schmitt Architects was retained to design the facility, in association with Sahuri + Partners Architecture. Diamond Schmitt Architects principal Michael Leckman summarizes the project by saying, "In addition to providing cohesiveness to the programs, our goal was to make this a transformative facility, one in which the learning experience would extend beyond the workshops and classrooms." This was partly achieved by seeking extensive input from stakeholders. "It was crucial for us to have our instructors lay out in precise detail the floor plan of their shops and where equipment should be located, as well as other considerations," says Rankin. The collaboration eventually resulted in a design proposal that would organize TTRIP with workshops, labs and classrooms grouped around a north-south central spine and adjacent learning commons. "The spine was developed to have tables, soft and hard seating, and a terraced learning area, all of which would encourage students to stay on campus and discuss what they had been taught," says Leckman. Diamond Schmitt also developed TTRIP itself to be a learning tool. "The facility would be constructed of a variety of techniques and materials such as structural concrete and steel and glulam timbers, masonry and curtain wall glazing, giving instructors the opportunity to take students to different parts of the building and discuss the function of these elements, why they were chosen, how they were installed and how they behave," says Leckman. In terms of logistics, the 41,317-square-foot phase one building required over 15 miles of in-floor heating pipe and 6.4 miles of IT cable, plus standards that would qualify it as built to a LEED Silver designation. Architecturally, Diamond Schmitt Architects created a significant visual interest with an entirely new southern-located entrance, as well as a roofline that mimics Lethbridge's gently rolling coulees. Heather Elliot, building envelope specialist for Entuitive – Canada, says, "the roof also provides a solution to LOCATION 3000 College Dr. S, Lethbridge, Alberta OWNER/DEVELOPER Lethbridge College ARCHITECTS Diamond Schmitt Architects / Sahuri + Partners Architecture Inc. CONSTRUCTION MANAGER Stuart Olson Construction Ltd. STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Entuitive – Canada MECHANICAL CONSULTANT The HiDi Group ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT SMP Engineering LEED CONSULTANT WSP Canada TOTAL SIZE 168,812 square feet TOTAL COST $70.1 million

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