Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/856921
AUGUST 2017 | 69 PHOTOGRAPHY BY GREGORY THIESSEN/COURTESY LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE the problem of getting natural light into such a massive interior: we installed 80 light tubes with diffusers whose reflective surfaces were so effective that the LED lighting scheme for the interior would be needed only for overcast days or at night." Elliot says that the curved form of the roof required Entuitive to modify the light tubes for efficient installation. "By the time phase two commenced in 2016, the task of installation was greatly simplified." Even though two phases helped facilitate construction of the project, the process was characterized by intense communication with campus authorities, "all with the aim of maintaining normal student activities and ensuring safety," says Leckman. Even more daunting was the desire of all parties for TTRIP to be built so efficiently that the college's energy bill would remain unchanged. "Our calculations determined that the facility would therefore have to be 60 percent more efficient, but we knew this could be achieved due to efficient construction methods, solar control, good glazing and other elements," says Leckman. "In fact, the finished result turned out to be 73 percent more efficient." Unsurprisingly, the construction process was intense. "The sheer scale was daunting, and we followed a very aggressive schedule," says Stuart Olson Construction Ltd. project manager Spencer Calhoun. "Also, many of the different building elements had to be installed simultaneously: for example, concrete was often poured at the same time the steel and wood was installed – so material delivery had to be co-ordinated as needed." He adds that while timber was predominant in the central spine (with a glulam roof structure and cross laminated decking panels), "steel replaced many areas of glulam elsewhere in the facility that the budget wouldn't allow for." Calhoun also credits The HiDi Group for overcoming mechanical challenges in a timely fashion: "They were very much tasked with creating effective exhausting for the automotive, welding and other disciplines, while also maintaining high LEED standards." Work crews experienced a mild winter of 2016, allowing them to push forward and enclose the massive structure. "Which was good, because the winter of 2017 produced a lot of rain and snow, and we had the envelope around us to provide heat," says Calhoun. As of July, TTRIP was being prepped to welcome its first students in the fall, and Rankin expresses the sentiments of his colleagues by saying, "I can't emphasize enough how close collaboration has resulted in a marvellous new facility that makes Lethbridge College well positioned as a trades leader for decades to come." A Trades Technologies Renewal And Innovation Project – Lethbridge College 9:18 AM 3:48 PM 3:35 PM Gravity.indd 1 2017-07-25 1:41 PM