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OCTOBER 2017 | 81 Manmeet Singh Bhullar School PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY SAHURI + PARTNERS ARCHITECTURE INC. Manmeet Singh Bhullar School by ANGELA ALTASS T he Calgary Board of Education (CBE) has opened a new school in the community of Martindale – named after the late Calgary MLA Manmeet Singh Bhullar – that will serve 600 students from kindergarten through to grade five. The new Manmeet Singh Bhullar School has been designed based on an approved prototypical elementary school, says Tim Sahuri, principal architect, Sahuri + Partners Architecture Inc. The project was designed to meet the educational requirements of the CBE, academic guidelines as set out by Alberta Education, as well as the area guidelines of Alberta Infrastructure, notes Sahuri. The Province of Alberta committed to the planning and design of the school in October 2014 and a public open house was held to showcase the design of the new school in December 2015. The contract for the project was awarded to Chandos Construction in June 2016 and the school was open in August 2017. "Building a school is different than building commercial projects," says Bruce Ernst, project director, Chandos Construction Ltd. "We all have empathy and dig a bit deeper for our future citizens who will become leaders in their chosen paths. We want our children to succeed and have the education foundation and ability to make a difference. That is what separated this project from other commercial work we engage in." The project experienced a three month acceleration in order to accommodate fall 2017 student occupancy. "School construction is always a great challenge because it is linked directly to optimizing the learning environment and education for students," says Robert Clarke, project manager, Turnbull Construction Project Managers Ltd. (TCPM). "Collaboration between all project team members was required to ensure a successful school opening." The project was initially delayed due to soil issues compounded by torrential rainfall during excavation of the building footprint. "To make up the 12-week delay, the entire team worked together to complete the project on a significantly accelerated schedule, which resulted in on-time school opening," says Sahuri. "This was completed through on-site enhanced consultant involvement to resolve issues and keep the project moving forward without delay. The contractor, Chandos, was proactive in their approach by presenting issues prior to them becoming a delay factor, and the Calgary Board of Education representative was responsive to items requiring owner input." The team dynamic was collaborative, co-operative and conducive to project success, says Sahuri: "This project is an example of an integrated design process at its finest," he adds, noting that the project was delivered through a highly successful integrated project delivery methodology. " A collaborative design and sub- trade team accomplished acceleration for all contract documentation during construction and a revised construction sequencing for compressed construction that was not a linear construction flow." says Ernst. "The site encountered poor soil conditions, which consumed three months of schedule that was successfully made up on a project in which the completion date was critical. We applied integrated project delivery (IPD) management principles on a non-IPD project." The single-storey building has a friction pile foundation with grade beams that support a combination steel and load bearing masonry structure. "The envelope consists of an SBS LOCATION 1027 Martindale Boulevard NE, Calgary, Alberta OWNER Calgary Board of Education PROJECT MANAGER Turnbull Construction Project Managers Ltd. ARCHITECT SAHURI + Partners Architecture Inc. GENERAL CONTRACTOR Chandos Construction Ltd. STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT TRL & Associates MECHANICAL/ ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Rae McLean and Associates Ltd. TOTAL SIZE 52,829 square feet TOTAL COST Undisclosed roof, mixed cladding of brick veneer and preformed metal cladding," says Ernst. "Six prefabricated modular classrooms were tied into the new construction that incorporated a glazed corridor overlooking an interior landscaped courtyard. Vibrant interior finishes were incorporated to ensure student stimulation." The Manmeet Singh Bhullar School project targets LEED Silver and has been designed to seek innovative solutions to better suit the environment and end users. "We were the project management firm that acted as the owner's representative on this project," says Clarke. "TCPM worked closely with the prime consultant, contractor and CBE to ensure the project was delivered successfully. Some of TCPM's roles were to review and co-ordinate project requirements and scope; quality control; risk management; fixtures, furniture and equipment [FF&E], commissioning, warranty period, construction schedule and also to ensure open, honest and effective communication between the project team and client. We are experienced in all aspects of project planning, design, construction, commissioning and move-in. The main difference between this project and others is that TCPM was engaged just before construction." A bold colour scheme and an open concept design makes Manmeet Singh Bhullar School a visually stimulating space for children of elementary age. "We were able to incorporate a courtyard that created an opportunity to provide an outdoor classroom, which is easily monitored and contained, while increasing daylighting into the core of the school," says Sahuri. "High levels of natural light and the courtyard are intended to make the children feel as if they are outside playing; making the learning experience enjoyable." The school also features a full- sized gymnasium complete with an innovative folding stage that can be tiered for vocal performances or flat for dramatic performances. The mechanical systems of the building contain heat reclaim and controls that allow the systems to monitor the amount of outdoor air required to maintain a well ventilated building for the students and staff, says Steven McLean, VP, Rae McLean and Associates Ltd. who worked alongside Scott Freeman, mechanical design engineer. Almost all air that leaves the building first passes through heat reclaim devices recovering as much heat as possible. "Electrically, the lighting systems have maximum control to provide good lighting levels and receive the benefits available from daylighting and motion sensors," says Shiona Dancocks, senior electrical designer, Rae McLean and Associates Ltd. "Lighting turns on and off as required for the occupants." Like most projects, the biggest challenge involved completing the project on time and within budget. "The contractors worked hard and there was continuous communication and co-operation between all parties to reach a single goal," says McLean. "We were honoured to provide the design and construction services for the mechanical and electrical systems contained in the school." A 12:30 PM

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