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DECEMBER 2017 | 73 The Learning Centre – University of Ottawa RENDERINGS COURTESY HDR ARCHITECTURE ASSOCIATES, INC. The Learning Centre – University of Ottawa by NATALIE BRUCKNER-MENCHELLI T he new state-of-the-art Learning Centre at the University of Ottawa (uOttawa) stands as a testament to the future of education with its innovative design, interactive, sharable spaces and technology-rich environment. The inviting six-storey building that connects to the campus' existing Lamoureux Hall is part of an ongoing revitalization effort at the University's campus core. "We originally received provincial funding to enhance student learning capacity for the campus, but there was a lack of understanding at the time about the programme requirements and priority needs," explains Claudio Burn del Re, chief architect, campus development. "We knew we were in urgent need for a space that would encourage collaborative learning between students and professors, and one that would combine high-technology classrooms, a one-stop shop student service and an information commons managed by the University Library." Finding a site for the new building proved to be a challenge. "In the process of looking for sites we were going to give away one of our last green spaces, but it was counter intuitive. The University had the foresight to optimize the campus lands, as we are landlocked in a downtown location. It is now in a prime location at the crossroads of several campus pathways at the eastern edge of the downtown core, and was actually site option number four. It required the demolition of the two-storey resource centre," says Burn del Re. HDR Architecture Associates, Inc. senior project architect Susan Croswell says the location was a key concept in the design. "The uOttawa Learning Centre is conceived of as a new gateway building to the campus, responding to pedestrian and vehicular traffic reaching the campus." Admittedly, its central location and long, narrow, deep site created some construction challenges and Pomerleau project manager Philippe Malette says deliveries had to be scheduled around class schedules, unloaded and unpacked right away. Sarah Howard, senior structural engineer at Cleland Jardine Engineering Limited, says that Lamoureux Hall is founded on piled foundations. Team collaboration was crucial in addressing the challenge of constructing the much deeper basement of the Learning Centre adjacent to a building constructed on piles. "It was a collaborative design between Cleland Jardine and the contractors to develop a shoring plan that could remain in place for the life of the structure. What would normally be a temporary construction measure evolved into a permanent piece of the foundation system. Using BIM/Revit allowed the team to work together to find solutions to design challenges early on," says Howard. In order to achieve the project's tight timelines and winter construction goals, structural steel work went on in parallel, beginning in mid- October and is scheduled to run through until the end of the year. Pomerleau utilized a Laticrete Supercap system during foundation work, which is a pumpable and pourable low alkali cement-based premium self-levelling underlayment that can be applied over concrete and other types of flooring to finish and level uneven floor surfaces. "When it came to the design of the building, HDR was committed to adhering to the University's goal of promoting modern teaching methods, providing improved student services and fostering connectivity, flexibility and adaptability," says Dathe Wong, education, science and technology principal at HDR. A welcoming building facade leads you into an open, mostly public ground floor space that HDR designed as a community hub and place for students to gather. A central atrium connects all six, above-ground storeys of the Learning Centre and a clerestory infuses collaborative spaces and offices with natural light. According to HDR, two vertical service cores are strategically positioned to optimize the distribution of high-tech infrastructure, while leaving the centre and corners of the building open and accessible. HDR alongside the University came up with very strategic positioning for the spaces, with the more active spaces closer to ground level, and the quieter functions higher up. On the ground floor there is the food court that seats 350 people and has an outdoor dining patio. On the second and fifth floors are the library spaces, with the other floors dedicated to classrooms and lecture halls. In order to achieve the large uninterrupted open spaces within the building and a main floor auditorium and column-free basement level classroom, Howard explains that a combination of structural steel and cast-in-place concrete construction was used. "We have some significant transfer beams. We incorporated welded wide-flange beams cast into the concrete to help limit the total deflection and achieve the required capacity. Although the majority of the building is concrete, the floors above the main auditorium are of structural steel construction to limit the total demand on transfer beams below," adds Howard. As a high-tech facility, the building's dynamic and technology- rich environments are really quite impressive. These consist of high- performance computers, an 8K video wall, VR headsets, 3D scanning and printing, and green screens. "The infrastructure needed to be efficient, flexible and adjustable to deal with the movement of students through the spaces, changes in technology and the loads they represent," says Matthew Aston, senior project manager, WSP. "A key effort for the entire team was fitting in the infrastructure without having it impose on the architectural finishes." The building systems' focus was based on energy conservation, ensuring that only the energy required is spent, while simultaneously maintaining very high air quality inside. "WSP will be engaged for a measurement and verification period beyond the opening of the facility to ensure the design is fine-tuned to meet optimal performance targets," adds Aston. Outside, the landscaping, designed by CSW Landscape Architects Limited, creates a seamless transition between the existing and new building. "We wanted to create a site that is sympathetic to both the qualities of the building, and that ties in with the overall campus plan," says Martha Lush, CSW Landscape Architects Limited. The plant palette was carefully selected to be able to thrive in the urban environment and provide seasonal colour and diversity, as well as respond to the campus environment. "The pathways are wide and generous, to accommodate the high volumes of students, and articulated by the street trees. This creates a more pleasant environment during the summer months, and an intuitive wayfinding for first time students, facility and staff. Shrub and perennial planting were used to complete the landscape, anchoring the building within the campus and reinforcing the pedestrian routes," adds Lush. In conclusion, Burn del Re says the new Learning Centre will truly enhance the space offerings for students. "We are fairly unique in that we have a large catchment of local students, so it is essential for them to have somewhere to go between classes. I am extremely proud of the new Learning Centre, which is already proving to be a magnet for the campus." The Learning Centre will open in September 2018. A LOCATION 343 Preston Street, Ottawa, Ontario OWNER/DEVELOPER University of Ottawa ARCHITECT HDR Architecture Associates, Inc. GENERAL CONTRACTOR Pomerleau Inc. STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Cleland Jardine Engineering Limited MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL/ SUSTAINABILITY/LIFE SAFETY/IT/AV/ FOOD SERVICES/M&V CONSULTANT WSP LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT CSW Landscape Architects Limited TOTAL SIZE 160,382 square feet TOTAL COST $83 million 3:53 PM 1:15 PM 2:31 PM

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