Award

J UNE 2018 | 61 Industrial Training and Technology Centre – Thompson Rivers University RENDERINGS COURTESY STANTEC ARCHITECTURE LTD. Industrial Training and Technology Centre – Thompson Rivers University by ROBIN BRUNET I t could be said that the development of the new $30-million Industrial Training and Technology Centre at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) was a case of rising above being between a rock and a hard place, both physically and metaphorically. Physically, the new facility is located between an existing trades and tech- nology centre and a bedrock bluff. Metaphorically, in terms of fund- ing, monies from the Government of Canada and the B.C. Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills & Training came with daunting deadlines. "We've been working under a very aggres- sive fast-track schedule," says Spencer Calhoun, project manager for Stuart Olson. "The new centre was being built as the design progressed, with us breaking ground in March of 2017 and aiming to be substantially finished by June of this year. "Usually, a project of this magnitude would take 24 months to complete. However, Thompson Rivers University staff and Stantec Architecture are incredible to work with, so everything is coming together nicely." The government funding (along with investments from the University and private donors) was announced in September of 2016, when it became official that TRU would build a new Industrial Training and Technology Centre that will allow the University to expand its industrial trades and tech- nology programs by an additional 550 full-time equivalent student spaces, for a total of approximately 2,050, as well as renovate the existing trades and technology centre. TRU president Alan Shaver said at the time, "Thompson Rivers University has worked closely with local indus- tries and employers to determine the skill sets they need; the new centre will co-locate trades and science programs together to provide unique benefits supporting TRU's contribution of rele- vant and applicable research to various industry sectors in Canada, and provide rewarding careers for our students." The renovated space in TRU's existing trades and technology cen- tre will be used by the Architectural and Engineering Technology pro- gram, which will allow the program to expand to offer a fourth year and have dedicated labs, classrooms, and faculty offices. Early on, it was decided that the new centre would be built to meet LEED Gold building standards, as well as the Wood First Act and Apprentices on Public Project in BC policy. Les Tabata, director, capital projects for TRU, says, "We gained traction for the new centre back in 2014, and when Victoria signaled in principle to fund it we developed our business case. Our dean and trades faculty had a vision of what programs to deliver based on areas of underdevelopment, and physically we knew the new centre would be located close to our existing trades and technol- ogy centre – which, given the bedrock bluff nearby, meant that its form would be long in the east/west direction and narrow in the north/south direction." Tabata adds that TRU's business case "was detailed enough to trigger innovative design ideas from Stantec, whose architects modified the shape of the new centre to loosely resemble the shape of a hockey stick, with the 'elbow' of the stick making the new centre appear to those on the west end quite broad instead of narrow." This elbow would become the heavy equip- ment work yard, and it would also accommodate the required fire and emergency response. Brian Christianson, principal at Stantec Architecture, illustrates just how fast track this project proved to be: "We were awarded the design in September of 2016 and delivered our first bid package in January," he says, adding that six bid packages would be created in total. In many ways, the constraints of the site made achieving certain objectives relatively easy. "For example, it was easy to get natural light into the new centre – even in the shop spaces – due to the narrow width of the building," says Christianson. "Also, we located the classrooms and lab spaces on the upper floor, so students would have amazing views of the campus in the foreground and river valley in the distance. "Although the new centre was pri- marily of concrete construction, heavy timber was utilized for the roof and many wood accents were added in the interiors, to impart a warm ambiance. And at the east end of the new cen- tre we designed a three-storey atrium with a lovely timber expression that the student gathering spaces on each level look onto." Additionally, it was decided to leave many of the ceilings throughout the new centre exposed, for instructional purposes. Robert Jackson, project engineer for Fast + Epp, remarks, "It's been a LOCATION 805 TRU Way, Kamloops, B.C. OWNER/DEVELOPER Thompson Rivers University PROJECT MANAGER Colliers Project Leaders CONSTRUCTION MANAGER Stuart Olson Construction Ltd. ARCHITECT Stantec Architecture Ltd. STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Fast + Epp MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL/ CIVIL CONSULTANT Stantec Consulting Ltd. GEOTECHNICAL CONSULTANT exp Services Inc. TOTAL SIZE 57,500 square feet TOTAL COST $30 million real scramble to get everything done, and there were certain site challenges; because the site contained sandy soil we considered pilings, but that wasn't feasible due to the close proximity of the existing trades centre. So we opted for large concrete foundations. Levels one and two of the new centre were concrete slab because of the need to provide sound and vibration isola- tion between the shop spaces below and classrooms above, and due to the long lead time for steel procurement as opposed to concrete." Fortunately, all parties were used to handling projects with a quick turn- around. "We undertook materials procurement early on and sequenced trades to execute scope concurrently rather than consecutively, in order to move the project ahead aggressively," says Calhoun. "The result has been a congested site with little lay down area that has forced the team to strategi- cally plan material deliveries and site logistics to accommodate for the lack of surplus space." As of April, the new centre was about 75 percent complete, according to Stuart Kamstra, project manager for Colliers Project Leaders, with final grading underway in preparation for asphalt; drywall and painting activ- ity in the interior; and two-folded plate steel feature stairs yet to be built. "We have an electric heat plant tied into a gas fired plant in the other trades cen- tre, both of which will interact with each other for energy efficiency," he says. Tabata adds, "Also, although the budget didn't allow for it, we prepared the roof of the new centre to accommo- date photo voltaics in the near future." Christianson summarizes the dynamics of the project by stating, "despite the aggressive timelines, there wasn't any tension between members of the integrated team. We had a great working relationship, and the outcome is a building that exhibits a clean, mod- ern esthetic. It's a simple design with beautiful detailing and just the right amount of warmth – and we hope it will please and inspire the students once it's completed later this year." A 11:08 AM 9:31 AM

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