flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Eyes wide open: Students can see their new home’s building elements

Reconstruction Awards

Eyes wide open: Students can see their new home’s building elements

The two-phase project revamped an opaque, horseshoe-shaped labyrinth of seven buildings from the ’60s and ’70s.


By Robert Cassidy, Executive Editor | November 20, 2017

The light-filled, five-story atrium connects the new addition with the existing building and provides gathering space for students. Photo: Jon Miller – Hedrich Blessing Photographers

“Engineering on display.” That was the theme for the 119,500-sf renovation and 197,000 sf of new construction of the University of Calgary’s engineering school. Instead of hiding MEP and structural elements, the design team of Diamond Schmitt Architects and Gibbs Gage Architects exposed them to students’ view, thereby celebrating them as a learning mechanism.

The two-phase project, which kicked off in 2009 and is on target for LEED Gold certification, revamped an opaque, horseshoe-shaped labyrinth of seven buildings from the ’60s and ’70s into a unified, daylight-filled complex with a new central hub, upgraded labs and classrooms, improved circulation, and a new, welcoming front door.

Numerous building code, seismic, and accessibility improvements were made—lighting and sprinkler system upgrades, window replacements, etc. Five lecture theatres were refurbished; two 240-seat rooms were added to the complex.

Reconstruction Awards jurors were impressed with the three-story-high structural glass entry hall. Structural engineer RJC Engineering supported the entry hall with two 56-foot-high cross braces that extend through large openings in the main floor down to the basement. The cross braces—the only vertical supporting members in the entryway—double as a graphic feature. They also support a system of lattice trusses to carry the cantilevered structural glass.

The design team employed the latest computer-modeling techniques for the much-needed seismic upgrade, but further developed systems that addressed predicted structural concerns related to the limitations of the existing structures. This reduced the amount of new construction, saving costs and time.

The jurors praised the team for using its expertise and experience to turn a complex structural problem into a readily constructible, aesthetically pleasing solution.

 

Project Summary

 

Silver Award Winner

Building Team: Diamond Schmitt Architects (submitting firm, architect) Gibbs Gage Architects (joint venture architect) RJC Engineering (SE) SNC Lavalin (ME) Stebnicki & Partners (EE) EllisDon (CM).

Details: 316,500 sf. Total cost: CDN $174 million. Construction time: April 2009 to September 2016 (two phases). Delivery method: Construction manager.

 

See all of the 2017 Reconstruction Award winners here

Related Stories

Reconstruction Awards | Nov 27, 2017

Patient friendly: The University of Chicago Medicine Center for Care and Discovery adds 203 new beds

Strict infection control and life safety measures were implemented to protect patients on other floors as work proceeded.

Reconstruction Awards | Nov 27, 2017

The birthplace of General Motors

The automotive giant salvages the place from which it sprang, 131 years ago.

Reconstruction Awards | Nov 21, 2017

Honor Guard: San Francisco’s historic Veterans Building pays homage to those who served in World War I and other foreign wars

The Veterans Building houses the War Memorial staff, the city’s Arts Commission, the Opera’s learning center and practice/performance node, the Green Room reception venue, and the 916-seat Herbst Theatre.

Reconstruction Awards | Nov 17, 2017

Gray lady no more: A facelift erases a landmark’s wrinkles, but not her heritage

The Building Team restored the granite and terra cotta façade and reclaimed more than 500 double-hung windows.

Reconstruction Awards | Nov 17, 2017

Elegance personified: New life for a neglected but still imposing retail/office space

The building was in such disrepair that much of the reconstruction budget had to go toward structural, mechanical, and electrical infrastructure improvements.

Reconstruction Awards | Nov 16, 2017

Back to the '20s: Coney Island gets a new eatery reminiscent of the past

This project included the restoration of the landmark Childs Restaurant.

Reconstruction Awards | Nov 15, 2017

Foyer fantastique: Faded images provide the key to a historic theater's lobby restoration

The restoration relied heavily on historic photos and drawings.

Reconstruction Awards | Nov 14, 2017

Hallowed ground: A Mormon temple rises from the ashes of a fire-ravaged historic tabernacle

Parts of the tabernacle’s exterior shell were the only things that survived the blaze.

Reconstruction Awards | Nov 13, 2017

Harlem Renaissance: A vacant school provides much-needed housing and a clubhouse for children

Word that PS 186 might be demolished brought out the preservationists, whose letter-writing campaign gained the support of the New York Landmarks Conservancy.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


Giants 400

BD+C Awards Programs

Entry information and past winners for Building Design+Construction's two major awards programs: 40 Under 40 and Giants 400



halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021