UNews - Project Management Office

Future of Penny Building looks bright

trevor.kenney — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 21:23:46 +0000

It's taken a few years, but the redevelopment of the downtown Dr. James Foster Penny Building is coming along. Parts of the building are already accessible and the main floor is set to open in January 2013. A recent $800,000-renovation to Level 1 and sections of Level 2 has enhanced the building immensely.

Upon completion, the Alumni Relations office within ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Advancement will move into its new home, complete with five offices and a meeting room. As well, a new ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ gift shop will be created and the art gallery space updated, allowing Faculty of Fine Arts students a venue to showcase their work. The building's entrance will also be spruced up and the stairwell to the second floor is receiving a facelift.

An artist's conception of the lobby area inside the Penny Building.

The U of L Conservatory of Music is calling the second level of the Penny Building home until it moves into the new downtown Community Arts Centre in the spring of 2013.

Meanwhile, other areas of Level 2 continue to undergo construction, including a community meeting room, boardroom and upgrades to the washrooms and kitchen area.

The U of L Call Centre is also housed on the upper level of the building. It will continue to occupy the space part time throughout the year.

Renovations to the Penny Building have been ongoing since it was donated to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in 2007. Formerly a furniture store and a pool hall, the Penny Building has a long history in Lethbridge. Unfortunately, it wasn't in the greatest condition when the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ took ownership, and with no set purpose for its use, construction to the building didn't get off to a roaring start.

The Project Management Office (PMO) first began work on the building to make it functional starting with the creation of gallery space for the Faculty of Fine Arts. However, there was a slight delay before the gallery could move in.

"We were doing the renovation for Fine Arts, but at the time, the Southern Alberta Art Gallery needed a home because their building was being renovated, says Project Manager Greg Lacey. "So we renovated the Penny Building for Fine Arts knowing that they wouldn't move in until after SAAG was done occupying the building."

In 2010, SAAG moved out and Fine Arts moved in, and soon after the PMO began an overhaul of the mechanical components throughout the building. Previously, each floor was broken into two zones, which offered little control of the heating and cooling systems among other mechanical operations.

"We did that for functionality of the space because we wanted to be able to mechanically zone the area to outfit anything we wanted to," says Lacey.

All renovations included the installation of energy efficient lighting and low voltage relays. A new hot water tank was also installed.

"We are using anything we can to make the building as energy efficient as possible," says Lacey.

Situated in downtown Lethbridge, the 2,862 gross sq. m. Penny Building not only presents more space for U of L programming, it is the perfect site for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to host events and further immerse itself into the community – part of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's strategic plan to build relationships off campus.

"Right from the get-go, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ identified the building as a good place to have galas and other events," says Lacey, adding many events have already been held on the site.

Future phases of the building project have yet to be outlined, but it may include renovations to the bar, art gallery area, and storage space as well as new signage.

This story first appeared in the December 2012 issue of the Legend. For a look at the entire issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Summer campus projects give new look

trevor.kenney — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 17:26:01 +0000

As another academic year gets underway, new and returning students, staff and faculty will see some significant changes to the U of L's physical campus.

The Department of Facilities and its Project Management Office have been working diligently to create and renovate a variety of new and improved spaces.

This past summer was one of the largest building seasons the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has ever seen – about $30 million worth – making our campus the busiest building site south of Calgary. While construction crews have been working around the clock and most projects are near completion, not all are finished.

The new quad area north of Markin Hall promises to give the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ another parkland setting, complete with rolling hills and well-lit walking paths.

The Facilities department appreciates everyone's patience as crews wrap up the remaining construction, and ask that all posted signs be obeyed to ensure everyone's safety.

The second and final phase of the mechanical upgrades to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Centre for the Arts should be done by early September. A typical break-in period of new equipment is expected to follow. The project will not only improve air quality but also create a more energy efficient building operation.

Several areas of the PE Building are also wrapping up construction, including the finishing touches on the south plaza entrance as well as the indoor PE staircase, both of which should be open by October.

The newly renovated day-use change rooms in the Max Bell Regional Aquatic Centre should also be operational by early October. The nearby underground Physical Education Tunnel re-opened just prior to the first day of classes.

The new sports medicine clinic in PE100, the area below the south end of the running track, is on schedule to open by the end of September. Once complete, the clinic will feature physiotherapy and exam rooms, treatment areas and doctor's offices.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Quad north of Markin Hall, featuring a core open space surrounded by small rolling hills, well-lit sidewalks and landscaping should be ready for use by October.

The final details of the parking lot redevelopment will also conclude later this month. The lots have been redesigned to offer more practical parking and improve pedestrian safety. Phase 2 of the parking lot project will get underway in spring 2013.

Perhaps the biggest project on campus, the ongoing construction of the 259-bed Aperture Park residence is on schedule and set to open July 2013.

Off campus, the downtown Penny Building will undergo renovations starting mid-September.

Details on these projects can be found at www.uleth.ca/facilities.

For more information on any of these projects, contact Brian Sullivan at 403-329-2592.

This story first appeared in the September 2012 issue of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Grounds crew sustains ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's beauty

trevor.kenney — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 17:45:34 +0000

By JAMIE WOODFORD

In the dead of winter, they keep the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's sidewalks safe by shovelling snow and spreading sand. In the spring, they sweep the gravel, mow the grass and replenish the planters. They are the Grounds crew and their role at the U of L is essential for creating both a vibrant and safe campus, all the while supporting the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's recruitment, retention and sustainability efforts.

"First impressions are important," says manager Phil Dyck.

Grounds staffers come from a variety of backgrounds. Some have formal training in landscaping while others have experience in lawn maintenance and other aspects of the job. What they have in common is an enthusiasm and dedication to their trade, reflected by the group continually attending seminars and taking courses for licencing and certifications to the industry's latest standards.

Summer student employee Alanna Kolesar plants flowers at the entrance to the U of L campus.

The crew consists of just seven full-time employees with an additional seven students over the summer months, meaning a premium is placed on running an efficient and sustainable operation. One of the department's most significant ventures is maintaining its own greenhouse.

"We have a top-of-the-line greenhouse that we utilize throughout the entire year," says Dyck.

Flowers and plants are seeded at the beginning of the year and grown in the greenhouse until they are ready to be planted in the spring. In the fall, perennial plants such as geraniums are harvested and maintained in the greenhouse over the winter for planting again in the spring. In total, more than 8,000 plants were seeded this past year.

"Most of what we grow is pretty typical," says Dyck. "We pick those plants on purpose because we're looking for what is low in maintenance and what is going to survive."

Maintaining plants in a greenhouse presents its own challenges. Last year, the department had to deal with an aphid outbreak. The tiny, destructive insects rapidly multiply and go to work sucking the sap out of plants.

"You could leave on a Friday afternoon when everything looks fine and come back Monday morning and see that your plants are under extreme stress," says Dyck. "When we had the aphid outbreak, we were spraying every other day with a mostly soap-based insecticide. It's a lot of work and unfortunately it's not terribly effective, but we had to do it to keep those plants alive."

A little ingenuity from an unexpected source ended up saving the day. Hundreds of ladybugs, collected by a Grounds employee's young daughter, were released in the greenhouse and they went to work, eating the offending aphids.

"This spring, as soon as she found ladybugs she caught them again, and we never found a single aphid in the greenhouse this year," he says.

The department's other great challenge is Lethbridge's unpredictable weather. From sizzling summer heat to bone-chilling winter winds, sprinkled with random rain and hailstorms, the crew has seen it all. In the growing season, sudden changes from hot to cold or dry to wet can put great strain on plants.

"We can be proactive to some degree but more often than not, we need to be responsive," says Dyck. "With outdoor plants, trees and grass, any kind of sudden change in the weather will put a lot of stress on the plants. If it goes from really cool to 35 degrees the next day, it might not be apparent to most people, but a trained eye will see that stress."

Proper irrigation techniques play an important role in maintaining vegetation in southern Alberta's semi-arid climate. Dyck notes that, with the exception of the river valley areas of campus, there were no trees on the U of L property before planting began. Generally, the area does not get enough rain to sustain trees, grasses and plants that have been introduced. That's why you will sometimes see staff watering trees even during a rainfall event, to help the moisture penetrate into the root zone.

"If we get a really dry year, we're going to be hand watering out there to keep the trees alive," he says.

Sustainability is always at the forefront of the department's thinking. One initiative involved saving a cluster of elm trees from becoming firewood. Construction for the new residence building in Aperture Park required the removal of about 80 elm trees, but rather than chop them down, Grounds worked with the Project Management Office to remove and transplant the trees around campus. They'll then be relocated back to the site once the new residence is complete.

"Some of those elms were very mature, they were good trees and worth saving," says Dyck. "We saved as many as we could."

For more information on Grounds or its operations call 403-329-2602 or e-mail facility.servicedesk@uleth.ca

Southern Alberta economy gets jolt from U of L construction

trevor.kenney — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 18:26:58 +0000

In parts of Asia, the crane represents good fortune and longevity. The same could be said for the pair of 165-foot tall mechanical cranes that grace the coulee horizon. For the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, the cranes symbolize a hefty infusion for the local economy.

About $14.8 million of the $27.5 million construction cost for the Aperture Park Phase 3 residence project is going directly to southern Alberta companies, says Brian Sullivan, director of the Project Management Office (PMO) in facilities.

He adds that the economic spinoffs from the housing project are significant.

"There are at least a dozen major local contractors working here; from all the surveying to the mechanical, electrical, drywall and excavation work."

The many campus construction activities this summer have created a mini boom in the southern Alberta industry.

There are also numerous out-of-town workers temporarily living in the city that further augment the local economy. Sullivan says that most contractors look to hire local workers if there are enough skilled laborers available.

"Whenever out-of-town contractors can, they hire locally, but they're probably mostly from Calgary and area."

Meanwhile, the construction activity at the U of L marks our campus as the busiest building site south of Calgary.

"The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, in terms of major construction, is leading the way by quite a bit. This summer alone we're involved in about $30 million worth of construction," says Sullivan. "That figure pro-rates the housing job, and all the projects that are going on right now. We're actually creating a sort of mini construction boom right on this campus."

Another noteworthy aspect of campus construction is the sustainable construction practices being employed, such as metal recycling.

"We require the recycling of waste products – the separation of recyclable materials and construction waste. Not all of it goes to the landfill, a big chunk of it goes to recycling," says Sullivan.

The 259-bed Aperture Park Phase 3 housing development is on schedule to open in the spring of 2013.

This story first appeared in the June 2012 issue of the Legend. For a look at the entire issue in flipbook format, follow this link.

U of L buildings achieve LEED status

trevor.kenney — Thu, 24 May 2012 22:24:39 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is taking a leadership approach in southern Alberta, setting a LEED standard in the design and construction of its new campus buildings.

Beginning with the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness and continuing with the construction of the Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building (AWESB) and Markin Hall, the U of L is showing that it takes its role in sustainability and environmental responsibility seriously.

"Each building was designed to meet LEED certification, an internationally recognized standard used to judge the environmental performance of buildings," says Brian Sullivan, director, Project Management Office, Facilities. "Beginning with the 1st Choice Savings Centre, we felt it was essential to incorporate specific design elements that would decrease the building's environmental imprint and enhance its sustainability. As we continued along with the construction of the Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building and then Markin Hall, we worked to further improve upon on these techniques."

The Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building was built with sustainabilty concepts in mind.

LEED refers to Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design and uses 70 criteria to gauge the ability of a project to meet rigorous environmental standards established by the Canada Green Building Council in five major categories. They include sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources and indoor environmental quality.

Each project must apply for LEED status and, after being judged, is rated on a point scale. Each of the 1st Choice Savings Centre, AWESB and Markin Hall have been granted LEED Silver status.

"It takes a major commitment to design and construct a building that will stand up to the rigours of the LEED criteria," says Sullivan. "The fact that we've now achieved LEED Silver status on two buildings, with one more in the works speaks to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's desire to push sustainability principles forward. That also shows in non-LEED certified projects where we are still using LEED standards to drive design."

Following is a look at some of the environmental features incorporated into each building.

1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness

• A clerestory window system that brings daylight into the gymnasium to supplement the lighting system

• A low profile project, part of the building is buried in the ground, maximizing the natural insulating characteristics of the earth to reduce utility demand on building systems and reduce the exposure of the building envelope to the elements

• Washrooms and showers throughout the building use dual flush toilets, waterless urinals, controlled flow shower heads and electronic faucets

• Approximately 60 per cent of the building's electricity is purchased from local wind power sources

• The benches in the locker facilities were recycled from the original gymnasium bleacher seats

• The maple flooring in the gymnasium was recycled from the original gymnasium

• Construction included the use of recycled concrete, giving the building 20 per cent recycled content

Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building

• A Living Wall of plants that act as a natural filter and aid in cleansing the air

• An outdoor pond that forms part of a stormwater management strategy, collecting water and circulating it through the westerly wetland, thereby reducing erosion and sedimentation problems in the Oldman River

• Roof water following rainstorms and winter melting is collected and stored in a cistern and recycled into the local irrigation system

• The building employs a heat recovery system in the exhaust air system to reclaim some of the heat that is being exhausted from the building, using it to preheat the incoming supply air

• The building was constructed with a white, highly reflective, energy star rated roof (as were the 1st Choice Savings Centre and Markin Hall) designed to reflect the heat of the sun's rays and reduce the heat island effect, something that is detrimental to animal habitat, wildlife and animal migration

• Created primarily out of steel, a material with a high content of recycled materials, the building consists of 21 per cent recycled content

Markin Hall

• Minimized window-to-wall ratio (40 per cent) to balance thermal control and daylight penetration

• Efficient heat recovery ventilation units that provide 90 per cent latent and sensible heat recovery

• The first radiant cooling application in Alberta

• An energy-conserving building envelope that allows for a smaller and more efficient mechanical system. Together, the building design and mechanical system achieve a predicted 56 per cent energy savings compared to a conventional building

• Other incorporated features include triple-glazed windows, green Label Plus carpeting and polished concrete flooring, low-VOC paints, waterless urinals and low-flow toilets and faucets

This story first appeared in the December 2011 issue of the Legend. If you'd like to see the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

U of L buildings achieve LEED status

trevor.kenney — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 22:13:18 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is taking a leadership approach in southern Alberta, setting a LEED standard in the design and construction of its new campus buildings.

The Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building was built with sustainabilty concepts in mind.

Each project must apply for LEED status and, after being judged, is rated on a point scale. Each of the 1st Choice Savings Centre, AWESB and Markin Hall have been granted LEED Silver status.

Following is a look at some of the environmental features incorporated into each building.

1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness

· A clerestory window system that brings daylight into the gymnasium to supplement the lighting system

· A low profile project, part of the building is buried in the ground, maximizing the natural insulating characteristics of the earth to reduce utility demand on building systems and reduce the exposure of the building envelope to the elements

· Washrooms and showers throughout the building use dual flush toilets, waterless urinals, controlled flow shower heads and electronic faucets

· Approximately 60 per cent of the building's electricity is purchased from local wind power sources

· The benches in the locker facilities were recycled from the original gymnasium bleacher seats

· The maple flooring in the gymnasium was recycled from the original gymnasium

· Construction included the use of recycled concrete, giving the building 20 per cent recycled content

Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building

· A Living Wall of plants that act as a natural filter and aid in cleansing the air

· An outdoor pond that forms part of a stormwater management strategy, collecting water and circulating it through the westerly wetland, thereby reducing erosion and sedimentation problems in the Oldman River

· Roof water following rainstorms and winter melting is collected and stored in a cistern and recycled into the local irrigation system

· The building employs a heat recovery system in the exhaust air system to reclaim some of the heat that is being exhausted from the building, using it to preheat the incoming supply air

· The building was constructed with a white, highly reflective, energy star rated roof (as were the 1st Choice Savings Centre and Markin Hall) designed to reflect the heat of the sun's rays and reduce the heat island effect, something that is detrimental to animal habitat, wildlife and animal migration

· Created primarily out of steel, a material with a high content of recycled materials, the building consists of 21 per cent recycled content

Markin Hall

· Minimized window-to-wall ratio (40 per cent) to balance thermal control and daylight penetration

· Efficient heat recovery ventilation units that provide 90 per cent latent and sensible heat recovery

· The first radiant cooling application in Alberta

· An energy-conserving building envelope that allows for a smaller and more efficient mechanical system. Together, the building design and mechanical system achieve a predicted 56 per cent energy savings compared to a conventional building

· Other incorporated features include triple-glazed windows, green Label Plus carpeting and polished concrete flooring, low-VOC paints, waterless urinals and low-flow toilets and faucets

This story first appeared in the December 2011 issue of the Legend. If you'd like to see the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

UNews - Project Management Office

Future of Penny Building looks bright

Related Topics

Summer campus projects give new look

Related Topics

Grounds crew sustains ��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ's beauty

Related Topics

Southern Alberta economy gets jolt from U of L construction

Related Topics

U of L buildings achieve LEED status

Related Topics

U of L buildings achieve LEED status

Related Topics

Grounds crew sustains ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's beauty