STATEMENT Of DESIGN PROBLEMS
- The building is comprised of two distinct programmatic components (CoE & Speed Skating Club) that can be constructed independently if required.
- The design offers the full spatial program with a disposition of functions which optimizes the public nature of the building and encourages social interaction by: locating the concession next to the skate change area - which will function as a de facto 'park café'.
- The pavilion is highly accessible and welcomes the visitor through the device of the central boardwalk which extends a friendly armature into the surrounding landscape and links the pavilions.
- All public programmatic elements flank the central boardwalk which functions as a main public spine through the site and the building.
- An outdoor fire pit on the south side of the pavilion offers another outdoor gathering space complementing the indoor skate change area.
- Three landscape gardens provide additional depth to the site's enjoyment in all seasons.
- The building construction takes advantage of readily available material and conventional construction methods to help ensure efficient and economical construction, sustainability and a building that is virtually maintenance free.
- The ice-clearing pathway is separated from public circulation and all support spaces are located within areas that do not interfere with the principal views.
RATIONALE FOR RESOLUTION OF DESIGN PROBLEMS
- The building is configured to give expression to the drama of long-track speed-skating through devices such as the long boardwalk 'track' and the cantilevered chevron roof.
- Space is configured to evoke a sequence of sensory experiences: compression, release, direction and velocity.
- The building optimizes views to the scenic site by orienting the main 'public' functions to the principal views (river, ice track and forest) and along the central boardwalk
- The pavilion is defined by its intimate relation to the landscape. A composition intended to connect the visitor to the diverse character of the site - forest/river/open field while intensifying the experience of 'shelter in a forest clearing'.
- The pavilion embraces it's site through landscape integration synthesizing indoor and outdoor, natural and constructed environments.
- Public art anchors the north end of the project in a dramatic location - axially aligned with the boardwalk drawing the viewer northward to the forest.
DESIGN SOLUTIONS
Landscape integration
The Long Track House site is nestled amongst a mature stand of spruce trees. This location also serves as a midway between three clearings in the trees that are programmed in the summer months as picnic sites. The largest of these three openings is the skating oval to the immediate south. The landscape reaches out to each of these areas, while connecting the entire surrounds of the building with a triangular geometry that defines three clear and bold landscape elements.
Each of these three gardens takes the form of a triangle with curved edges - a form that transitions between the building's hard edged, rectilinear foundation and the organic forms in the surrounding natural area, as well as relating to the bold angular forms in the building's primary roof element.
These elements include a sizable infiltration garden on the northwest corner of the building that not only creates a dynamic relationship with the building that cuts through its sunken form, but also serves to collect and infiltrate storm-water from the building's roof. The infiltration garden will help to filter the storm-water and will reduce or eliminate the need for storm-water to be piped off-site. It will be planted with native shrubs, perennials and trees, whose beautiful form, colour and texture will be on fine display up against the building. It will also provide an attractive foreground for those looking out across the opening from the teaching room.
To the northeast is a raised triangular berm that invites people to rest on the grass under a grove of densely planted Trembling Aspen trees, who's white bark create a stark contrast with the spruce trees that surround the larger space.
To the southwest is the third of the triangular spaces just off the edge of the building's boardwalk. This space will act as a place for year-round outdoor socialization where groups can enjoy the warmth of the outdoor fireplace while keeping an eye on the activity both on the skating oval, and within and around the pavilion. This is where one would perch on a busy day to enjoy the natural surrounds, people watch, and share a cup of cocoa with a friend. The area will be surrounded by Cinquefoil, Meadow Rose, and Low fescue grasses to help frame the space and create a comfortable scale of enclosure without interrupting sight lines toward the pavilion or the skating oval.
The building's boardwalk extends like a pier into a lake - in the winter, thrusting out over the snow, and in the warmer months, floating over the Feather Reed Grass that will be planted along its edges.
As the site is within the river's rich riparian habitat, all of the new plantings on site will be native species that will pose no threat to the balance of the existing ecology, and will by their nature not require artificial irrigation or fertilization to flourish.
Public art
This plan offers many wonderful opportunities to showcase public art installations. A major public art commission is proposed at the northern terminus of the boardwalk where the building and the boardwalk frame a dramatic view into the spruce trees to the north of the site. This prominent location is the ideal location for a bold piece of public art that responds to the beauty of its natural backdrop, and the drama of its architectural prelude. The three triangular gardens also provide other opportunities for installations either temporary or permanent.
Sustainability
The Long Track House sustainability approach ensures a minimum LEED Silver Certification. All pre-requisite points will be achieved as well as implementation of the following sustainable design principles:
Sustainable Sites
- A infiltration garden will collect and treat storm water runoff
- A low albedo epdm roof will reduce the heat island effect
- Planting and path materials will reduce non-building heat island effect
- Landscaping and site disturbance will be limited to within 12.5m of the building
- Bike storage and change rooms for those wishing to use pedal power
Water Efficiency
- No potable water used for landscape irrigation
- At least 20% water use reduction through low flow fixtures and no flush urinals
Energy and Atmosphere
- Optimize energy performance using triple glazing, thermal massing, radiant floor heating, gas fired high efficiency boiler, natural ventilation over mechanical air conditioning
- Install continuous metering equipment for lighting equipment, motors and water supply.
Materials and resources
- Diversion of 50% of construction waste from landfill
- At least 7.5% of construction materials will contain recycled content
- At least 10% of construction materials will be regional
- At least 50% of wood used will be FSC certified
- A durable building plan will be assembled and used to ensure that the service life of the building components exceeds the design life. This will also reduce maintenance costs
Indoor Environmental Quality
- Air exchange systems will be installed to ensure fresh air is circulated throughout the building during all seasons
- Low VOC materials, such as sealants, paints and adhesives will be used for all building components
- All composite wood and laminates (and their adhesives) will be low VOC
- Operable windows, radiant floor heating and evenly spaced lighting controls will ensure that occupants have control over their environment and comfort.
- Curtain walls and glazing will ensure that at least 75% of occupied spaces are day lit and 90% of occupied spaces have views to the outdoors.
In addition to the sustainable design elements outlined, LEED credits will be obtained through procedural methods such as best practice building commissioning, signing an agreement to purchase renewable power, implementing a construction indoor air quality management plan, and ensuring that the site selection is not in a sensitive area as defined by LEED requirements.
TECHNICAL ASPECTS
Structure
The building foundation is a conventional poured in place concrete foundation with slab on grade floor construction. Above grade structural requirements respond to room functions, economy and aesthetics. Regularly occupied spaces will be sustainably harvested post and beam design with an exposed wood roof deck. This solution is aesthetically appropriate, robust and economical as the structure would remain exposed with no additional finishes required. Unoccupied/mechanical areas are intended to be wood frame construction. The sweeping roof canopy is constructed of a combination of recycled structural steel framing and light weight steel trusses supported by steel columns where required.
Building envelope
The building envelope is designed to facilitate an energy load reduction through solar controls and high insulation levels. The building skin wall construction will be a combination of cement board cladding and glazed curtain wall that will provide durable maintenance free cladding and sweeping views of the park respectively. Both the flat roof construction and roof canopy will be a high albedo membrane roof that is both cost effective and sustainable. Soffit material is sustainably harvested wood readily available locally.
Interior finishes
The nature of the program requires durable finishes that can be easily maintained. The main programmed spaces will have exposed wood post and beam construction with an exposed wood deck minimizing the need for finishes. More utilitarian areas will be a combination of concrete block and gypsum wall board. The slab on grade concrete floor will receive a light polish and remain as an exposed concrete floor.
Hvac
The building will maximize passive and active heating and cooling systems in order to optimize energy performance. Solar heat gain will be minimized in summer months and maximized in the winter and shoulder seasons. The active heating system is intended to be in floor hot water radiant from a gas fired high efficiency condensing boiler. These systems are highly efficient and require little capital cost to install and maintain. Summer and shoulder season ventilation would be achieved through passive ventilation with operable glazing. Winter ventilation would be provided by a heat recovery ventilator which would recover 100% of the heat from exhaust air. It is planned that no active cooling will be required as a result of the passive cooling through heat gain control natural/passive ventilation.
Mechanical equipment is housed in the City of Edmonton pavilion. All services including hot water circulation pipes for the in floor radiant heating system will link to the ESSA wing via an insulated chamber beneath the boardwalk.
Water
All water fixtures will receive high performance; low flow plumbing fixtures which will greatly reduce the amount of water consumed as well as reduce the load on municipal waste water systems.
Electrical
In order to optimize energy performance for the building occupancy sensors will be installed to ensure lights are operating only when spaces are occupied. Photocells will also be used to take advantage of daylight harvesting as spaces have been designed to have a significant amount of natural daylight.
(From competitor's text)
14 scanned / 13 viewable
- Presentation Panel
- Presentation Panel
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Site Plan
- Plan
- Plan
- Section
- Elevation
- Photograph of Model
- Photograph of Model
- Schema
