< PreviousWESTERN EXTERIORS Fall 2019 11 OPENING REMARKS NEW IDEAS AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR A RESILIENT INDUSTRY Alberta is still struggling with an ailing economy that has seen a significant drop in construction activity from both the public and private sectors. Our traditionally resilient industry is certainly being put to the test over this prolonged period, and it is likely that this will continue through 2020 for many of us. Not surprisingly, there have also been some business casualties over the passing months. Some have been forced to close their doors, and there may still be more by the time this cycle is done. Some companies have chosen to wind down while oth- ers have exited the commercial market to focus on other sources of revenue. The landscape is shifting. There have also been other changes. A new provincial government that is engaging with the industry is opening up good dialogue and promises to generate progress in many areas, such as red tape reduction, while also removing some obstacles that had been put in place by the previ- ous administration. This points to a sentiment that seeks to restore a “do business with” mentality to the province that will be needed if private investment is going to return in sufficient enough levels that will generate con- struction projects. It remains to be seen how much spending they themselves will apply to infrastruc- ture and projects that our industry will benefit from but, based on the level of engagement to date, we are encouraged. There might yet be progress on pipelines, and certainly in Calgary there are projects such as the Cancer Centre, BMO expansion, Green Line, and even a long-awaited announcement of a deal regarding the Events Centre. Some of these are already generating construc- tion activity, however, the bulk of this work will not materialize immediately, therefore the emerging challenge remains the present state and the near future for many organizations that are now well into a long period of austerity, low margins, and hard- fought bids. Some companies are not waiting for a bounce back cycle in the economy and are beginning to take steps to evolve their organizations, strengthen their teams, and use this time to strategize for the future. This will ultimately lead to stronger organiza- tions, more innovation, and, in due course, a more Bill Black President Calgary Construction Association robust industry that is increasingly embracing tech- nology while also fostering the next generation of younger people who are the real future of the con- struction industry. With other concepts such as Social Procure- ment emerging within publicly funded work, high- er standards of building and energy performance being implemented, and the ongoing advances in technology as a driving force of construction prac- tices, we certainly need to be engaged in order to participate in a meaningful way while also guiding the authorities that are making these changes. Increasingly, we are learning that the old tried and tested formats are no longer as relevant a default position as they once were – what we need are fresh perspectives, new ideas, and people who are willing to lean in and apply their experi- ence to shaping the future alongside our younger colleagues and, in doing so, carve a new industry out of these challenges using the old industry as a baseline. This is not about throwing the baby out with the bathwater either. The right balance must be struck, and that is why there is a place for all in the new emerging version of our great industry – both veterans and newer arrivals. There are certainly great opportunities ahead but at the same time these changes are extreme- ly difficult to make in a high-risk industry and even harder to fund in a tight economy. New skills need to be developed, new ideas need to influence our thinking, and new voices need to be allowed to chime in. We need to adopt a new attitude in how we see ourselves and our role in the communities where we operate and with the government enti- ties we do business with. We design, build, operate, and maintain the physical environment that our communities thrive in. We represent a significant portion of GDP, employ a large percentage of society, and we leave an indelible mark on our cities. We often do so in adverse conditions, we take on daunting challeng- es, and there is no shortage of risk in this business. This may make us somewhat risk averse to new ideas and change, however, in what remains of 2019 and has yet to unveil itself in 2020 and beyond, the biggest risk facing us all may be the risk of doing nothing. ALBERTA Bill Black is President of the Calgary Construction Association. He has 37 years of construction industry experience, initially as an estimator in business development and, more recently, executive leadership. The right balance must be struck, and that is why there is a place for all in the new emerging version of our great industry – both veterans and newer arrivals.WESTERN EXTERIORS Fall 2019 13 OPENING REMARKS OPTIMISTIC ECONOMY: THE FUTURE OF THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR I am pleased to once again have the opportunity to provide an update on Saskatchewan’s con- struction sector to the readers of Western Exteriors. I will begin by giving some perspective on our economy and the unique challenges our business sectors are facing. I will then discuss some of the key initiatives taking place that will make Saskatch- ewan an even better environment for contractors to operate in. From 2006 to 2015 Saskatchewan experi- enced an economic boom that was unprecedent- ed in both scale and duration. While we love our friends and neighbours in other provinces and are always happy to do business with them, the lion’s share of demand for what Saskatchewan produc- es is from across oceans and national borders. Our resource rich economy exports oil, pot- ash, agricultural crops, livestock, uranium, and other goods. Consequently, Saskatchewan has suffered significantly under the global decline in resource prices and demand since 2014. While Saskatchewan’s economic situation has never been that dire on paper – the only years that saw contractions were 2015 (-0.75 per cent) and 2016 (-0.30 per cent) – the real loss has been in optimism. Saskatchewan’s boom drove billions of dollars into growth and expansion. That rate of investment was never sustainable, and Saskatch- ewan has since returned to relatively normal and healthy growth rates of 1.5 to 2.0 per cent. The job losses associated with reduced growth and the sudden and precipitous slowing of growth damp- ened the business mood. Today, Saskatchewan’s economy is twice as productive as it was 15 years ago. Although we never saw a significant rebound from the 2015-16 slowdown, Saskatchewan is still a profitable, wel- coming, and business-friendly place. The global demand for the goods and services Saskatche- wan produces has a natural floor – we still offer the food, fuel, and fertilizer the world needs. I suspect Canada will move towards a pipeline after the next federal election regardless of the outcome. There is simply too much at stake not to do so. At the same time, international trading con- ditions are unlikely to get significantly worse and the degree of cooperation between the federal government and the provinces gives some cause for optimism. In any case, the industry soldiers on, albeit with fewer people employed in the sector. Our member companies report a broad range of business optimism with some having secured as much work as they can handle while others are still struggling to secure enough work to avoid further shrinking their operations. One thing that will provide them with some relief soon is Saskatchewan’s passage of prompt payment legislation on May 2, 2019. The regime was passed as an amendment to the Builders’ Lien Act, and the provisions will not be in force until a regulatory framework has been created and an authority is established to manage the relatively fast-moving, binding adjudication process. Once in force, prompt payment will provide an alternative billing dispute resolution mecha- nism. Prompt payment will offer much faster neu- tral, informed, third-party rulings on billing and some construction disputes. This will balance the power dynamic between owners and contractors. Prompt payment will require parties to con- struction contracts to change their behaviour. We do not believe that requiring people to pay their bills – for work they acknowledge is complete and satisfactory – is an onerous condition. Prompt payment provisions were developed with input from industry and are meant to respect the rights of all stakeholders while establishing reasonable timelines, expectations, and dispute mechanisms. I cannot stress enough that neither we, nor anyone in the contractor community, would sup- port prompt payment if we thought it would stifle investment or hinder projects. We need invest- ment and optimism now more than ever. Prompt payment is only meant to ensure that contractors have an effective way to address delayed payment from owners that does not put them out-of-pocket for a year or more as court action would. Any party – contractor or owner – unsatisfied with the outcome of an adjudication remains free to seek remedy in the lengthy court process. They just can’t hold invoices for ransom while the court process is ongoing. SASKATCHEWAN Mark Cooper MBA, PMP, Saskatchewan Construction Association Mark Cooper, MBA, PMP, is the Presi- dent and CEO of the Saskatchewan Construction Association (SCA). He is also Chair of the Saskatchewan Busi- ness Council, Co-Chair of the Saskatch- ewan Construction Panel, and a board member of both Saskatchewan Poly- technic and the Regina Food Bank. Today, Saskatchewan’s economy is twice as productive as it was 15 years ago. Although we never saw a significant rebound from the 2015-16 slowdown, Saskatchewan is still a profitable, welcoming, and business-friendly place. WESTERN EXTERIORS Fall 2019 15 OPENING REMARKS HAS THE TIME FINALLY COME FOR WHOLE BUILDING AIRTIGHTNESS TESTING? A consultant friend of mine out of Richmond, Vir- ginia, had a saying of “trust, but verify.” He was a proponent of trusting the process but having sys- tems in place to “verify” the design intent was met. He worked for a large general contractor as the QA/ QC director and then went on to be a consultant who did building envelope commissioning, site testing, and whole building airtightness testing. When it comes to an effective air barrier system, we have been trusting the process of design and a good installation, but rarely do we take the time to verify that the designed performance targets were actually achieved. There are areas in the country that do more than Manitoba, requiring whole building air- tightness testing and a performance number. We are moving that way – it is just slow. During the days of EnerGuide for homes and the myriad of other residential-based energy conversa- tion programs, a blower door test was a requirement when assessing the home for identified energy ret- rofits. Air leakage and insulation were typically the #1 and #2 most often suggested retrofit measures to undertake to reduce energy consumption. Air Leakage control was also the most cost-effec- tive measure to undertake, and you would obtain a pre- and post-airtightness number to see how effec- tive the measures undertaken were. There was a network of organizations and individuals that could perform the test, and when the financial incentives dried up, so did a majority of the work done to test a building. As we look at large commercial and institution buildings, it is not as easy to perform whole build- ing air leakage testing compared to residential build- ings. They are significantly more complex with more sophisticated systems in place for glazing, air barriers, exterior veneers, and HVAC. These buildings are also large energy users and timely retrofits to the building envelope will produce immediate cost savings, and building performance will be improved. Right now in Manitoba, no one is really doing whole building airtightness testing, and for the most part any whole building airtightness testing has been a result of a research project or pilot programs funded by a utility. If the owner has to pay for it, or it is recom- mended to the owner, there is not much uptake at all. Ryan Dalgleish Principal Building Professionals There have been several lessons learned in doing whole building airtightness testing, specifically to occupied buildings. Several barriers to expand the use of this testing have also been pointed out. For one, there are a very few individuals who have the knowledge and experience to perform these tests on a large building. Without a form of certification or some type of credentialing, the industry lacks the infrastructure to scale this up very quickly. It also becomes a buyer beware situation of the firm you choose to perform the test. Recently, an airtightness calculator was put together between the Air Barrier Association of Amer- ica, Oak Ridge National Labs, and the National Insti- tute of Science and Technology. It is a very simple and effective tool that allows an owner or design team to run models to determine the benefits of going to a higher airtightness level from the average building. It provides an output of how much energy is saved in gas and electricity, the cost savings per year, and the reduction in moisture that flows through the mechanism of air leakage. To access this calculator, visit www.airbarrier.org. What the tool does is quantify the benefit of going tighter. This also helps in the design process to identify what needs to be done to achieve this perfor- mance, along with a link to HVAC sizing. It is easy to pick a number, but not easy to achieve it without careful thought in the planning and execu- tion of the air barrier around the six sides of the build- ing. Even after all that is done, we need to verify we met the performance requirement, otherwise the benefit we thought we were going to achieve will not be realized. Whole building airtightness testing will help ver- ify how we did and allow an opportunity to poten- tially address items before the building is 100 per cent complete. We are a long way, at least at this point in Mani- toba, from having whole building airtightness testing as standard practice. We have to start somewhere, and our hope is that we can slowly move the needle towards better building envelopes and realize the savings we all think we are getting, but actually can’t say 100 per cent for sure. MANITOBA Ryan Dalgleish is a principal with Building Professionals and has worked in the building science and building envelope industry for over 20 years providing education, certification, and quality assurance programs. There was a network of organizations and individuals who could perform the test, and when the financial incentives dried up, so did the work done to test a building.16 www.westernexteriorsmagazine.ca PROJECT SPOTLIGHT BRITISH COLUMBIA In September, Simon Fraser University (SFU) in Surrey, British Columbia, will officially open the doors to 440 stu- dents at its recently built, $126 million (project budget) Sustainable Energy and Engineering (SE3P) Building, mark- ing the completion of the first phase of a three-phase plan for the expansion of its Surrey campus. The new building will house SFU’s new Sustainable Energy Engineer- ing (SEE) program, the first dedicated, undergraduate sustainable energy engineering program in Western Can- ada to be accredited by the Canadi- an Engineering Accreditation Board. The SEE program offers an integrated approach to energy engineering edu- cation, combining essential elements of policy, economics, management, entrepreneurship, and leadership with a strong base of energy-related engineer- ing sciences and design. The building will also support the Systems Software and Mechatronics graduate research programs. Designed by Revery Architec- ture (formerly Bing Thom Architects), the award-winning façade for SE3P is intended to symbolize a circuit board and represents the technical courses being taught inside. Built with alternat- ing precast concrete sandwich panels and highly reflective glazing on each of the four main elevations, the use of a custom form liner on the exterior plane of the precast sandwich units creates a relief – or fluting – that gives the façade a dynamic, three-dimensional aesthetic. The precast units and reflective glazing are framed by vertical and hori- zontal precast fins that undulate along the façade, animating the exterior and reflecting the volume of spaces with- in the building. The framed façade is intentionally lifted off the ground plane and, with the use of transparent glazing, reveals the more public and communi- ty-oriented interior programmatic spac- es on the ground floor. The geometry of the precast and glazing systems is not entirely verti- cal; rather weaving left and right as it climbs up the building. This required the gap between the two systems to be increased in order to accommo- date both horizontal and vertical move- ment; simply caulking the joint was not an option because of the load transfer between the systems. “Ultimately, a custom-made gasket had to be fabricated to close that gap, which spanned from the glazing system SANDWICHING AESTHETICS AND SUSTAINABILITY This September, Simon Fraser University in Surrey, B.C., is opening the doors to their captivating Sustainable Energy and Engineering (SE3P) Building. Already sparking interest with its “unique façade,” the SE3P will be a welcoming hub for students, faculty, and the community itself. SE3P will play a key role in both the expansion of the SFU Surrey campus and in the ongoing revitalization and expansion of the emerging Surrey City Centre.WESTERN EXTERIORS Fall 2019 17 to lie tightly against the precast pan- els, and it had to be applied while hot to avoid puckering along the curves,” says Venelin Kokalov, Design Principal at Revery. “We also discovered that the base membrane strip used to seal the curtain wall system to the precast did not adhere effectively / adequately to the exposed insulation at the edges of the precast sandwich panels, so we had to install a structural thermal break product along the edges of the precast panels to provide sufficient adhesion for the membranes, without sacrificing any thermal performance.” The sandwich panels consist of three inches of concrete on the out- side, three inches of insulation, and a further three inches of concrete on the interior, providing high thermal perfor- mance, interior and exterior finishes, and thermal properties all within one unit. Highly reflective glazing was used to reduce the heat transmission, which also creates a striking aesthetic by reflecting the sky above. The idea of access played a major role in the design of SE3P. Not only will this new building accommodate the universi- ty’s SEE program, but it will also serve the entire SFU Surrey Campus, as well as the broader Surrey community. Because of this, special attention was paid to locating several campus-wide and community- utilized spaces on the ground floor, such as the 400-seat Lecture Hall, café / coffee shop, recreational / multi-purpose room, and Student Central Services. The spectacular five-and-a-half- storey central atrium cuts through the building along the east-west axis, inten- tionally aligned with the nearby Surrey Central SkyTrain station. This welcoming space is awash with sunlight coming in from the east, and a four-storey curtain wall glazing system – along with glaz- ing at the west and from above – and clerestory glazing filters natural light over the “S” curve ceiling sections. The centrally located atrium con- sists of exit and convenience stairs, encouraging more active circulation between levels one through four. Adja- cent to the stairs are built-in specta- tor seating steps and various sized tree pods, where living Amstel Ficus King trees are planted to bring a more natu- ral ambiance into the building. “We felt that it was important for students who are learning about tech- nology to also be aware that we are living within a natural system,” says Ian Abercrombie, Director, Campus Plan- ning and Development at SFU. “The growing trees and natural light in the atrium will inspire our students and help provide a counter to the abundance of technology within the building, as well as remind us all to think about the Earth on which we are residing and how we are here as a living organism.” MAIN The SE3P façade’s aesthetic design is award-winning and resembles a circuit board, representing the technical classes taught inside. All photos in spread courtesy of Revery Architecture. INSET Awash in natural light, the centrally located atrium can be viewed from all four levels. This design allows those within the building to experience the outside world whilst living amidst the technological. 18 www.westernexteriorsmagazine.ca SE3P features an outdoor rooftop designed to accommodate photovol- taic solar panels, wind turbines, and research equipment, enabling the roof- top to act as an outdoor research lab. In order to address the new and var- ied teaching methods, a wide range of classroom spaces can be found, includ- ing flat-floor, tiered, formal and informal, some with traditional furniture, or team- oriented furniture layouts. SE3P is seeking to achieve LEED Gold certification in its design. As part of this goal, an automated system is being used to constantly monitor environmen- tal parameters and adjust air supply and exhaust delivery based upon indoor contaminant levels and thermal load. This high-tech system samples and analyzes packets of air – from occupied and unoccupied spaces alike – and routs them to a centralized suite of sensors that then provides input to the building ventilation systems. If Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is outside of acceptable norms, the sensor suite will then signal the supply air valves to increase air flow until IAQ levels return to normal. This will greatly reduce HVAC energy costs while also safeguarding the people inside. A tight construction schedule posed the largest challenge in the design and building of this project. The accelerated schedule for SE3P required a break from traditional design processes, demand- ing instead a fast-track delivery method to meet the stringent expedited time- line mandated by the Federal Govern- ment’s Post-Secondary Institutions Stra- tegic Investment Fund (SIF), which helps fund the project. The design and con- struction phases of the project necessi- tated significant overlap. “With only the functional program and indicative design completed in Spring 2016, prior to SIF funding being announced, Revery had to strategize to meet a Substantial Completion deadline of April 2018,” says Lisa Potopsigh, Proj- ect Architect for the SE3P project. “Having experienced senior staff dedicated to tender documentation, the permitting process, and contract admin- istration enabled us to commence exca- vation in October 2016, and we achieved project milestones for a Development Permit package, three Building Permit packages (Excavation, Foundation to Grade, Full BP), and seven tender pack- ages that were produced between July 2016 and May 2017. This intense project schedule was compounded by a site with a zero property line to an adjacent high-rise development undergoing construction concurrently, as well as two busy streets.” SE3P represents the first major step in SFU’s expansion beyond its Central City campus in what is envisioned as an integrated academic precinct with Sur- rey City Centre. SE3P will play a key role in both the expansion of the SFU Surrey campus and in the ongoing revitaliza- tion and expansion of the emerging Sur- rey City Centre. “SFU has a fairly ambitious plan for our Surrey campus,” says Abercrombie. “Over the last 20 years, we have acquired a number of properties within the area, and we are now working with the City of Surrey in the development of a master plan so that – when the timing is right – we can embark on future expansion projects; many of which will be part of a multi-use development, including both commercial and residential spaces.” “SFU refers to itself as being ‘Can- ada’s most engaged university’ and they really do walk the talk and are truly committed to the local communities in which they are located,” says Michael Heeney, originally the Principal respon- sible for the SE3P project at Bing Thom Architects and now President and CEO of the Surrey City Development Corpo- ration (SCDC). “This building is really a magnifi- cent piece of architecture with a tre- mendous focus on public spaces. But, in addition to that, we are excited about the prospect of the SE3P program becoming an incubator for new busi- nesses in Surrey. We are confident that SFU’s expansion – in terms of support- ing the growth of the City Centre – is going to be able to take everything to the next level.” The completion of SE3P perfectly illustrates how an innovative, commu- nity-minded building can successfully be achieved within a tight schedule through the profound collaboration of its stakeholders and those involved in working towards a common vision. The distinct precast façade is engaging, and the use of transparent glazing, interior trees, and community-oriented spac- es on the ground floor connects the building to the outer realm, and fully integrates with the Surrey City Centre community. “At Revery, each of our projects evolves in a unique manner from a single point of departure: people,” says Kokalov. “We strive to compose spaces and buildings that serve and inspire the users. With SE3P, we believe we have achieved a building that not only fulfills the functional requirements of the pro- gram and urban integration, but also creates a dynamic and engaging place where people want to be.” Throughout SE3P, special attention was paid to the community- utilized spaces along the ground floor, including this beautiful 400-seat Lecture Hall. Next >