LAC STE ANNE COUNTY OFFICES

Almost ten years ago, Lac Ste. Anne County identified a need for new administration space; after years of deliberation and planning, work was approved by county residents. Prior to construction, Lac Ste. Anne County staff members were spread across three aging buildings with cramped internal infrastructure. Arrow acted as Structural, Mechanical and Civil consultants, collaborating with A&E Architecture.  At an impressive 24,000 SF spread across a single floor, the new Lac Ste. Anne Country Admin building contains council chambers for the Lac Ste. Anne County Council complete with 20 foot ceilings, as well as administrative offices for various Lac Ste. Anne County staff. As storage space was a significant issue in the existing space, with records being stored in unheated storage containers, the new design ensured that there was ample storage for records.

Arrow’s Structural team designed the timber frame structure of the county building, chosen due to its economical nature and the ease with which this could be delivered by the local contractor team.

Additionally, the design of foundations, elevate floors, the walls and the steep roof structure fell to Arrow’s Structural group. Because of the wood frame structure, interior walls were required to be load-bearing, requiring significant coordination between Structural team members and the Architectural team.  Mechanical design required efficient HVAC systems throughout the building, designing with occupant comfort at front of mind. Utilizing very rough topographical information, Arrow’s Civil team worked create optimal drainage and aesthetics. Preparation of drawings for earthwork rough grading and servicing were prepared separate from the General Contractors finished grades, subsequently providing the ability to tender scopes separately, resulting in scheduling advantages. Given the extremely tight budget on this project, our team was required to assist the county and architect with optimization options, in the pursuit of alleviated budgetary stress.

Northern Alberta Institute of Technology opened a Spruce Grove campus in fall 2016. This location was designed to house their high-demand Crane and Hoisting Equipment Operator program and provide flexibility for existing programs that might need more space than the school’s main campus could provide. The new site includes classrooms, offices, a simulation lab, and an outdoor training facility.

Arrow was contracted to oversee and advise on the electrical, structural, and mechanical engineering of the new property. Our team worked diligently to coordinate between the numerous invested parties, including the team at NAIT, the developer, and the teams completing the site work.

A challenge that is inherent in any project with numerous partners is ensuring communication between all parties is clear, consistent, and reliable.

By focusing our efforts on this, we were able to create a clear understanding of not only what was expected, but why, and work towards meeting all of those needs.

This time-sensitive project required a number of special considerations outside of a basic electrical and mechanical scope. The crane simulator room houses a heavy computer load, which meant the electrical systems needed to accommodate a higher draw than normal, and the cooling system needed to ensure there was appropriate ventilation for operation.

The thorough attention to detail and deadlines allowed us to deliver this project on budget and in time for the opening date for students.

“One of the biggest challenges we faced was getting approvals from all the necessary parties on this fast-tracked project, but we were able to deliver everything on time for students to walk through the doors in September.”
– Wes Bullock, Arrow Senior Project Manager

When the community of Grimshaw was in need of two new schools, an existing recreation centre proved to be the central fixture that could anchor construction. Instead of creating two new stand-alone buildings on different properties, each requiring an individual schoolyard and utilities, the two schools could share the costs.

Arrow worked to optimize the design economically. In addition to reviewing the structural integrity of the new buildings, Arrow designed structural steel, load-bearing concrete masonry block wall, and cast-in-place foundation. As well as using low energy lighting for LEED credits, the electrical team was responsible for special security and alarm systems and installing a modern telecommunications system.

Finally, when the mechanical system, a unit large enough to operate the three spaces, was set to be installed it quickly became evident that it would not fit into the allocated space. Arrow created a solution that required that the structure be dismantled completely and repositioned into a unique configuration in the small room. This assembly allowed for the full operations of the mechanical system within the intended room.

Throughout the process, the Arrow team was able to provide energy saving innovations that would reduce the overall operational savings and secure a LEED certification.

Arrow worked directly with the local owner of these brand new Kal Tire locations to engineer straightforward builds. The structural team was responsible for the complete structural design, and acted as the prime consultant for both projects. This included the steel framing, load bearing concrete masonry block wall, and the cast-in-place concrete foundation.

On the interior of the building, Arrow paid special attention to the industrial needs of both locations, designing with the heavy-duty usage in mind. In addition to proposing an alternative ventilation system that could improve energy efficiency and simplify maintenance, Arrow designed the heating, ventilation, cooling, and air compression units to accommodate the high demand of a shop.

Further, Arrow suggested the cost-saving measure of installing LED lighting wherever possible which would improve lighting lifespan and save Kal Tire money. With each location, the work was completed with future expansions in mind.

The Fort Saskatchewan location was the first of the Kal Tire projects. Arrow worked on. Throughout the process, the Arrow team gained significant knowledge that allowed for the future building processes to be streamlined and improved.

“By staying focused on clear and frequent communication with the client, our team was able to develop a strong understanding of their needs. It made all the following projects we did with them run that much smoother.”
– Paul Pertich, Mechanical Design Engineer