CANA Construction

A world of science When CalgaryÔÇÖs TELUS World of ScienceÔÇöone of the worldÔÇÖs finest multidisciplinary science and technology centersÔÇöneeded to expand, it chose CANA, AlbertaÔÇÖs leading project developer, as its general contractor because of its high standards, as John OÔÇÖHanlon reports. TELUS World of Science has always been a benchmark facility, offering a great learning experience for students, teachers and the general public. The advance of science and technology over the last decade, together with improvements in presentations and new linkages between the world of science and management or culture, for example, have made institutions like TWS increasingly relevant. However, this is a facility that has undoubtedly caught the imagination and attention of the citizens of Calgary and beyond in a way that traditional technical schools canÔÇÖt match.  Attendance had already doubled to over 300,000 a year, 20 percent beyond the design capacity of the existing site, when the decision was made to build a new C$160 million facility to replace the existing TELUS World of Science and Creative Kids Museum on the western edge of downtown Calgary. To build this iconic complex, the City of Calgary chose CANA Construction, a local company recognized for eight consecutive years as one of CanadaÔÇÖs 50 Best Managed Companies. As the site selection process began, 80 potential locations were identified, though these were soon whittled down to 22, and finally to five contenders, upon which detailed analysis was completed. The eventual choice was a brownfield site owned by the City of Calgary and located just to the north of Calgary Zoo. ItÔÇÖs an ideal place for a science center because it is already easy to access from existing city transit routes, convenient to the city center, and above all, near to the zoo, which is a closely analogous science resource with lots of potential synergies. The new TELUS World of Science and the zoo will be able to share exhibition buildings and some education programs; on the more practical side, it is planned that the two will be able to share parking, ticketing systems, maintenance contracts and even marketing and public information. The location is, in some ways, less than ideal for a new building. It used to be a landfill, and much of the ground was used for dumping fairly innocuous construction waste materials such as plaster, rubble, steel and wood. Nevertheless, it is known that methane-generating household waste was formerly dumped close by, where the zoo now stands, so an active mitigation system had to be installed under the building to deal with any potential hazard. In addition, the property is located on a major floodplain, which meant that 40,000 cubic meters of fill material had to be brought in to stabilize the site of the building, and its foundations rested on no fewer than 260 pilings that go down to a depth of 18 meters. To make matters even more complicated, the site is only 20 meters from Nose Creek, an environmentally sensitive aquifer that flows into the Bow River. The site had to be granted federal, provincial and local approvals related to nearby fisheries and natural habitats. Being a science education facility with strong links to the community, much could be done to turn these problems to an advantage and incorporate a study of the solutions into the centerÔÇÖs outreach material. But there is no doubt that they made it harder to achieve the demands of LEED certification. With growth expected to continue, architect Cohos Evamy was commissioned to design a facility capable of accommodating 500,000 visitors annually and to incorporate the best available technologies for fuel economy, environmental impact and site preparation. The City wants the finished building to achieve LEED Gold status; it isnÔÇÖt always appreciated how far this goes beyond the performance of the building itself, extending back down the procurement chain to include the materials used and the energy trail involved in getting them to the site. Some of the initiatives that will count toward the LEED assessment will be within the main construction, such as mechanically capturing and recovering heat inside the building; using radiant heating panels in the floors and ceilings; installing lighting control systems with occupancy sensors; and controlling all of that through a sophisticated building information IT system. Rainwater will be captured and used for toilet flushing, while outside the building, trees that had to be moved were replanted, the entire building was shifted farther away from the Bow River to reduce its impact, and a four-acre outdoor science park was included in the design. All these contribute LEED points, as does the successful remediation of the brownfield site. A family-owned company, CANA Construction has built up a longstanding reputation for delivering projects on budget and on schedule and was one of very few firms with the experience and resources to bring together the exacting schedule and technological requirements of TELUS World of Science. No stranger to complex educational projects, CANA was also responsible for a major portion of the development at Mount Royal College and more than 50 percent of the University of Calgary facilities, and it is currently working on its Taylor Family Digital Library and High Density Library. Since 1969 CANA has completed more than C$2 billion of construction management projects, so its LEED-certified engineers have more than enough experience to handle a project that involves demanding sustainability elements. The majority of CANAÔÇÖs senior management team have more than 30 years of experience in the construction industry, and its Canadian Construction Association Gold Seal certification recognizes their experience and educational achievements in construction. When finished, the World of Science center will include 150,000 square feet of exhibit space, housed on two floors. It will be the first science center to be built in Canada in nearly 30 years and will include a state-of-the-art digital auditorium. Of the $160 million cost, $40 million has been allocated by the City of Calgary, $40 million by the Government of Alberta, and $40 million by the Government of Canada. The remaining $40 million will be raised from community donations. Significant funds have been raised to date from generous individual and corporate partners, including the main sponsor, TELUS Corporation. LEED Gold certification is not in the bag yet, but given the challenges of the site, if achieved it will be a great accomplishment for the architects, project managers, and, not least, CANA Construction. With the very latest technologies throughout the facility, the public will be invited to enjoy programs and exhibits either on site or via a virtual online experience. Guided by ongoing research reflecting community interests and needs, the new science center will be a hub for adults, teens and children to explore the many dimensions of science, technology and art. The results, it is hoped, will spark a lifelong interest in education and knowledge-based careers.