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The building’s unique shape created some problem- solving opportunities, such as compensating for an increased risk of falling ice and snow (solution: a continuous parapet around the roof) and for long, open spaces throughout the building and widely spaced interior columns (solution: perimeter bracing columns). Even the very ground the building sits on provided challenges: differing soil layers meant that spaces had to be strategically positioned to take advantage of natural slopes and differing bearings. The Shane Homes YMCA has a practical, community service side, of course, featuring ice rinks, a competi- tion pool, a wave pool, several gymnasiums, a fitness centre, a library, a theatre, and an art studio. Calgary Compost Facility Calgary has a new way to process its waste, thanks to Stantec and the Calgary Compost Facility. Processing more than 145,000 wet tonnes of biosolids and organic waste, the facility diverts 85 million kilograms of organic material from the dump every year by converting it into compost. This future-focused facility leans heavily on automation, keeping operators separated from hazardous material.
Other building innovations include using high temperatures reached during decomposition to warm ventilation air that heats the building. Odour is managed by routing the air from vessels, the processing building, and the curing building through an extensive biofilter. Ammonia released during the exhaust process is converted into ammonium sulfate, which is then neutralized and crystalized. After crystallization, it can be used or sold as fertilizer. Stantec’s project had the added challenge of a tight timeline, with just two years between the company’s receipt of the contract and substantial completion. Driven steel piles and shallow foundations were used, allowing two foundations crews to work independently, which minimized excavation. An added feature of the compost facility is its water routine—stormwater is reclaimed, stored, and reused, saving 40 million litres of potable water each year. And the Calgary Compost Facility’s Administration and Education Building has an honour of its own: along with a LEED Gold certification, it is Canada’s first LEED v4–rated commercial building, in terms of design and construction. (LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is the most widely used green building rating system in the world).
NOT YOUR FATHER’S YMCA The dramatic design of the Shane Homes YMCA at Rocky Ridge riffs off the landscape—and admirably adapts to it, too. -photo by dsTroyer Photography
WINTER 2018 PEG | 19
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