Brownie Awards, Rebuild-Redevelopment at the Local, Site Scale (2016)
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Reimagining recreation.
Constructed on completely undeveloped land, the Orillia Recreation Centre was a community-centered project from the start. The two-storey building includes an aquatic centre with a 25-metre, eight-lane lap pool, leisure pool, and a therapy pool. Beyond the aquatic centre, community members will find two FIBA-sized basketball courts (including configurations to accommodate badminton and volleyball), a fitness studio, multi-purpose rooms, a pre-school room, office space, and a walking / running track that encompasses the entire facility.
Smith + Andersen was engaged in multiple capacities as part of the design team, providing mechanical and electrical engineering, as well as communications, security, and audio-visual design. Additionally, Footprint was engaged to provide sustainability services for the project.
Reimagining recreation.
Constructed on completely undeveloped land, the Orillia Recreation Centre was a community-centered project from the start. The two-storey building includes an aquatic centre with a 25-metre, eight-lane lap pool, leisure pool, and a therapy pool. Beyond the aquatic centre, community members will find two FIBA-sized basketball courts (including configurations to accommodate badminton and volleyball), a fitness studio, multi-purpose rooms, a pre-school room, office space, and a walking / running track that encompasses the entire facility.
Smith + Andersen was engaged in multiple capacities as part of the design team, providing mechanical and electrical engineering, as well as communications, security, and audio-visual design. Additionally, Footprint was engaged to provide sustainability services for the project.
Diving into the design.
The natatorium is served by a constant volume dehumidification unit, capable of 100% outdoor air (OA) for free cooling. Heat generated by the compressors is changed with the pool water (to either heat the pool or supply air to maintain space conditions). Variable air volume (VAV) air handlers for the gym and fitness areas, along with the 100% OA change room unit, will be complete with heat recovery sections to reclaim / reject waste heat from exhaust air streams. A central boiler plant, consisting of four ultra-high efficiency condensing boilers, serves the air handling units (in addition to the perimeter radiation units). The plumbing system uses low-flow fixtures to minimize water consumption.
A place to connect.
The telecommunications infrastructure supports the back of house, wireless, access control, CCTV, audio-visual, and BAS controls for all program areas. Our security design also includes an electronic card access control system, electronic intrusion detection, and an Internet Protocol (IP) video surveillance system. Safety was a priority for the community centre, and perimeter doors, glazing, and the facilities interior are all protected by an intrusion detection system preventing after-hours intrusion via door position switches, motion sensors and glass break detectors.
The facility is electrically serviced by an outdoor, customer-owned high-voltage substation, where the voltage is stepped down to 600V to service the mechanical loads in the building. Lighting throughout the facility interior and exterior uses energy-efficient LED luminaires, including the high-ceiling areas such as the gymnasium and pool areas.
Clear communication.
Audio-visual systems cover a variety of functions – from a facility-wide paging system, to dedicated AV systems for specific areas. The gymnasium audio system allows for even audio coverage and support for wireless microphones, while the fitness area is designed to support the playback of high fidelity music during workout classes. Additional multi-purpose teaching rooms and boardrooms are properly outfitted with audio and visual presentation systems to accommodate a variety of meetings and events. Digital signage systems are designed to support the town’s custom content, allowing for high-impact messages to be delivered efficiently and clearly.
