Awards
Robbie Sane Architects
By Barbara Carss
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performance", he adds. "Energy prices are going to come back up and all those things will get viable."
PARTNERSHIPS
So far, Fleming College officials have teamed with several funding partners to augment investment in the new wing. Although Superbuild funds largely covered the $10.2-million construction costs, Madder pegs the total project value at closer to $20 million. "We took those initial dollars and essentially did a lot of consultation and looked at how we could leverage those dollers", he says.
Most notably, the Geomatics Industry Association of Canada committed $7.5 million in cash and long-term support for the Geomatics Institute. It also qualified for an additional $1.54 million from an Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade initiative to support private industry's need for skills training. "Fleming has a great deal of strength in the [geomatics] area and we can't keep up with the industry demand for graduates." Madder notes.
Additionally, the Geological Survey of Canada provided sophisticated scientific tracking equipment for monitoring solar energy, seismic activity and magnetic and electrical fields in the earth's surface; the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Ontario Innovation Trust Fund contributed $1.34 million for the Centre for Alternative Wastewater Treatment; Ontario Power Generation sponsored the wind turbine; and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources donated many of photos and specimens along the interior discovery trails.
SUPPORTING STUDENTS
Beyond the technology, College officials strove for a learning environment that would work for the students, with adequate space and technical support to allow them to carry out research and assignments that are increasingly reliant on software programs and on-line resources in addition to traditional scientific laboratory equipment. Indeed, the building's surplus heat load is greatly attributable to its more than 500 computers.
Alcoves off the discovery trails, dubbed bio-commons areas, provide room for group gatherings or independent study. All labs are open for student use whenever they're not occupied by scheduled classes, and one of the four geomatics labs is reserved solely for students to work on assignments outside of class time.
Gutowsky was among the many students watching with interest as the new wing's construction progressed. "There was a buzz throughout the entire school", he recounts - and he's also one of the students who is happy with the finished product.
"Because the building is so energy efficient, the students really get a sense of what it means to build efiiciently. It reflects all our points of view." he says. "But quite simply, it's a comfortable and beautiful building."
CANADIAN PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, NOVEMBER 2004