CNC Technical Education centres ‘LEED’ the way

By Jill Schettler

British Columbia’s post-secondary community is looking toward a new eco-awareness leader for inspiration – the College of New Caledonia (CNC). With the recent completion of the province’s first colleges certified to LEED® Gold standards, located at both the Prince George and Quesnel campuses, the benchmark has been set and the community is taking note.

“This is very exciting and a great honour,” says Randall Heidt, CNC director of communications and development. “We are very proud of it and are happy to give back to the community and the environment. Hopefully we’re leading the way for other businesses and organizations.”

For Heidt, one of the most notable features of the new $19.7-million Trades Educational Centre (TEC) build on the Prince George campus is the green roof located on top of the faculty offices. This living vegetative roof uses a hearty plant base as roof covering – an environmentally responsible solution to shingles.

Other sustainable developments include onsite storm water management, solar collectors (to heat domestic hot water), radiant heating and cooling, displacement ventilation (reduce fan energy), natural ventilation (condition the space), thermal mass, dual-flush toilets, infloor radiation and the use of natural light (skylights).

“It’s a more environmentally friendly alternative and, aesthetically, it’s quite nice,” comments Heidt of CNC’s TEC. “We certainly are making an effort to be green and energy-conscious.”

IDL Projects Inc. was the team responsible for constructing the college’s new 75,067-square-foot space, which includes eight trade shops, 11 classrooms and four computer labs, along with a communal student lounge and space for 24 instructors. General contractor Sheldon Boyes and his team started from the ground up on the

Quesnel atrium.

low-bearing masonry structure. Boyes was attracted to this project namely because of the implications it holds for the industry.

“I think CNC is showing their commitment to green energy and trying to reduce their footprint. And this building is obviously their first step in carrying that on,” says Boyes. “One of the things that is great about this project is its promotion of industry – bringing youth into the trades. This is a great facility for learning and we hope to hire the graduates of the CNC Centre. We support it 100 per cent.”

The TEC will accommodate a total of 792 full-time equivalent (FTE) student spaces, an addition of 360 FTE student-training spaces in Prince George, which is about 10 per cent of the college’s current enrolment, shares Heidt. And, in an effort to expand and diversity technical and trades education, CNC is proud to offer a multitude of Red Seal trades and other technical programs in the new TEC building including welding, machinist, industrial mechanic/millwright, planermill technician, automotive collision repair, plumbing, engineering technology, mining technician, process operations, transportation and logistics, environmental technician, along with future programs.

Over at the college’s Quesnel campus, similar progressions are being made. LEED Gold accreditation has been sought for the Quesnel Trades Educational Centre (TEC) expansion in an effort to successfully position the college for the future.

The $9.8-million expansion for Quesnel completed Phase 2 of the North Cariboo Community Campus project in 2011. Kelowna-based PCL Constructors WestCoast Inc. was the successful bidder in the 28,675-square-foot building that incorporates four teaching shops, eight classrooms, two computer labs and 10 offices. Courses offered include welding, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, mechanics, power engineer, and horticulture.

Artistic rendering of CNC TEC in Prince George.

“With LEED Gold, we obviously tried to source all of the products locally as much as possible, using local suppliers and subtrades,” says general contractor Rupert Marshall, PCL Constructors West Coast Inc. “Also, we installed 210 geothermal wells in the school field, which we managed to engineer quite significantly to reduce project risk.”

The project included the use of concrete with a 20 per cent recycled flyash content to it, shares Marshall, and one of the main features of the building was the exposed aggregate brickwork. The existing centre, which was using a water well system for cooling, has now been replaced with a new geothermal field, explained Patrick Waunch, president and CEO of Rambow Mechanical Ltd. A new natural ventilation system, intended to reduce the electrical load, was also added.

Waunch, who expressed a sincere appreciation for the owners and their cooperation during construction, stated that, “There were many challenges that had to be overcome with building the new centre and adapting with the old, but bringing everyone’s expertise to the table helped solve many issues.”

“It was good to be a part of the recent construction at CNC, and to be part of the continuing growth in our education system,” says Ray Robertson, general manager of Littler Floors Ltd. “As far as the flooring goes, LEED Gold has many different products that meet the standards. In this case, Prince George was rubber flooring and ceramic flooring; Quesnel was ceramics and vinyl tile.”

“The new building in Prince George is considerably more sophisticated than the building it replaced, especially given its mandate to achieve LEED Gold certification,” states Steve McFarlane of McFarlance, Green and Biggar, the team responsible for the design of both the Quesnel and Prince George builds.

“The Quesnel building shares a similar mandate, and differs from the Prince George project not only because it is smaller, but also because it is physically connected to the existing building. Both buildings are designed to enhance their respective campuses while anticipating the opportunities for future expansions to the campuses as needs arise,” McFarlane explains.

The expansion will more than double the current spaces in Quesnel for technical and trades training to 276 FTE, from the current 136 being delivered at Maple Drive Junior Secondary School. It will also have capacity for an additional 14 instructor and staff positions.

“We’ve really seen a shift in the students at Quesnel since the expansion, and we’re seeing more high school students choosing Quesnel first,” says Heidt. “[The expansion] has been a benefit for the community because it increases the likelihood of young people staying in the Quesnel area.”

The two projects represent the largest single capital investment in the college in more than 42 years, Heidt says. As part of the Knowledge Infrastructure Program, CNC received almost $30 million from the federal and provincial governments to construct new buildings at its campuses in Prince George and Quesnel. b