User:Daredtobelieve/Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Research Centres

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) research facilities are located in Chalk River, Ontario, Canada, approximately 180km north-west of Ottawa. There are three new additions to the site. The Logistics Warehouse (5016 sqm / 54000 sqft) contains a large reception space, offices, and storage. The Support and Maintenance Facility (4800 sqm / 51670 sqft) houses equipment, offices, and flexible open spaces. The Science Collaboration Centre (8198 sqm / 88240 sqft) has studios, laboratories, and administrative spaces.

CNL is a nuclear technology and research institute. Their ageing facilities required an overhaul to continue innovation. The campus contains over 300 buildings across a 3700 hectare plot of land along the Ottawa River. They commissioned HDR (an architecture and engineering firm) in 2017 to design a new master plan and update infrastructure. The proposed master plan explored ideas such as accessibility, health, proximity, security, and wellness. The design team wanted to create healthy buildings to assist attracting and retaining employees.

The facilities provide space for innovation in CNL’s growing interest in green technology and energy. Once again, CNL now has state of the art facilities to research materials and other forms of power generation.

History
Historically, the Chalk River Laboratories was a nuclear power plant and advanced nuclear research facility. CNL began developing nuclear technology in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. The government owned company Atomic energy of Canada Limited (AECL) took over Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories in 1952, but today the site remains operated through contractors such as CNL. This is referred to as GoCo management, government owned and contractor operated. The research led to the development of the CANDU reactor. Other research included fuels, hydrogen production, storage and handling of radiation, and more recently alpha therapies medical isotope treatment for cancer. In 2014, Ontario became the first jurisdiction in North America to leave behind coal fired power plants and fully rely on nuclear power and renewable energies. In 2016 a $1.2 billion dollar investment plan over ten years was released by the Government of Canada. The investment plan required the decommissioning of 120 aged facilities and designing new centres.

Design
These centres needed to support teamwork and innovation across multiple disciplines outlined in the investment plan. This helped give direction to these spaces being modern, flexible, and sustainable. HDR designed the master plan with inspiration from the university campus style to accommodate a sense of community and place. This style promotes health, security and safety, and wellness centred around the new infrastructure.

The Logistics Warehouse is the new public face to the campus. It finished construction in September 2020 at $30.6 million dollars. This is a two storey building that houses spaces for reception and information, offices, and storage. The front half of the building is the public space, with storage in the back half. The front facade design is mostly transparent using glazing with wood slatting in front of the curtain walls. Where more private meeting spaces are located, a solid wall is introduced.

The Support and Maintenance Facility is also a two storey building. This is their manufacturing and servicing depot. This facility was completed in March 2021 at $32.8 million dollars. The interior of the warehouse has entirely exposed services and structure. The facade on this building is mostly solid, with thin glazing that frames the surrounding forest.

The Science Collaboration Centre is a six storey, multi-use building that will act as the heart of the campus. Its projected completion date is Spring 2023 with a budget of $62 million dollars. The building will feature three open plan studios, offices, laboratories, and data storage. The facade design is mostly glass which will reveal the active spaces inside as well as the wood structure.

Sustainability
All three buildings were designed with mass timber. This was chosen for carbon sequestering, open concept, cost efficiencies, and the attraction / retention of employees. Mass timber design encourages CNL’s goals in cleaner energy production and sustainable building practices. Wood design has been proven to increase employee health and productivity. Exposing the wood structure and interior also decreases finishing costs as there are minimal secondary structures required for mechanical and other services hidden in false ceilings.

Integrated Project Delivery
Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) is a process where all parties involved in a project agree to share in the risks and rewards. It is proven to be beneficial for complex projects, where effort and detailing is important. These buildings in Chalk River Laboratories is Canada’s largest IPD project. Companies involved in this process are HDR (architecture), LEA (structural engineering), Integral Group (mechanical engineering and sustainability), Jp2g (electrical and civil engineering), Nordic Structures (timber), Flynn Canada (construction), JMR Electric (construction), Marcantonio Constructors Inc. (construction), Advanced Business Interior (construction), Siemens Canada (construction), Sullivan Construction (general contractor), Chandos Construction (general contractor).

Awards

 * 2020 Ontario Wood Works! Wood Design Award for Innovation
 * 2020 Architect’s Newspaper Editor’s Pick for Unbuilt – Commercial Best of Design Award
 * 2020 Natural Resources Canada Green Construction through Wood – $3.94 million Grant for Mass timber construction and research
 * 2021 Fast Company World Changing Ideas Honorable Mention in Architecture Category, & North America Category