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Flames Community Arenas
There was a time when ice arenas were little more than upscale barns with marginal consideration of curb appeal. These original buildings that dot the prairie landscape are slowly being replaced by modern, high - tech facilities that provide users with optimal ice conditions and spectators with a welcoming, comfortable environment. Through the hard work and dedication of the South West Arena Society in Calgary, the Flames Community Arenas now has an additional ice surface, upgraded and additional common areas and a sustainable future. Located off Crowchild Trail close to Mount Royal University, Flames Community Arenas was built in 1986 and has become home to numerous ice user groups over the years. The South West Arena Society began a feasibility study in 2004, and came up with a plan to add one new sheet of ice with room for a second in the future. On the east side of the existing facility, a new NHL - sized ice surface is supported by a new lobby and awards hall on the main level. This is complemented by an expanded upper level viewing area and the addition of concourse and meeting room spaces. There are also six new dressing rooms plus reserved rooms for Mount Royal Universitys mens and womens hockey teams. Of these new dressing rooms, five are for teams, which includes one flex room reserved for womens teams or members on a mixed team that prefer a separate changing area, and one additional for the referees. The flex room allows the arenas to accommodate opposite sex change room requirements, and also provides additional dressing room space that is in high demand during tournaments and hockey schools, and special event activity. The Mount Royal Cougars now revel in dressing rooms that most hockey players can only dream of. Wall - mounted maple bench stalls, enough for 26 players per team, are found on the perimeter of the two main dressing rooms with space left for movement through the middle of the room. Each of the dressing rooms has its own shower area and coaches offices while they share a training room, laundry and gear storage area. Construction was coordinated by Lawson Projects of Calgary and included the dynamic team of GEC Architecture and Cana Management Ltd. "Coordinating the ideas and requests of a large volunteer group was challenging," says David Bartle of Lawson Projects, the project manager. "Our job was to bring it all together." "When the expansion began, we were looking for that blend of form and function, and weve found it here," says Flames Community Arenas general manager Mike Moore. "Our location within the community required us to take the esthetics of our buildings exterior very seriously." The arena is located adjacent to the stylish Garrison Woods neighbourhood. The exterior envelope was designed to complement the existing arena. The exterior of the ice surface area consists of upper wall metal cladding and lower masonry veneer. The change room addition has masonry veneer on the lower portion with an aluminum curtain wall on the upper areas. "This building has more glazing than what would traditionally be found in an arena building," says Owen Craig of GEC Architecture. Large windows expose the interior ice surface to the outside. "The windows have provided a bit of a challenge," says Craig. "Exterior glare has been eliminated by the addition of motorized shades by the owners." From the ground up, the engineering and design team of the Flames Community Arenas focused on functionality. "One of the most critical parts of an ice rink is the performance of the slab - on - grade that supports the ice surface," says Justin Williams with Halcrow Yolles. The preparation for the low - shrinkage concrete placement began with the sub - grade preparation to prevent excessive settlement, ensure a level surface and allow for expansion and contraction. "For this slab to function suitably as a base for the ice surface in an environment that doesnt maintain a constant temperature, it needed to perform well in a number of ways. It had to have minimal shrinkage and cracking during the initial curing and it had to have limited surface variation," continues Williams. He points to the long - span glulam beams high above the ice surface as another hallmark of the projects engineering. The Douglas fir glulam beams were manufactured in Edmonton and are 34 metres in length and weigh 11,400 kilograms each. Each of the six beams spans the width of the rink. These beams add an element of natural warmth not found in most arenas. "The use of this wood provides the environmental benefits of being a renewable resource. It acts as a net carbon storage sink, reduces energy requirements and related emissions compared with manufacturing of welded steel members," says Williams. "The beams can also be recycled at the end of their lifespans." Numerous other sustainability principles combined to add to the LEED certification. Enermodal Engineering, the LEED consultant on the project, implemented systems to increase efficiency and reduce energy use. Flames Community Arenas boasts an ice plant with a chiller heat recovery system. Low - E argon windows in thermally improved frames add to the accreditation, as do the occupancy and daylight sensors installed on the majority of the buildings lighting. Most of the interior lighting is via fluorescent fixtures that allow for instant operation with 120 - volt distribution meant to take advantage of proven new lamp/ballast/control technology. The lighting in the rink area consists of suspended high bay fluorescent with 6-54 T5HO lamps. The fixtures above the ice surface have prismatic lenses and wire guards to protect against puck damage. Delivering on time and under budget, the design and construction team has created a flagship project that serves as an example of the benefits of adding on to existing facilities, eliminating the costly and time - consuming land acquisition process.
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