The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton is a leader in technical training and applied education and serves 72,000 students annually. The new state-of-the-art Spartan and Petro-Canada Centres provide a critical element in the Institute’s master plan and a catalyst to guide future expansion. The three-story, 20,000 sq. ft. facility accommodates two of NAIT’s apprenticeship programs: millwright and instrumentation.

Design for the contemporary structure was provided by Cohos Evamy integratedesign™, Edmonton. Led by partner Tom Sutherland, the design team selected RHEINZINK® angled standing seam cladding to reinforce the building’s clean, modern lines and provide strong architectural character. Approximately 5,000 sq. ft. of 0.8mm/22 gauge RHEINZINK titanium zinc material finished in Preweathered Blue Gray was utilized.

According to architect Georg Koslowski, RHEINZINK’s Director of Technical Services--Canada, “The cladding reiterates the horizontality of the building lines with each seam joint. The shadows cast by the exaggerated standing seams soften the façade with each panel receding in space and scaling down the building mass. The horizontal repetition also provides a nice emphasis of the prairie horizon.”

Green design principles were implemented throughout the structure. RHEINZINK’s lower embodied energy content and 100% recycleability made it a sustainable choice. Naomi Minja, architect with Cohos Evamy, pointed out that, in addition to the high-efficiency building envelope, the facility includes an innovative water recycling system, occupancy sensors to reduce energy consumption and daylight harvesting.

Fabrication and installation of the RHEINZINK material was done by Thermal Systems KWC Ltd., Calgary. Construction manager on the project was Stuart Olson Constructors Inc., Edmonton.