Pictou County Wellness Centre

Client:
DSRA Architecture
Year Completed:
2012

Located in the picturesque surroundings of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, BMR was the structural consultant-of-choice for the Pictou County Wellness Centre, which is a mixed-use recreational and community facility that is also home to the YMCA of Pictou County. This state-of-the-art, 155,000 square foot building includes:

  • Two NHL sized rinks with seating for nearly 2000 people
  • VIP suites overlooking ice surface
  • 5,000 square foot fitness centre
  • 6,500 square foot gymnasium
  • walking track
  • aquatics centre with stunning curved pool design
  • day care & community conference spaces
  • large open-concept space in gymnasium, pool, & arena

The facility consists of a structural steel frame of varied complexity supported on a reinforced concrete foundation system. The large, open-concept interior spaces required long-span structural steel trusses be incorporated into the roof design. The aquatics centre required additional specified finishing to minimize the risk of corrosion in the pool environment. Second level floor framing consists of composite concrete slabs supported on a combination of structural steel beams, open-webbed steel joists, and load-bearing masonry walls. A structural steel support system was designed to support the reinforced concrete arena bleachers. Laterally, the complex building diaphragms were designed the resist wind and seismic loads through a series of structural steel rod braces and compression struts. The large areas of architectural wall panels around the building envelope as well as the curtain glass walls were designed to resist wind loads through a series of structural steel girts within the wall assemblies.

Large scale, public institutions such as the Pictou County Wellness Centre are very complex and detailed construction projects that require an extra level of rigor from everyone on the team. BMR is proud to have brought our extensive experience in design, coordination, and construction administration to the forefront in successfully completing the project for the benefit of residents of Pictou County for many years to come.


Key Points

  • Long-span structural steel roof trusses designed to accommodate large open spaces
  • Challenging design scope and detail level for various facilities within building
  • Bleacher and rink slab design included for arena portion of building
  • Structural steel composite mezzanine slabs supported on load-bearing masonry and structural steel girder beams
  • Meticulous coordination required with many stakeholders for successful completion