In the vicinity to the 401 and the Progress Campus parking lots contains an increase level of salt (road salt) in the air and in the ground water making various locations within the project area prone to poor planting conditions for some plants. With that said, the Alumni Courtyard will be implemented with drought and salt proof planting. Salt proof plants and trees will be planted in these affected areas. Drought resistant plants are plants which require very little water. By planting drought resistant plants the College will reduce the amount water used for irrigation.
Along with the drought and salt resistant planting, indigenous planting will be applied. Indigenous plants tend to survive better because they are able to adapt to local environment conditions. They also prevent the spread of invasive species which may occur with imported plant species.
Not only will the New Athletic Wellness Centre be environmentally friendly – but it will also look and feel beautiful!
Although the summer months at Progress are slow, the construction site on campus is digging up a storm. From the new Library and Academic Facility to the Athletic Wellness Centre – the Progress campus is swiftly constructing structures for all the students to occupy by 2011.
The AWC will be a state-of-the-art 65,000 square foot two floor, full of environmentally goodness facility. The CCSAI and Kongrats Architects are striving towards achieving Platinum Leeds (LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rated for the facility with innovative electrical and mechanical systems that will make the building environmentally friendly, including promoting go green practices during the various stages of construction and even after the building is finished.
One of the go green initiatives we are applying to the Alumni Courtyard will be paved Pervious Concrete. This means that the material used for the concrete allows ground water to pass through it into the soil. By doing so, the water will go directly to the soil; the need for water retention ponds and storm water sewers is eliminated. The water is able to filter into the ground allowing aquifer system to occur. The concrete also acts like a filter by preventing some ground water contaminants from entering into the aquifer system.
Keep up to date with what CCSAI is applying to the AWC to achieve Platinum LEED certification.
The day has finally arrived when the CCC staff can move back into our offices. From June 2009 until February 2010, we have been working out of the Progress Campus Student Centre as well as from our temporary office in room 280 of the Centre for Creative Communications.
We are moving back into a state-of-the-art facility, outfitted with new desks, shelving, glass walls, paint, locks, flooring, ceiling and everything else that comes with upgrading an office.
This is a very exciting time for us because we will be able to have students back into the Student Centre within a week or two. From playing pool, to watching the Olympics on our HD television to playing PlayStation 3, or lounging, students will have full use of the facility.
Come by to see us anytime from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday. We look forward to having you back!
-the staff at the Centre for Creative Communications
Sure you can tell people there will be brand new fitness equipment in the AWC but it’s hard to win them over unless you share with them the unique features of the equipment.
Here is a preview of some of the models we will be purchasing from Life Fitness in the next year before the AWC opens to the public.
Signature Series Cable Motion Dual Adjustable Pulley
- offers multi-dimensional strength training
- variety of exercises, regardless of your fitness goals or skills
- easy adjustments
95Xi with Attachable TV with E-Z TV Console
- includes numeric channel selection plus volume control bottons
- durable
- Sharp LCD screen that provides bright, clear images
Today we walked through the construction site of the AWC. It’s hard to envision what the fitness equipment-filled rooms and new offices will look like amid the saw dust and dirt we saw on the construction site floor but it was still fun to imagine how great the building will look once it’s complete.
Thanks to our trusty tour guide Vish, we were led through the site and learned which rooms will house squash courts, offices and the spa!
The semester may be finishing and classes ending but that doesn’t mean the construction crews working on the AWC will be stopping. During the break, crews will be at the site digging, hammering, drilling and demolishing to stay on track for its 2011 completion.
The AWC team is working with Veridan to design a state-of-the-art security system for the building and is working with Advantage Fitness to source the best equipment that will be suitable for all skill levels.
See you in the new year!
The AWC is being constructed on the Progress Campus grounds. It seems every time I stroll into work, progress has been made. Here is a photo I snapped this morning on my way to work.
The CCSAI is currently renovating the lounge at the Centre for Creative Communications into a state-of-the-art Student Centre complete with glass walls, entertainment system, brand new flooring and pool table.
Right now, construction crews have been in the room tearing out the ceiling, working with the electrical system and knocking down the walls in preparation for its slated January 2010 opening.
If there is one city in North America that can claim to be the greenest, then Chicago can take the cake. On a recent visit to the green city I was told the roof of a building in the downtown core uses the same type of environmentally-efficient heating and cooling system as the AWC.
You are probably wondering how this new technology works. During the summer months the Athletic and Wellness Centre will use its new air conditioning system to make ice during off-peak electrical consumption hours. The ice that is made in the off-peak hours will then be used to cool the air in the building during peak hours. This system reduces not only the amount of energy expenditure in dollars by shifting the electrical load to off-peak (cheaper) times but also makes use of the cooler night air to reduce the amount of energy required to cool the building.
Not only does one of Chicago’s buildings use this forward-thinking technology but many of the downtown buildings have green technology incorporated into their design including: green roofs, indigenous plants and solar panel technology.
Now that more Toronto building’s; residential and commercial are incorporating green technology, we can continue the Chicago green building trend and set the standard for the rest of the world.
One South Dearborn street in Chicago uses environmental technology in the plaza of the building.
City Hall's green roof
The Apple Computer Store in Chicago
Upgrades to the underground utility services surrounding the Library and Academic Facility construction site at Progress Campus will require closing the road south of the recently upgraded “Bus Loop” on Sunday and Monday, November 15-16. The TTC will be advised of bus rerouting during the construction period. A flagperson will be retained by contractor EllisDon to direct traffic around the excavation area over the two days.
In advance of this excavation, crews will be altering the curbs on the main driveway leading to the bus loop this week. There will be some noisy concrete cutting between today and Friday, along with some soil removal and a small amount of paving. The work is not expected to impede campus traffic.
Next week, the construction hoarding will be altered slightly to accommodate the installation of a new manhole and storm line at Gate 2 of the construction site. The hoarding will extend out into the bus loop area for a few days, narrowing the turn area. The work is expected to take place between Tuesday and Friday of next week (Nov. 17 to 20).
On Sunday, Nov. 22 the bus loop north of the first turn is being upgraded to correct a sunken part of the roadway. Buses and other vehicular traffic will be routed through the construction site as an alternative to the bus loop temporarily. The bus loop is expected to be fully restored and operational on Monday, Nov. 23.
For full details about the Progress Campus expansion, please view www.centennialcollege.ca/AboutUs/transforming
*Information provided by Centennial College.
