Base Maintenance Facility and 1st Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (1RRCHA)

Shilo, MB

These two IKOY buildings at CFB Shilo have become icons of the Department of National Defence’s program to develop state of the art facilities for our armed forces.

The Base Maintenance Facility (BMF) is an award winning 8500m2 vehicle maintenance facility that provides major maintenance capability for all military equipment. Large tracked vehicles are brought into the building through airlocks for repair and upgrade including engine and transmission replacement, application of specialized coatings and the maintenance of electronic and weapons systems. It is designed to do this economically in every respect having efficient work zones each with cranes, hoists and electronics.

The Base Maintenance facility has two 35m free span maintenance areas, a lecture and training centre, administrative areas and a warehouse with loading dock capabilities, a secure exterior vehicle compound and POL storage. Within an open central service area is a giant paint booth in which special coatings are applied to military vehicles and equipment. The side aisles contain functions such as machine shops, offices, storage areas and support areas. IKOY designed the unique military fitments for this facility including work benches and tables, special desks, oil reels, varsol baths, wash stations, safety stations, oil disposal tanks and other pieces.

The suspended structure at Base Maintenance reduced the internal volume and allowed for additional air cleaning that exceeded all standards. A traditional long span truss structure would have increased the height of the building by over two meters and increased the material costs for the exterior walls. Skylights and extensive glazing reduced the lighting requirements in the large workshop areas.

The 1st Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (1RRCHA) is a 17,200 m2 houses the training facilities, maintenance, warehousing, and administration, for the 1st RCHA at CFB. Shilo. The 1RRCHA training facilities include complete lecture/training and simulation rooms. Specific educational spaces include lecture theatres, an Invertron battle simulation room, numerous working classrooms and a comprehensive resource library. Administrative areas include numerous offices, meeting rooms, various specialized workrooms, and a canteen for 150 students and instructors. The maintenance shops are dedicated to the first, and second line maintenance of military vehicles and include facilities for weapons repair, electronics repair, welding, carpentry, painting, and other related activities. The facility includes a warehouse and quartermaster component to create a fully independent facility.

To achieve the substantial cost savings, IKOY designed the facility with minimum circulation space (less than 5% of total area) and developed external mechanical systems to reduce interior mechanical space and aid in the servicing of the mechanical equipment. The facility was developed with several unique features to save energy and increase functionality and adaptability. These include: vehicle vestibules instead of garage doors, separate mechanical units for each function to allow independent control and flexibility, overhead raceways to service all maintenance equipment, electrical panel clusters for each area in lieu of a specific electrical room, metal vapour barrier with spray foam insulation, and removable metal interior wall panels for durability.

To meet the heavy-duty military demands both buildings are constructed of durable high quality and low maintenance materials such as the heavy steel structure and equipment reinforced masonry walls, welded steel plate walls and galvanized steel.

Structure

A unique long span external structure accommodates the 150ft free spans required by the Base Maintenance Facility’s program. It also reduces the interior volume required, which in turn allows for a reduction in the size of the mechanical system, energy maintenance costs as well as a saving of $600,000 of capital cost vs. a conventional truss or beam system. A continuous skylight runs up the central spine, revealing the exposed structure of the ten steel columns that support the cable-stayed structure as they move from inside to outside.

The primary structural system of the 1RRCHA building is a conventional long span steel truss.

Skin

Reinforced masonry walls and welded steel plate walls are used at BMF to meet heavy duty military demands. 1RRCHA features removable metal interior wall panels for durability.

Mechanical

HVAC Units were relocated to the ground to aid in their servicing and future replacement, their rhythm mimicking military precision.

Electrical

Washstands, waste oil disposal funnels, floor-mounted building exhaust pedestals are among the numerous custom fittings designed by IKOY in these facilities.

Key Information

Completed
BMF May 1996
1RRCHAFebruary 1998

Project Cost
BMF$12.3M
1RRCHA$20.1M

Building Area
BMF8,500 m² / 91,500ft ²
1RRCHA17,200 m² / 185,150 ft²

Awards
Prairie 2000 Architecture Award of Excellence
Canadian Architect Award of Excellence, 1994

Publications
Canadian Architect, July 2000
Azure – Design Architecture & Art, March 1999
The Globe & Mail, Jan. 1997
Canadian Architect, Dec. 1994

Base Maintenance Facility and 1st Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (1RRCHA)

Shilo, MB

These two IKOY buildings at CFB Shilo have become icons of the Department of National Defence’s program to develop state of the art facilities for our armed forces.

The Base Maintenance Facility (BMF) is an award winning 8500m2 vehicle maintenance facility that provides major maintenance capability for all military equipment. Large tracked vehicles are brought into the building through airlocks for repair and upgrade including engine and transmission replacement, application of specialized coatings and the maintenance of electronic and weapons systems. It is designed to do this economically in every respect having efficient work zones each with cranes, hoists and electronics.

The Base Maintenance facility has two 35m free span maintenance areas, a lecture and training centre, administrative areas and a warehouse with loading dock capabilities, a secure exterior vehicle compound and POL storage. Within an open central service area is a giant paint booth in which special coatings are applied to military vehicles and equipment. The side aisles contain functions such as machine shops, offices, storage areas and support areas. IKOY designed the unique military fitments for this facility including work benches and tables, special desks, oil reels, varsol baths, wash stations, safety stations, oil disposal tanks and other pieces.

The suspended structure at Base Maintenance reduced the internal volume and allowed for additional air cleaning that exceeded all standards. A traditional long span truss structure would have increased the height of the building by over two meters and increased the material costs for the exterior walls. Skylights and extensive glazing reduced the lighting requirements in the large workshop areas.

The 1st Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (1RRCHA) is a 17,200 m2 houses the training facilities, maintenance, warehousing, and administration, for the 1st RCHA at CFB. Shilo. The 1RRCHA training facilities include complete lecture/training and simulation rooms. Specific educational spaces include lecture theatres, an Invertron battle simulation room, numerous working classrooms and a comprehensive resource library. Administrative areas include numerous offices, meeting rooms, various specialized workrooms, and a canteen for 150 students and instructors. The maintenance shops are dedicated to the first, and second line maintenance of military vehicles and include facilities for weapons repair, electronics repair, welding, carpentry, painting, and other related activities. The facility includes a warehouse and quartermaster component to create a fully independent facility.

To achieve the substantial cost savings, IKOY designed the facility with minimum circulation space (less than 5% of total area) and developed external mechanical systems to reduce interior mechanical space and aid in the servicing of the mechanical equipment. The facility was developed with several unique features to save energy and increase functionality and adaptability. These include: vehicle vestibules instead of garage doors, separate mechanical units for each function to allow independent control and flexibility, overhead raceways to service all maintenance equipment, electrical panel clusters for each area in lieu of a specific electrical room, metal vapour barrier with spray foam insulation, and removable metal interior wall panels for durability.

To meet the heavy-duty military demands both buildings are constructed of durable high quality and low maintenance materials such as the heavy steel structure and equipment reinforced masonry walls, welded steel plate walls and galvanized steel.

Structure

A unique long span external structure accommodates the 150ft free spans required by the Base Maintenance Facility’s program. It also reduces the interior volume required, which in turn allows for a reduction in the size of the mechanical system, energy maintenance costs as well as a saving of $600,000 of capital cost vs. a conventional truss or beam system. A continuous skylight runs up the central spine, revealing the exposed structure of the ten steel columns that support the cable-stayed structure as they move from inside to outside.

The primary structural system of the 1RRCHA building is a conventional long span steel truss.

Skin

Reinforced masonry walls and welded steel plate walls are used at BMF to meet heavy duty military demands. 1RRCHA features removable metal interior wall panels for durability.

Mechanical

HVAC Units were relocated to the ground to aid in their servicing and future replacement, their rhythm mimicking military precision.

Electrical

Washstands, waste oil disposal funnels, floor-mounted building exhaust pedestals are among the numerous custom fittings designed by IKOY in these facilities.

Key Information

Completed
BMF May 1996
1RRCHAFebruary 1998

Project Cost
BMF$12.3M
1RRCHA$20.1M

Building Area
BMF8,500 m² / 91,500ft ²
1RRCHA17,200 m² / 185,150 ft²

Awards
Prairie 2000 Architecture Award of Excellence
Canadian Architect Award of Excellence, 1994

Publications
Canadian Architect, July 2000
Azure – Design Architecture & Art, March 1999
The Globe & Mail, Jan. 1997
Canadian Architect, Dec. 1994