37 Issue 4 Winter Edition 2018 BUILD MANITOBA The development, designed by KPMB Architects and Architecture 49 in collaboration with the German climate engineering firm Transsolar, will cap APC’s decade-long revitalization plan. At its centre will stand a uniquely- shaped facility (aptly called The Leaf) with biomes featuring floral exhibits and plant life from around the world, as well as the Shirley Richardson Butterfly Garden, a banquet hall, education facilities and numerous public amenities. The Leaf will be surrounded by three distinct outdoor gardens designed by landscape architect HTFC Planning and Design, continuing the overall theme of the park’s renewal and natural conservation. Construction is led by Bird Construction, which, as of November, was in the midst of structural framing and planning to complete The Leaf’s major components by the end of the year. Work on the roof’s cable system will commence before winter, after which crews will start installing the ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) roof in 2019. “This is a very complex building with unique materials and structural components, many features of which will appeal to people in different ways,” says Mike Peters, Pre-Construction Manager and Senior Project Manager with Bird Construction. “For the public, The Leaf’s main attraction will be the plants from all over the world and indoor features like a 60-foot waterfall in the tropical biome. That said, it will be hard not to be impressed by the transparent ETFE roof suspended high above the biomes.” The Leaf’s roof is a standout feature of the build. Supported by a 120-foot diagrid tower and a cable-net system, it will be comprised of three layers of NASA-developed material. This design allows air pockets to form, which will keep the structure in shape and insulate the environments within. “Using this material and the supporting cabling system allows us to have a light roof. That means we don’t need to install columns throughout the structure which would otherwise break that sense of immersion we’re aiming to create within each of these unique biomes,” explains Dieleman. Bringing The Leaf to life is one thing, he adds; keeping it alive is another. To that end, the enclosure will be made of glass windows to enable ample natural lighting and limit structural shading, ETFE walls to separate the distinct biomes and a sophisticated HVAC system. “The plants in each biome grow according to their specific climate zones. We have a Tropical Biome that needs to be hot and humid next door to a Mediterranean Biome which needs to be warm, but not as humid. So there’s a lot of engineering and HVAC elements that need to be