Leading up to its 50th anniversary, the University of Calgary is building the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning a new, one-of-a-kind institute that will transform student learning by taking the lead in educational innovation and providing some of the most innovative learning spaces available anywhere in North America.

Constructed on the site of the former Nickle Arts Museum, the design of the Taylor Institute allowed for the full recycling of the existing Nickel Arts Museum foundation system. The previous buildings superstructure was demolished and the existing basement and bored cast-in-place piles were re-utilized. This helped establish the new building grid and structural steel was the natural framing material choice to ensure new self-weight imposed loads were minimized.

Structural steel fins welcome you as you approach the west entrance of this one-of-a-kind building.  The initial design incorporated Corten steel, but with cost in mind, galvanized painted structural steel was used as an alternative that still met the visual needs of the project. Galvanizing could achieve similar long-term durability at a reduced cost while painting achied the visual look the Architect was going for.

Creating a barrier between the environment (harsh Calgary weather, long winters) and the steel, galvanizing was used to increase the longevity of the steel fins at a lower cost than the competition. The fins needed to be durable, free from corrosion and cost effective.  The painted galvanized steel also creates an interesting contrast to the natural wood and steel materials used on the buildings exterior.  The weathered look to the fins adds to the overall feel of the entrance.

Galvanizing did not create any challenges, but rather solved the challenge of sourcing materials where they were not locally available. Sustainability is a key feature of this project as a LEED Gold certification is being targeted for the building. An important area that utilizes sustainable practices is transportation of the materials from its initial fabrication to site.  Where possible, preference was given to products extracted and manufactured within 800km of the building. The proposed alternative using Corten steel was to be fabricated in BC and shipped to Calgary at a premium. Galvanizing then painting allowed them to use a readily available material and save money while still contributing to the LEED Gold certification.

The galvanized painted fins are a prominent architectural feature on the west façade of the building. Built to last, they will retain their appearance for years to come so that they could be enjoyed by future generations of university students, faculty and visitors.