Congratulations to lead consulting firm, space2place, which received the 2016 National Urban Design Award from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada for Saskatoon’s Kinsmen Park Train Station project.  Associated Engineering provided structural engineering services for the project.

Located on the banks of the South Saskatchewan River, Saskatoon’s Kinsmen Park serves as a gathering place for residents, and offers a natural environment in an urban setting.  Landscape Architects, space2place developed the Kinsmen Park and Area Master Plan in 2011. The plan guides the design of the park over the next 25 years, and includes new circulation systems, facilities, and activity features. 

As the structural engineer for one of the first phases of this plan, Associated Engineering collaborated with Local Practice Architecture and Metaamo Architecture to develop the conceptual and detailed design of the project.  

The project’s lead Structural Engineer, Jermyn Wong, tells us, “We completed the structural engineering, detailing, and construction administration services for the new miniature train station structure, concession stand building, as well as the concrete piled foundations for the Ferris wheel and carousel. The focal point of our work was the train station, which features an exposed cross-laminated timber roof, supported on architectural precast concrete columns and cladded, light wood-framed “fin” walls.”  

Cross-laminated timber panels are fabricated wood panels, stacked and glued in alternating directions to form structural panels with exceptional strength and rigidity.

To support the long spans of the cross-laminated timber roof structure on the relatively few supporting members, our design incorporated a number of complex, yet discreet steel elements and connections.  Aesthetically light and clean, the perimeter steel trimmer elements along the cross-laminated timber roof edges, not only provide a visual accent, but also act as an integral part of the roof structure in resisting the loads. In addition, they perform double duty as a rainwater gutter at the lower edge of the roof. A glazed clerestory lets light in and helps maintain the openness of the structure.  

The swing gates and sliding doors around the perimeter can be opened or closed, depending on the season. The station canopy structure and the waiting platform are supported on a concrete piled foundation.

With the addition of these facilities, Kinsmen Park was re-opened in 2015 as a new attraction named the PotashCorp Playland.  The park improvements are helping to revitalize this iconic destination in Saskatoon.