pital scheduled for completion in 2017. The 176-bed facility will be located next to the Royal University Hospital on the University of Saskatchewan campus. A significant amount of design input came from patients, families, staff and physicians during the plan- ning phase – making the hospital a true reflection of the province and Saskatchewan people. In addition to medical services for children and pregnant women, the ma- ternal and children’s hospital will in- clude a pediatric and adult emergency department for both Children’s Hospi- tal of Saskatchewan and Royal Univer- sity Hospital. MANITOBA Province allocates $1.4 million to repair or replace 13 municipal bridges The Manitoba government has an- nounced 50 per cent cost-sharing funding for 13 municipal projects under the Municipal Bridge Program. Seven of the projects involve bridge construction or renewal and the re- maining six will receive funding this year for the preliminary or detailed de- sign work, depending on the stage of the project. Pre-engineering work is a pre-requisite for eligibility for funding for construction, a news release re- ported. Last year, the Manitoba govern- ment approved funding of more than $1.25 million for bridge and culvert re- placement in the rural municipalities of Dauphin and Rhineland and the Town of Ste. Anne, as well as for preliminary or detailed design work for bridges in the City of Portage la Prairie, Town of Virden and the rural municipalities of Mountain, Stanley, Taché and White- mouth. In 2012, six projects shared more than $1 million in funding for bridge and culvert work. To date, the Municipal Bridge Program has committed $3.4 million in cost- shared funding for municipal bridge re- newal and rehabilitation projects. University of Manitoba selects Mark Pauls as first architectural Partner-in-Residence The University of Manitoba’s Fac- ulty of Architecture Partners Program has appointed U of M alumnus Mark Pauls to a new position to investigate critical design issues facing Mani- toba’s built environments. issues facing our local and global com- munity and to benefit from the fresh- ness of thought and perspective our students bring to these issues.” Pauls has a Master of Science in cli- mate engineering from Danube Uni- versity Krems in Austria. He was trained in climatically-responsive de- sign and thermal simulation at Transsolar in Stuttgart, Germany, and he currently oversees the design and construction of new facilities at Mani- toba Hydro. ONTARIO Ontario Building Code revised to allow mid-rise wood frame construction “The province of Manitoba is uniquely positioned to be a leader in climatically-responsive design for our built environment,” Pauls said. “Our cli- mate is among the most challenging in the world, but we have terrific solar and hydroelectric resources that can be leveraged to do more with less. I look forward to partnering with the Faculty of Architecture to generate fur- ther momentum for performance- based design.” The university says Pauls’ goal will be to shape initiatives, which will bridge the interests, needs, and aspi- rations of students, academics, pro- fessional designers, industry and the public. Ralph Stern, dean of the Faculty of Architecture, says: “This is a wonder- ful opportunity for students to address real-world problems, seeking solutions crucial to the province and Canada in the areas of sustainable and energy-ef- ficient building design at a time of pro- found climate change. It underscores a clear commitment on the part of the faculty, the university and a major in- dustry stakeholder in finding common ground in shaping our future.” The partner-in-residence program is an embodiment of the mandate and mission of the partners program in the current learning, industry and practice environments, Stern says. “It is an op- portunity to link our students to core The decision to amend the Ontario Building Code to allow five and six- storey wood frame buildings will open the market to new developments and enhance the urban landscape, says a leader in the wood materials supply in- dustry. Jeff Armstrong, technical director of the Kott Group in Ottawa, says the wood construction option could be 18 to 23 per cent less expensive than comparable concrete or steel-framed structures, even allowing for extra costs to achieve Ontario-specific fire protection requirements. “This could open up sites that don't make economic sense to do in con- crete,” Armstrong said. “The other thing about mid-rise five or six-storey structures is that it's a nice height. It means that development can be on a human scale, and won't overwhelm a streetscape – from the top floor of a six-storey building you can see trees right at eye level.” These observations were shared by Paul Bedford, an urban planning pro- fessor at the University of Toronto and Toronto's former chief city planner. “The changes provide Ontario's archi- tects and builders new options to cre- ate affordable and attractive pedestrian-oriented buildings that en- hance streetscapes,” he said in a news release. The OBC code changes differ from other jurisdictions in that the new reg- The Canadian Design and Construction Report — Fall 2014 – 13