U of W: Axworthy Health and RecPlex

Project Journey

The Axworthy Health & RecPlex is a major recreational and wellness expansion to the University of Winnipeg’s Duckworth Centre at the heart of the downtown campus. This state-of-the-art facility accommodates a multitude of sports such as soccer, flag football and track and field, as well as cultural and community events. The Axworthy Health & RecPlex features a large multi-use artificial turf field, a four-lane rubberized sprint track, fitness studios, retractable batting cages, a multi-events room, student lounge space, and an underground parkade.

The Duckworth Centre was also renovated as part of the project to create a new health & healing-based wellness centre which includes an expanded athletic therapy clinic, a multi-professional clinic, food and beverage kiosks, a pharmacy, and a medical supplies store.

The project was developed in close consultation with all University and community stakeholders. The vision emerging from this process was to create a facility that is equally open and appealing to the University Athletics & Kinesiology users, the surrounding local neighbourhoods, partnering organizations, and the broader community. Other major project goals included a focus on sustainability, campus integration and safety, and sensitivity to the surrounding community scale and character.

Crosier Kilgour provided input on sustainable practices in both the design and construction phases. The U of W’s Facility staff worked alongside Crosier Kilgour’s commissioning agents to ensure the building systems were running at optimum conditions.

The project achieved LEED Gold and Power Smart status with Manitoba Hydro. More than 90 percent of the regularly occupied spaces have access to views to the outside. A high albedo roof reduces the heat island effect in the middle of downtown Winnipeg, and the energy efficient mechanical design allows for the building to achieve an energy savings of 50% when compared to the 1997 MNECB reference building.

Crosier Kilgour was engaged as the structural engineer-of-record, as well as commissioning consultant and sustainability consultant on this important community-focused project at the University of Winnipeg’s downtown campus.