Dedicated to sustainable,
high performance building

Author: Carine De Pauw

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Residential (Large) Award – Foxglove Supportive Housing and Shelter, Surrey, BC

Jury Comment: “This complex program of shelter, supportive housing and health services, so important to social sustainability, is appropriately contained in a simple form with a calming character. Material choice and detailing are thoughtful, with horizontal and vertical solar shading balancing the overall expression.”

Since 1982, RainCity Housing and Support Society has addressed the needs of individuals living with homelessness, mental illness, and addiction. To address these needs in the City of Surrey, RainCity has developed this facility in Green Timbers Park, in partnership with BC Housing, the City of Surrey and Fraser Health.

The project encompasses three major components:

• The Shelter, which offers emergency housing and care to those navigating homelessness, mental health, and substance abuse.

• Supportive Housing, which provides a caring residential environment for those who have attained stability and are transitioning to permanent housing.

• Enhanced Health Supported Housing, in which Fraser Health and RainCity work together to address both homelessness and complex health needs.

All three programs provide 24-hour/7-day staff with access to medication, overdose prevention services, and indigenous cultural and peer support. The design response reflects RainCity’s and BC Housing’s commitment to environmental sustainability, and implements strategies established through integrated workshops, extensive energy modelling, and costing exercises.

By using simple forms and optimizing the exterior envelope, the building easily meets BC Building Code Step Code 3. The envelope is highly insulated, has a low window-to-wall ratio, energy-efficient windows, and vertical and horizontal solar-shading systems. Detailing concentrated on eliminating thermal bridges and maintaining continuous high insulation values. These passive design strategies work together to optimize energy performance.

These  passive design strategies work together to optimize energy performance. Various conditions informed the linear design concept of the building: the long, narrow site, Surrey’s requirement to provide building access off Foxglove Drive, and the complex program. The simplicity of the building’s massing and character is intended to create a calm atmosphere for both its residents and the surrounding community.

To get the most from the budget, and to reduce its carbon footprint, the building was designed as a six- storey structure with five levels of wood frame construction over a concrete ground floor and a single level of underground parking.

Project Performance

  • Energy Intensity (Process Energy) 17.2 KWh/m2/year
  • Energy Intensity Lighting  24.3kWhr/m2/year
  • Reduction in energy intensity relative to
  • reference building under ASHRAE 90.1-2010  7.5%
  • Potable water consumption from municipal sources  1214L/occupant/year
  • Reduction in water consumption relative to reference building 44%
  • Regional materials content 14%
  • Construction waste diverted from landfill  63.91%

Project Credits

  • Owner/Developer  RainCity Housing and Support Society
  • Architect  NSDA Architects
  • Development Consultant  Terra Housing Consultants
  • General contractor  Yellowridge Construction Ltd.
  • Landscape Architect Durante Kreuk
  • Civil engineer  RF Binnie and Associates Ltd.
  • Electrical Engineer  AES Engineering
  • Mechanical engineer  TD Systems
  • Structural Engineer  Entuitive Corporation
  • Commissioning Agent  CES Engineering Ltd
  • Building Code  LMDG Building Code Consulting Ltd.
  • Building Envelope  exp Services Inc.
  • Sustainability/Environmental  Pinchin West
  • Energy Modelling  Edge Consultants Ltd
  • Interior Design  Aliki Gladwin and Associates
  • Photos  Andrew Latreille Photography Ltd.

Detail of vertical and horizontal solar-shading which work together to optimize energy performance. EXP provided consulting services for the building envelope.

Aqua-Tech supplied the Lochinvar Indirect Domestic hot water heaters [model Squire]. 

The resilient flooring is Forbo Marmoleum and many of the plumbing fixtures are by Chicago Faucets.

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Institutional (Small) Award – WINDERMERE FIRE STATION 31, Edmonton, AB

Jury Comment: “A fine example of a building in which the form is driven by its performance targets, the sustainability strategies required, and the technologies employed to implement them. The result is simple and elegant, a radical and refreshing departure from the traditional architectural responses to this typology.“

Windermere’s Fire Station 31 is both symbolic and functional, extending the role of this building type as a trusted civic presence and anchor for the neighbourhood. The project site was unbuilt and unremarkable – essentially a blank slate. The challenge was to design an expressive structure that would foster community pride while integrating advanced environmental technology.

The City of Edmonton requested a highly sustainable project that would generate on-site renewable energy equal to 100% of total building energy needs. The facility was also required to have an energy performance 40% more efficient than NECB 2011, reduce GHG emissions by at least 40% relative to  the baseline, and operate at 80 kwh/m2/year for heating needs.

In response, the building re-imagines the traditional fire station design by replacing the now-redundant hose and bell tower form with a gently curving, south-facing roof adorned with photovoltaic panels. Further sustainable strategies include optimal southern orientation for natural light, geothermal systems, well insulated and high-performance windows, and quick-closing apparatus bay doors to minimize heat loss.  Windemere Fire Station 31 underscores a shared commitment between the City of Edmonton and the design team, to sustainable public infrastructure and a healthier future for citizens.

The site of Fire Station 31 is south of a local public school and low-rise apartment buildings, and north of a new commercial centre. The station is well located for emergency response and to meet the functional requirements of Edmonton’s Fire Rescue Services. The building is a single-storey, three-bay design that provides full fire fighting services.

Integration of passive systems is optimized by the southern orientation of the building, which maximizes  natural daylighting as well as creating maximum efficiency for the photovoltaic panels on the south- facing roof. The facility also has significantly fewer windows than the average building to reduce heat loss. Solar panels, geothermal systems and bi-folding and quick-closing apparatus bay doors which restrict heat loss from typical use, are active systems which are employed to enhance the overall performance of the building.

Project Credits

  • Client  City of Edmonton
  • Design Architect  gh3* (Toronto)
  • Prime Consultant  S2 Architecture, (Edmonton)
  • Structural engineer  RJC Engineers
  • Mechanical/Electrical Engineers  Smith and Andersen
  • Sustainability  Ecoammo
  • Civil Engineering and Landscape Design gh3* and Urban Systems
  • Interiors  gh3* and Urban Systems
  • General Contractor  PCL Construction
  • Photos  Raymond Chow/ gh3*

Project performance

  • Energy Use Intensity (Projected) = 94 kWh/m2/year With solar panels operational, EUI will be 0 kWh/m²/year
  • Water Use Intensity (Projected)  104 m³/m²/year

 
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Residential (Small) Award – HEIMAKLETTUR HOUSE, Langley, BC

Jury Comment: “This small house is a great example of how doing more with less is key to sustainability. It is appropriately sited, well designed, well detailed, well crafted and thoughtful in its execution. It is notable for its modesty and simplicity, yet the interior has a generous sense of space and light.“

This house was designed for an ambitious family on a five-acre property within the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) in the Fraser Valley community of Langley. The clients’ initial vision for the project included the goals of living smaller and more closely to the land and ultimately growing their own food.

Heimaklettur (home rock) is named after their father’s hometown of Vestmannaeyjar in Iceland. The house form references contemporary Nordic dwellings featuring pitched roofs, lean-to additions, traditional wood framing, and contrasting cladding.

The design responds to existing site characteristics and bioclimatic conditions, such as solar orientation, shade from existing trees and the prevailing wind, while placing the building on the previously disturbed area of the site and utilizing the existing septic system.

The house respects the required 30m setback from the nearby creek and is set above the flood datum of 7.95m geodetic. A simple plan defines the overall form, articulating a “living gable” and a “sleeping gable”, and incorporating a change in level of 450mm with a children’s play attic above. The mudroom plays a key role in the plan, filtering the messy activity of everyday life on a rural property, while also differentiating the south gable form of the house. The narrow plan offers ample daylight, views and cross ventilation throughout the home.

The building enclosure is highly insulated, with triple-glazed windows in fibreglass frames and minimal thermal bridging. Heating is provided by a high efficiency HRV forced air system that maintains a ventilation rate of 1.0 air changes per hour throughout. The project achieved Step 5 of the BC Energy Step Code, and an Energuide rating of 47.

Project Credits

  • Architect  MOTIV Architects
  • General Contractor  Owner built
  • Structural Engineer  Dan Sundvick
  • Photos  Ema Peter

Project Performance

  • Mechanical energy use intensity (MEUI) = 40 kWh/m²/year
  • Thermal Energy Demand Intensity (TEDI) = 2 kWh/m²/year
  • Energy intensity reduction relative to reference building under ERS Version 16 = 47.6%

Cascadia Windows & Doors supplied its fixed and operable fibreglass windows.

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Existing Building Upgrade Award – Little by Little Studios, Winnipeg, MB

Jury Comment: “This adaptive reuse of a 1950s commercial building is notable for its creative and comprehensive approach. Beyond the improvements in performance, the innovative repurposing of materials, such as tiles into countertops and existing studs into wood screens, make for a very elegant transformation.“

The extensive retrofit of 107 Marion Street in Winnipeg showcases the adaptive reuse of a long-time vacant commercial building. The 300 sq.m building constructed in the 1950s was originally a fruit market with a residence above and is now home to an architectural office and photo studio space.

The ambition for this project was to be a showcase for sustainable construction, taking a “re-think everything” approach: developing creative ways to reuse, re-purposing and integrating salvaged materials from other sources into the project, reducing construction waste through the owners per¬forming the deconstruction work, delivering salvaged material to recycling depots, and donating any surplus for re-use and up-cycling.

Extensive material salvaging and recycling from all components of the existing building was considered from the outset. All usable fixtures, doors, and millwork were donated to Habitat for Humanity, and the demolition was approached as a deconstruction process to preserve materials.

For example, the existing wall partitions were dismantled, with the wood studs set aside for reuse in the new design, over 50 lbs. of nails were removed and recycled, and the plaster sent to a local recycling facility for use as fill in road construction.

The wood studs were reused as a slat system at the interior stair opening and on the exterior front facade of the building as a green wall trellis.  The second storey had hardwood flooring throughout and in locations where wall partitions were removed, was infilled with hardwood salvaged from another local project.

Project Credits

  • Architect  pico ARCHITECTURE inc.
  • Owner/Developer  Little Family Investments Inc
  • General Contractor  K Sleva Contracting Ltd
  • Electrical Engineer Epp Siepman Engineering Inc
  • Mechanical engineer  Epp Siepman Engineering Inc.
  • Structural Engineer  Crosier Kilgour
  • Other Contributor  Epp Siepman Engineering Inc.
  • Other Contributor  pico Architecture Inc
  • Photos  Douglas Little Photography

Project Performance

  • Energy Intensity (Building and Process energy) = 128 kWh/m2 per year
  • Reduction in energy intensity relative to reference building = 36.4%
  • Construction debris diverted from landfill = 30%

The retrofit brings new life to this modest, long time vacant commercial building. The metal cladding is Vicwest AD150 series panels in charcoal colour. Winnipeg-based Duxton Windows & Doors supplied provided fixed, tilt & turn, and slider sash fiberglass windows and series 458 doors.

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Technical Award – GABION HOUSE, Victoria, BC

Jury Comment:  “An exemplar in its suburban context, this project is notable for its many technical innovations. The use of rocks from the site to form its character defining gabion wall is one example of its thoughtful and creative use of durable, low impact materials. Space planning emphasizes functionality and flexibility.“

The Gabion House is a single-family house for a retired visually impaired couple and has been designed to support aging in place. The building features flexible spaces that accommodate multi-generational family events and generous food production and canning facilities. The house is located in a rural community of small farms and woodland parks close to Victoria on southern Vancouver Island. The site  supported the owners’  desire to design for both the present and the future. 

Their design goals for the project included:

  • enable aging in place and appropriate for the sight impaired
  • withstand seismic events, extreme weather and food scarcity
  • support its local ecosystem
  • be made from non-toxic materials with a low carbon footprint
  • be efficient to operate and maintain, and
  • last for generations.

In response to these goals, the Gabion House is Passive House certified and features a post-disaster structural system. The house is self-sustaining, as it can generate its own power and operate with its own water supply and wastewater management system. Battery backup and food and water storage can provide resilience over extended periods.

Another driver of design was that the site lies within a Garry Oak ecosystem, unique to southwestern British Columbia, and among the rarest in the province. Preservation and celebration of this ecosystem, including its many rocky outcrops, were priorities throughout the project.

The overall site design strategy was to work with the existing natural elements, thereby supporting the existing ecosystem. The house is nestled within these outcrops and cantilevers over the lower meadows to the south. One formidable Garry Oak specimen became the focus of the design, with all outdoor living spaces oriented around the tree.

Project Credits

  • Architect  Waymark Architecture
  • General Contractor  Interactive Construction
  • Landscape Architect  Biophilia
  • Electrical Engineer  AES Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineer  Focal Engineering
  • Structural Engineer  Blackwell Structural Engineers
  • Photos  Jody Beck

The pathway leading to the main entry. Cascadia Windows & Doors supplied its fixed and operable fibreglass windows to part of the project.

Forbo Marmoleum flooring is used in the gym and the hallway to the multi-purpose rooms.

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Residential (Small) Award – BIRD’S WING PASSIVHAUS DUPLEX +, Vancouver, BC

Jury Comment: “In addition to achieving Passive House performance, this duplex addresses multiple aspects of social sustainability, such as affordability, demographic diversity and ageing in place. It doubles the density in  this former single-family zone, while still respecting the form and scale of the surrounding buildings.“

Bird’s Wing Passivhaus Duplex + is a new housing typology that elegantly adjusts to the occupants’ needs for space and flexibility, without waste. The name “Bird’s Wing Passivhaus Duplex +” has several layers of meaning, describing the architecture, planning, and unique objectives of this custom duplex that includes two primary dwelling units as well as two flexible lock-off suites.

The project takes a soft density approach, with four households under its wing, yet keeping within the scale of its single-family neighbourhood. Adaptability is key, with units able to expand and contract for generational flexibility.

The project also addresses  accessibility for ageing-in-place, and affordability with its two primary and two lock off units on a previously single-family lot.

The architecture of Bird’s Wing incorporates a folding roof line, like the wing of a bird in flight. The modern and minimalist design demonstrates a shared commitment to sustainability and innovation. Located in an established neighbourhood on Vancouver’s west side, Bird’s Wing is just two blocks from an active commercial street.

With a Walkscore of 92 and Bikescore of 91 there is rarely a need to drive. However, both parking spaces are equipped with electric car chargers.

The design is rooted in nature. The result marries thermal efficiency with spatial efficiency in a perfect balance of design, space, and nature.  The four comfortable, yet compact homes are nested within what appears to be a single-family home. Each is unique, bright, and connected to the outside through large operable windows on all sides.

Consistent with Passive House goals of efficiency and simplicity to avoid wasting energy, the design also avoids wasting space or materials. Every square inch is considered, impactful, and multi-functional. The planning is a creative three-dimensional puzzle of interlocking pieces. The suites bend and fold around each other to maximize efficiency and provide evocative volumes within strict zoning regulations.

PROJECT CREDITS

  • Architect  ONE SEED Architecture + Interiors
  • Interior Design  ONE SEED Architecture + Interiors
  • Structural Engineer  Timber Engineering
  • Builder  Naikoon Contracting
  • Certified Passive House Designer  JRG
  • Building Engineering Certifier  CertiPHIers Cooperative
  • Landscape Design  Acre Horticulture
  • Photos  Janis Nicolay

Bird’s Wing brings four households together, with communal outdoor living spaces for larger gatherings. Cascadia Windows & Doors supplied the fixed and operable fibreglass windows from its Universal PH Series.

The duplex interior connects to the exterior through strategically placed openings for ample daylight and cross-ventilation. nVent NUHEAT Mats provide radiant floor heating in the bathrooms and are stocked in standard sizes or can be custom made for a perfect fit. Ideal for sustainable projects, NUHEAT systems are 100% efficient, smart home compatible, ultra-low profile, and easily installed.

The metal roofing and siding is Vicwest.

Proclima Solitex Mento Plus from 475 Supply performs the dual role of water-resistant barrier and air barrier.

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Mixed Use Award – CHEKO’NIEN HOUSE  University of Victoria, BC

Jury Comment: “This project is notable for its richly mixed program; including student housing, academic areas and food services. Innovative and progressive, it makes a positive contribution to social life on the urban campus. Selective use of large windows and exposed wood in areas where people gather reinforce their connection to nature.”

Čeqwəŋín ʔéʔləŋ (Cheko’nien House), the first of two buildings in the Student Housing and Dining project at the University of Victoria (UVic), embodies a transformative approach to student living and community engagement. Its unique design emphasizes social connectivity and sustainability.

The first two storeys house a 600-seat dining hall, a multi-purpose room for 200, a servery, and a commercial kitchen, fostering vibrant community interaction. Above, the 398-bedroom student residence offers modern living spaces tailored to promote student well-being and academic success.

Driven by a steadfast commitment to climate action, Cheko’nien House meets rigorous sustainability standards, including BC Energy Step Code Step 4 and LEED v4 Gold certification, and is on track for Passive House certification. This dedication not only reduces campus-wide CO2 emissions, but also enhances the health and comfort of its residents.

Propelled to preserve greenspace while meeting the growing demand for on-campus housing, the building has a compact footprint and much greater height than any other building on campus. Strategically positioned to catalyze the new Campus Greenway strategy, the building massing shelters the pedestrian realm from rain and shades its transparent ground floor from sun. Other passive design strategies—including fixed sunshades and optimized fenestration—balance daylight, heating, and cooling. Complemented by energy-efficient HVAC and lighting systems, these strategies ensure optimal performance while minimizing energy inputs and carbon emissions.

Working with local Indigenous communities, the design team explored opportunities to recognize and preserve the inherited spirit of place and connect students to Indigenous histories and cultures. A swath of concrete is transformed into a stormwater detention feature, serving the project site and beyond. Trees removed were replaced at a ratio of 3:1, following a planting plan developed through research into native species and consultation with Elders.

Project Credits

  • Owner/Developer  University of Victoria
  • Architect  Perkins&Will
  • General Contractor  EllisDon-Kinetic, A Joint Venture
  • Civil and Electrical Engineer  WSP Canada
  • Mechanical Engineer  Introba
  • Structural Engineer  Fast + Epp
  • Landscape Architect  Hapa Collaborative
  • Commissioning Consultant  WSP Canada
  • Photos  Michael Elkan

Cascadia Windows & Doors supplied the fixed and operable fibreglass windows from its Universal PH Series.

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Technical Award – MINISTRY OF CHILDREN & FAMILY DEVELOPMENT, Williams Lake, BC 

Jury Comment: “This project takes an underutilized, poor performing and discarded single-storey retail building and transforms it with a variety of technical interventions that make it net-zero, thus greatly extending its service life. Inside, the plain box has been enlivened with light, colour and cultural references.“

Located in Williams Lake, a city of 10,000 in the Cariboo Region of BC, this project represents the transformation of a 1500 sq.m single-storey retail building into a NetZero Carbon Neutral office for the provincial government. It incorporates a suite of tenant Improvements, base building upgrades and energy retrofits. Together, these strategies enable the project to meet  the GHG reduction requirements mandated by BC’s Climate Change Accountability Act, while at the same time following the Blueprint and Real Property Division guidelines for innovative service delivery.

For the energy retrofit, Passive House design techniques were implemented such as high efficiency triple-glazed windows on the southeast and west facades, enhanced thermal insulation, and the minimization of thermal bridging.

Internally, communal areas were strategically located near these windows with enclosed spaces positioned in the centre. Solatube skylights flood the interior with natural light, while the operable argon-filled windows with low-e coatings reduce reliance on mechanical systems and offer occupants environmental control.

These high-performance windows (with a U-value of 0.15 or R-6.67) enabled the window-to-wall ratio to be increased from 5%  to 20%, enhancing both energy efficiency and occupant comfort. The existing mechanical and electrical systems were upgraded to highly efficient systems with geothermal heating and cooling capabilities.

Based on these upgrades, the energy model predicted a reduction of up to 80% in energy consumption relative to the baseline building. To achieve Net-Zero Energy, the building then offset the remaining 20% of energy consumption through on-site renewable energy in the form of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules covering most of the roof. The project is now certified Zero Carbon Building by CAGBC (V2 – Design Standard).

The daylighting strategies noted above were part of a much-needed redesign of the interior spaces. This redesign integrated WELL principles for occupant health and well-being, Rick Hansen Foundation principles for accessibility, and strategies to enhance Indigenous inclusion.

Project Performance

  • Energy intensity (building and process energy) = 0 KWhr/m²/year
  • Energy intensity reduction relative to reference building = 100%

Project Credits

  • Owner/Developer  Ministry of Children and Family Development
  • Architect  J. Robert Thibodeau Architecture + Design Inc
  • General contractor  Lauren Bros.
  • Landscape Architect  BENCH Site Design Inc.
  • Civil Engineer  True Consulting Group
  • Electrical and Mechanical Engineer  FWD Engineering Ltd. (now TWD Technologies)
  • Structural Engineer  Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd.
  • Geothermal Consultant  GeoTility Geothermal Installations Corp
  • Photovoltaic Consultant  HES PV (now Charge Solar)
  • Acoustic Consultant  BKL Acoustics
  • Energy Consultant  Energy Revolution (Previously with TWD)
  • Photos  James Alfred

The refurbished building is surrounded by landscaping and outdoor spaces to enhance the well-being of occupants. Fibreglass-frame windows were supplied by Cascadia Windows & Doors.   

With the improvements made to the envelope and PV modules covering most of the roof, the building has achieved Net-Zero Energy and is certified Zero Carbon Building by CAGBC (V2 – Design Standard). Many of the plumbing fixtures are Sloan and Chicago Faucets.

The building is equipped with a high-efficiency central ERV system by Winnipeg-based Tempeff. 

Communal areas were strategically located near windows, with enclosed spaces positioned in the centre. The project uses the BOREAS® dry cooling system by NIMBUS® which can accommodate almost any facility to maximize energy efficiency with Smart Programming that cycles fans as cooling demands change.

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Institutional (Large) Award – UBC MACLEOD ENGINEERING BUILDING RENEWAL Vancouver, BC

Jury Comment: “An incredible transformation of an existing building. While much of the upgrade is technically driven, elements such as solar shading have been used to reimagine its Modern identity. The transformation continues on the inside, with new daylighting and ventilation strategies opening up the spaces.”

The MacLeod Building renewal is the most comprehensive retrofit project completed at UBC to date. Driven by a pressing need to improve the seismic and climate resilience of the campus’ modernist architecture, the project transforms a 1963 building nearing the end of its service life into a future-focused, high-performance facility that actively supports and showcases 21st-century learning. Home to the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), MacLeod accommodates teaching, research, and administrative s paces as part of a growing Applied Science precinct.

The previously dark and inward-facing building has been transformed through thoughtfully reconfigured interior and exterior glazing and key measures such as the creation of a welcoming, fully accessible main entry. Complete interior reconfiguration supports evolving pedagogy and research practice through the introduction of extensive visual and spatial interconnection, new active learning and research space, and strategically distributed Informal Learning Spaces (ILS) as collaborative focal points.

Comprehensive renewal represents a holistic sustainability approach: achieving substantial carbon savings through the reuse of 73% of the building’s existing concrete structure; enhancing seismic, climate and operational resilience through benchmark-setting upgrades; avoiding the ecological impact of a re-build or development on a new site leveraging established infrastructure and transportation networks; replacing an inefficient envelope and building systems with high-performance design; and establishing re-imagined, enlivened spaces focused on community, inclusion and accessibility.

Working with existing orientation and massing, the project efficiently combines passive approaches with active systems, integrating solar shading, high SHGC glazing with operable windows and a newly created light and air shaft that acts as the primary return air path for the entire building, connected to rooftop heat recovery units. The envelope and HVAC system were optimized using 2050 weather file energy modelling to ensure future climate resiliency.

The light and air shaft uses the stack effect to reduce fan energy loads, limiting the need for costly, space-consuming ductwork, while introducing visual interconnectivity between floors. Mechanical upgrades include the use of high-efficiency HRVs, demand control ventilation and air-source heat pumps with auxiliary from the District Energy System.

Project Performance

  • Energy Intensity Building and Process Energy  117.5 KWh/m²/year
  • Reduction in energy intensity relative to reference building under ASHRAE 90.1-2010  56.15%
  • Potable water consumption from municipal sources 3875L/occupant/year
  • Reduction in water consumption relative to reference building  25%
  • Construction waste diverted from landfill  81%

Project Credits

  • Architect  Proscenium Architecture + Interiors Inc.
  • Joint Venture Architect Teeple Architects
  • Owner/Developer University of British Columbia
  • General contractor  Heatherbrae Builders
  • Landscape Architect  PFS Studio
  • Civil Engineer  Core Group
  • Electrical Engineer  AES Engineering
  • Mechanical engineer  AME Group
  • Structural engineer  WSB Consulting Engineers
  • Building Code Consultants  LMDG
  • Building Envelope  RJC Engineers
  • Geotechnical Engineer EXP
  • Sustainability Consultant  Recollective
  • Photos  Andrew Latreille Architectural Photography

Some of the renewal measures include the reuse of 73% of the building’s existing concrete structure and replacing the inefficient envelope and building systems. Fibreglass-frame windows were supplied by Cascadia Windows & Doors.   

Reconfigured interior and exterior glazing allows for more natural lighting. Much of the new resilient flooring is Forbo Marmoleum.

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Cold Air Distribution – a novel approach to meeting Passive House cooling loads?

By Andrew Peel

The Passive House Standard was developed with the intent of designing and constructing buildings whose space heating load could be entirely met through the ventilation supply air required for adequate indoor air quality. Early examples, including the Stadtwerke Hannover Passive House estate in Hannover, conclusively demonstrated that this goal can be achieved in practice. 

As Passive House expanded into climates requiring active cooling, this goal was expanded to include meeting the entire space cooling load via the ventilation supply air. However, delivery temperatures of around 13oC limit the cooling capacity of the ventilation supply air to a level that is generally inadequate for this purpose. To increase the cooling capacity, it is theoretically and practically possible to reduce the supply air temperature. Indeed, ASHRAE has developed a designer’s guide to cold air distribution (CAD), a cooling strategy to which ventilation supply air cooling belongs.

To date, CAD has been applied to industrial and commercial buildings.  However, mechanical designers are uncomfortable adopting such an approach for residential buildings, due to three primary concerns:

1) The risk of condensation on the diffuser, caused by an indoor dewpoint temperature that is higher than the colder supply air temperature.

2) The risk of occupant discomfort, due to improper mixing of supply air and room air, leading to air dumping and cold draughts.

3) The risk of mould growth on the interior finish in the vicinity of the diffuser due to reduced surface temperatures.

The author has undertaken laboratory experiments to determine under what conditions CAD is feasible in residential buildings.  An instrumented suite mock-up was created within two identical test chambers located within a rooftop test facility of the University of Toronto. The mock-up was intended to represent a typical residential suite room.

The investigation examined the influence of the following key parameters on the three risks noted above:

• supply air flow rate,

• supply air velocity,

• diffuser type,

• diffuser location,

• insulation thickness,

• air and vapour sealing,

• diffuser coating, and

• position in room.

This innovative solution is a funding recipient of the Phase 2 of the Building for the Future Round of the Housing Supply Challenge. This challenge, administered by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, seeks to remove barriers to housing supply in Canada.  Peel Passive House has received funding from an undisclosed source to pilot CAD in six multi-unit residential buildings across Canada. The buildings cover a wide cross section of geographic areas, climate zones, provinces, tenant demographics, small and medium size, rural and urban, and new builds, and retrofits. Beyond implementation, substantial product development is required to meet the more demanding technical specifications and to mitigate common implementation issues in construction. 

Andrew Peel is principal of Peel Passive House Consulting Ltd. Insert this text and link … For more information https://www.peelpassivehouse.ca/

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