Dedicated to sustainable,
high performance building

Author: Carine De Pauw

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FOREST EXPLORERS OUTDOOR EARLY LEARNING CENTRE – Ottawa ON

Institutional (Small) Award

Jury Comment

A beautifully detailed example of a sustainable building that is treating its site carefully and lightly, providing an opportunity for future generations to learn through direct experience of nature. The milling of wood harvested from the site to create exterior siding offers children a visual and tactile message about sustainability.

This project redefines early childhood education by immersing 73 children, from infants to preschoolers, in a nature-filled environment. Located within Ottawa’s Greenbelt, this full-time daycare centre offers a year-round outdoor learning experience where children spend at least half their time exploring nature, rain or shine. The design embraces the principle of “learning through play,” fostering sensory awareness, resilience, and life skills through hands-on activities in a forested setting.

The Centre doubles as a research hub for Outdoor Play Canada, advocating for equitable access to unstructured outdoor learning. The facility, inspired by a “cabin in the wood”, integrates seamlessly with its environment.

Sustainability was a key consideration in the design, with a super-insulated, airtight envelope, high-performance triple-glazed windows, and bird-friendly glass. Regionally sourced, non-toxic materials were also used throughout.

This environmentally conscious approach makes the Centre a model of low-impact design while creating a lasting educational facility that instills a lifelong love for nature in young learners.

Careful site planning maintains the existing topography and vegetation. The existing trees that were cleared for construction were locally kiln-dried and milled for use as building siding and custom furniture, while some logs were retained on-site to serve as seating and wildlife habitat.

Mitsubishi Electric Sales Canada supplied the AC units.

PROJECT CREDITS

  • Architect  CSV Architects
  • Owner/Developer  Andrew Fleck Children's Services
  • General Contractor  Thomas Fuller Construction Co. Limited
  • Landscape Architect  Lashley + Associates Corporation
  • Civil Engineering  Novatech
  • Electrical/mechanical Engineer  Goodkey Weedmark + Associates
  • Structural engineer  WSP Canada
  • Photos  Kevin Belanger

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NOVA SCOTIA NATIVE WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION (NSNWA) ADMINISTRATION OFFICE AND RESILIENCY CENTRE – Millbrook NS

Institutional (Small) Award

Jury Comment   

This project embodies a progressive vision of sustainability, cultural significance, and inclusivity. It achieves Net-Zero Operational Energy through  passive solar strategies, a high-performance envelope, and rooftop  PV. The focus on resilience, critical for all community buildings, is commendable; as is the seamless interweaving of Mi’kmaq cultural strategies into the architecture.

Designed using the “Two-Eyed Seeing” approach, this project uses the strengths of Mi’kmaq knowledge together with the strengths of western knowledge to create a facility that serves as a model for the design of sustainable Indigenous architecture.

From its inception, the project prioritized sustainability through its design and material selection. The facility achieves Net-Zero Operational Energy by employing passive solar strategies, a high-performance building envelope, and a rooftop solar photo-voltaic system. The NSNWA building is certified under the CAGBC Zero Carbon Building Design V3 standard.

Creating a platform for meaningful engagement, and ensuring that the resulting design reflects the collective input and values of the Mi’kmaq women was fundamental to the design approach.  Accordingly, the design team engaged elders, community members, and cultural experts to incorporate Indigenous knowledge and traditions into the  architecture. Artists Jennifer Denny and Jordan Bennett were pivotal members of the design team, who inspired the references to the Mi’kmaq ribbon skirt and the traditional eight-pointed star pattern used on the exterior of the building. The collaborative approach has given the project cultural meaning and a sense of ownership within the community.

Mitsubishi Electric Sales Canada supplied fancoils and roof-mounted units. The civil engineering design by DesignPoint Engineering & Surveying Ltd. for site services, grading, and drainage supported the project’s net-zero goals by preserving the natural landscape, enhancing stormwater management and natural stormwater flows, and creating a sustainable foundation for a space connected to community and culture.

PROJECT CREDITS

  • Architect  Solterre Design
  • Owner/Developer  Nova Scotia Native Women's Association
  • General Contractor  Lindsay Construction Limited
  • Landscape Architect  Outside Landscape Architects Inc
  • Civil Engineer  Design Point Engineering and Surveying
  • Electrical/mechanical Engineer  Equilibrium Engineering Inc.
  • Structural Engineer  Andrea Doncaster Engineering Ltda.
  • Commissioning Agent  Equilibrium Engineering Inc.
  • Artist Collaborators  Jennifer Denny, Jordan Bennett
  • Photos  Dean Casavechia

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PERKINS + WILL STUDIO –  Vancouver BC 

Interior Design Award

 

Jury Comment

This systematic  approach to the reuse, reassembly and reimagining of existing furniture from a previous office is highly commendable; the more so because this facilitated the creation of a flexible and collaborative workspace to  support  employee wellness. The educational materials this process has generated are exemplary, as is the reduction in embodied carbon compared to new furniture. This project sets an example future clients will be encouraged to emulate.

After more than 20 years at its previous location, the Vancouver studio of Perkins+Will sought a new space that would allow it to embrace evolving workplace trends, and create an environment that would foster collaboration, flexibility, and employee wellness. To meet its goal of minimizing the embodied and operational carbon of the project, the team chose to rehabilitate space within and existing building.

An ideal solution was found in the iconic 26-storey Arthur Erickson Place tower, whose owners had recently retrofitted the building to CAGBC Zero Carbon Building Performance Standard™ and LEED Platinum certifications, consistent with P+W’s own green operations plan.

The challenge was to reorganize the program in a space that was 40% smaller than the previous studio; and only a single floor rather than multiple levels. Within these constraints, the aim was to maximize functionality, promote social interaction, collaboration and creativity. 

The interior layout reinforces Erickson’s concept of ’two towers joined by a core,’ with the studio divided into two zones. The floor plan respects the 10-foot structural rhythm, giving the space an organizational rigour while allowing for areas of expression.

The social heart of the studio is the “living room”, a large open space that serves as café and kitchen, as well as a venue for casual meetings, lunch and learn sessions or weekly all staff seminars.  The space also functions as a dynamic venue for events, gatherings, and meetings with community groups, industry organizations, and others.

The social heart of the studio is the “living room” which serves as café, kitchen and meeting venue. Wrapped acoustic wall panels by Decoustics reduce sound transmission.

PROJECT CREDITS

  • Architect  Perkins+Will
  • General Contractor Turner Construction
  • Mechanical/Electrical Engineer  Smith + Andersen
  • Structural engineer  RJC Ltd
  • Fire Protection  MFPE
  • Photos (Interiors)  Ema Peter Photography
  • Photos (Exterior View)  Michael Elkan

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TORONTO AND REGION CONSERVATION AUTHORITY HEADQUARTERS – Toronto ON

Commercial Industrial (Large) Award

Jury Comment

With its solar chimneys and water walls, this four-storey office building was notable for its innovative and highly visible environmental strategies. Its use of mass timber reduces embodied carbon, while creating an attractive work environment. The careful siting adjacent to the Black Creek ravine gives occupants easy access to the natural environment.

The TRCA Headquarters is a four-storey, 85,000-square-foot mass timber office building. Serving as both an administrative centre and a learning hub, the facility offers a highly flexible and collaborative work environment, featuring open workspaces, private offices, meeting rooms, and adaptable areas with movable partition walls.

The design of the headquarters prioritizes passive systems by utilizing Passive House principles, which include a high-performance building envelope and solar optimization for natural daylighting and ventilation. The mechanical systems feature an open loop geo-exchange system connected to a modular heat recovery chiller that supports radiant heating and cooling panels located at the ceilings for efficient temperature regulation.

The facility incorporates energy recovery ventilation (ERV), highlighted by four “water walls” in the main atrium. These water walls are glass enclosures where ventilation air is pulled down from the roof intake and distributed to ERVs.

nside each glass duct, a chain-link mesh is suspended the full height, with cascading water providing both a visual display and a role in pre-heating and humidification of the dedicated outdoor air HVAC system.

Together, these systems contribute to energy conservation, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, improved building performance, and comfort. The annual energy intensity for heating and cooling the building is estimated to be 61 kWh/m²/yr. Approximately 35% of the energy consumed comes from renewable sources, including on-site photovoltaics and a geothermal system. This all-electric building, designed in 2018, uses no on-site combustion for the operation of its systems.

Additionally, to reduce water consumption, the building includes rainwater harvesting for irrigation greywater reuse, and ultra low-flow fixtures. The projected potable water consumption for the building is 40% less than that of the reference building.

Inline Fiberglass supplied the windows which are manually operated but monitored by BAS. The Tremco ExoAir impermeable air barrier mitigates air infiltration/exfiltration, vapour transmission and water penetration. The building uses the AquaTech Lochinvar Lectrus Boiler, an electric boiler available in a kW range from 15-150 for applications requiring sustainable alternatives to carbon producing fuels. 

PROJECT CREDITS

  • Client  The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
  • Architect  ZAS Architects + Interiors and Bucholz McEvoy Architects (Dublin)
  • Structural Engineer  RJC Engineers
  • Civil Engineer  TYLin (previously TMIG)
  • Mechanical Engineer Introba (previously Integral)
  • Electrical Engineer  MBII
  • Energy Efficiency Consultant  Transsolar
  • Landscape Architect  Schollen & Company
  • Construction Manager  Eastern Construction  
  • Photos  ZAS Architects

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UBC SMART HYDROGEN ENERGY DISTRICT (SHED) – Vancouver BC

Commercial/Industrial (Small) Award

Jury Comment

The jury appreciated the thoughtful integration of this facility into the public realm of the campus, a beautiful example of an emerging typology, and a welcome departure from the traditional gas station. As a highly visible urban amenity, it is a great catalyst for energy innovation and education.

The hydrogen production and fueling station at UBC Vancouver campus is part of a ground-breaking, multi-phase clean energy initiative that serves as a model for what can be achieved on a standard city block.

Phase 0 includes an eHouse, providing critical energy management infrastructure. Phase 1 introduces the hydrogen station (this project), combining on-site hydrogen production, advanced storage, and fueling for passenger vehicles, transit buses, and fleet operations. Phase 2 adds a photovoltaic array atop an adjacent parking garage, integrating renewable energy into the project. The station’s design reflects a thoughtful, forward-looking aesthetic that seamlessly integrates with UBC’s urban and natural surroundings.

The architecture prioritizes user experience, with clear circulation pathways, intuitive functionality, and a welcoming appearance that invites community engagement with sustainable technology. Materials and finishes emphasize durability, safety, and sustainability, while incorporating natural elements to soften the facility’s presence within the campus.

Strategic design decisions for the hydrogen station were largely shaped by proximities to other campus energy infrastructure, as well as a parking garage that could accommodate a large photovoltaic array as part of the larger project considerations.

The site, previously an outdoor basketball court, was repurposed to capture a pedestrian desire line through the space, enhancing connectivity while integrating vehicle access and maintaining necessary safety clearances between equipment containers.

Placement of equipment containers aligns with existing campus pathways to support accessibility and efficient movement. Program organization prioritizes safety, functionality, and public engagement, ensuring user-friendly operations and educational opportunities.

The design delivers a recreational space into a functional, sustainable hub, advancing UBC’s climate goals and fostering innovation, collaboration, and community interaction. Landscaped areas, weather-protected zones, and interpretive displays educate visitors on hydrogen and renewable energy, transforming the station into a community asset.

PROJECT CREDITS

  • Architect  dialog
  • Owner/Developer  UBC Applied Science
  • General Contractor  Turner Construction
  • Landscape Architect  dialog
  • Civil engineer  Associated Engineering
  • Electrical engineer  dialog
  • Mechanical engineer  dialog
  • Structural engineer  dialog
  • Commissioning agent  HTEC
  • Clean energy Testing  Powertech Labs
  • PhotoS  UBC Applied Science

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ROSS CREEK ANNEX – Canning NS

Existing Building Upgrade Award

Jury Comment

A very valuable and beautifully executed example of the preservation, upgrading and repurposing of a building typology familiar in many small communities across Canada. Also notable were the diversity of activities the building now supports and the decision to make accessibility central tothe design, by relocating the entrance ramp to the front of the building.

The Ross Creek Annex is a music and food-focused community venue in the village of Canning, Nova Scotia, designed for Ross Creek Centre for the Arts as well as the larger surrounding community.

The project is a deep-energy retrofit of the previously decommissioned St. Lawrence Church. The main church hall is transformed into a flexible music performance space that can also be used for a variety of events and gatherings. The building also houses a new recording studio, multi-purpose room and community kitchen on the newly accessible lower level.

The Ross Creek Annex is a music and food-focused community venue in the village of Canning, Nova Scotia, designed for Ross Creek Centre for the Arts as well as the larger surrounding community.

The project is a deep-energy retrofit of the previously decommissioned St. Lawrence Church. The main church hall is transformed into a flexible music performance space that can also be used for a variety of events and gatherings. The building also houses a new recording studio, multi-purpose room and community kitchen on the newly accessible lower level.

The most significant sustai ng new, saving 26.9 tonnes of carbon emissions by extending the life of the existing structure. The upgrades to the exterior envelope, which include additional insulation, a new airtight weather barrier and new triple pane windows, lower energy consumption and increase occupant comfort.

Converting the HVAC system from oil to electric with new heat pumps and high efficiency ventilation system was a future-proofing, carbon reduction strategy, while installing solar PV panels on the roof offsets overall building energy use by 50%.

This church was ideal, accommodating the program without an addition, so the surrounding forest could be maintained. The layout of the existing church with its large, open nave space and additional space in the basement was well  set up to be converted into community gathering spaces with minimal changes.

Extending the life of the existing structure also reduced construction costs while saving a beautiful historic building, much loved  in the community. The design works within the constraints of the existing building to maximize passive design strategies. The south-facing orientation optimizes solar heat gain and the efficiency of a solar PV array.

On the main floor, the community hall is a large open, brightly lit space with a stage at one end. Lighting and sound equipment are effectively placed for an ideal performance setting. It encourages community interaction as the perfect space for all types of gatherings and events hosted by Ross Creek or other groups who wish to rent the space.

Concerts, music workshops, kids programming and community suppers encourage movement, social interaction and healthy eating, supporting the physical and psychological wellbeing of participants.

This deep energy retrofit, with its heat pump heating and cooling system, have transformed a once seasonally uncomfortable building to one that is regularly used for yoga, martial arts and other fitness classes on both levels – a success story for the community.

Premier Metals supplied the durable standing-seam metal roofing and cladding.

PROJECT CREDITS

  • Owner/Developer  Christopher Peck and Joan Powell
  • for the Ross Creek Centre
  • Architect  Solterre Design
  • General Contractor  Cripple Creek Carpentry
  • Electrical Engineer  Emtech Consulting Engineers Ltd.
  • Mechanical engineer  M. Lawrence Engineering Ltd.
  • Structural Engineer  Andrea Doncaster Engineering
  • Photos Acorn Art & Photography, Memo Calderon

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CANADIAN CENTRE FOR CLIMATE CHANGE AND ADAPTATION – University of Prince Edward Island, St. Peters Bay PEI

Institutional (Large) Award

Jury Comment

In terms of performance, this project was exemplary for its use of local materials including PH certified windows, which resulted in very low levels of embodied carbon. The program Is very progressive, integrating local Indigenous, Western, and global research communities within a collaborative, immersive 24-hour living lab environment.

Located in the village of St. Peters Bay this project is a living laboratory and educational destination, enabling  world-class sustainability focused research and experiential learning for UPEI and its collaborating organizations.

The facility serves as a hub and activator for local community engagement. With its living-learning concept providing an immersive environment that includes active spaces for teaching, research, experimentation, socialization, and quiet spaces for personal contemplation and rest.  The Centre also incorporates a multi-purpose community room with commanding views of Saint Peters Bay and Village.

The building extends east-west along the ridge of the hillside, accommodating parking to the north, enabling the creation of a wind protected south-facing courtyard, solar harvesting opportunities, while minimizing site disturbance. Existing vegetated hedge rows flanking the site were retained and reinforced.

The Centre’s ‘think globally, act locally’ sustainability approach is rooted in local supplier and trade capabilities wherever feasible and available. Examples include the use of all-wood, carbon sequestering construction using locally sourced stick-frame construction, glue-laminated columns/beams in fire/exposed locations (and the selective use of steel where dictated by economy/maintenance and durability considerations), locally assembled/ prefabricated wood wall panels, regionally harvested wood cladding and locally manufactured Passive House Certified windows which are manufactured within the LEED V4.1 ‘local’ radius of 160km from the site. 

PROJECT CREDITS

  • Owner/Developer  University of PEI,
  • Province of PEI; Government of Canada
  • Architect  Baird Samson Neuert Architects
  • Associate Architect Sable ARC
  • General Contractor  Bird Construction
  • Landscape Architect  Vollick McKee Petersmann & Associates Ltd.
  • Civil Engineer  SCL Engineering
  • Electrical Engineer  Richardson Associates Ltd
  • Mechanical engineer  MCA Consultants
  • Structural Engineer  SCL Engineering
  • Photos Brady McCloskey Photography

Main cladding types consist of Trespa Meteon panels from Formica and wood siding by Marwood Cape Cod Siding . Mitsubishi Electric Sales Canada supplied fan coils and many of the interior walls are finished with Olympia Tile .

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Interview With

1. It could be said that The Wellington Building is an unusual infill in the historic district of Saint John. What was the design mandate from the client?

Our client, Saint John Non-Profit, wanted a project that could show that low-cost housing and energy efficient housing did not have to be boring. It really started that simple! On top of that, the next layer was to create a design that not only fit into its urban context but also tried to elevate the design to feel aspirational and integrated and to feel non-institutional in its approach and visual reading.

2. What was your design approach given that this site is in historic Saint John?

Our approach to tackling this multi-faceted challenge was to start with the immediate context and let the design flow from there. Rather than create a giant box (making a more institutional feel), we looked to the historic Loyalist House across the street to cues. Acre stepped the building back from the site corner in two tiers so that the experience of coming down the street was such that the Wellington building does not block views to this historic structure. This set the building into three volumes and, from there, we looked to the façade to further distinguish this project by offsetting the window placement on each floor and highlighting the window framing with an accent colour.

3. How did you decide about Passive House construction?

Passive House was an easy choice from the beginning. As our client keeps their rental housing stock (as opposed to ‘flipping it’ once complete) the board at Saint John Non- Profit loved the idea that the lower long term energy costs will result in long term savings and therefore lower rents, which is part of their mandate, all while providing superior indoor comfort. The idea that the construction process also has multiple third-party tests to make sure the build is being constructed to the high-level specifications was also reassuring to the team as it showed them they are getting what the paid for!

4. Why did you opt for the steel cladding, and did it require any special details?

The design team chose to use ubiquitous corrugated steel cladding in part to show that you can design a beautiful (in our mind!) project using the most basic materials as long as there is thought put into the details. We focused the design detailing to highlight the offset windows by creating coloured and protruding frames in metal that when read as a whole, create a custom feel to the façade. This again, helps show that a sustainable and low-cost housing project does not have to be boring, but rather a catalyst for development in our city.

The Passive House Wellington Building with Vicwest exterior metal cladding system which was detailed for a custom feel.

5. As a mix of market rate and affordable units, how did you address the latter?

Part of our strategy in designing this mix of affordable and market units was to create a community design and layout that would allow residents to age in place in this building. If you started in the affordable units, and over time end up in a market unit, you could still stay in the building as you got older and less mobile. To achieve this, we turned the whole design into Universal Design which allowed us to make things accessible to everyone regardless of their physical ability, age, or income. The comfort of Passive House design again levelled the playing field between the units as well. Today we’re excited to have also designed the new restaurant Abuelitas that occupies the ground level that activates the public realm and building.
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Fire Hall No. 17

First of its type to achieve LEED Gold, Passive House, and ZCB – Design Certification, and a 99% drop in carbon emissions

By Darryl Condon

Completed in April 2022, the 1800 sq.m Fire Hall No. 17 is the first fire hall in Canada to earn CaGBC Zero Carbon Building (ZCB) – Design certification and Passive House certification. It is also now LEED Gold certified.

The low carbon, all-electric building is situated on Knight Street at 55th Avenue, and is the second-largest training facility for Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services (VFRS). It aims to cater to modern firefighting needs and training for the next 80 years, and serves as a post-disaster citywide emergency hub in the event of an information technology network breakdown.

The design enables any firefighter in the building to get to a fire truck in 60 seconds. The new facility has four drive-through apparatus bays, a full-size hose/training tower, a training yard, and accommodation for two full crews. As a post-disaster facility, it is also fitted with IT, radio, SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition), and traffic control equipment.

Performance Goals

The building supports the City of Vancouver’s ambitious plan to achieve zero operational greenhouse gas emissions in new buildings by 2030. Metered data shows that the new building has reduced its energy use by an average of 83% compared to the previous Fire Hall 17, despite being twice the size. When comparing energy use intensity (per m2), there is a 91% reduction. The new fire hall has also achieved a 99% reduction in operational carbon emissions compared to its predecessor.

Sustainability Strategies

To achieve the stringent performance metrics required by each sustainability rating system, the project team employed the following strategies:

Efficient massing and form factor: Achieving quick turn-out time is the most critical design criterion in a fire hall. Turn-out time tracks the duration from notification of the call alarm, to disengagement from the task at hand, to physical movement towards the apparatus bays, to donning Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), and ultimately leaving the fire hall to attend the call.

This criterion required careful consideration to balance operational efficiency with building performance and minimize negative impact to the form factor. Despite this challenge, the design optimizes the massing and reduces the amount of thermal bridging as much as possible.

Optimized building orientation and program overlay for passive-solar design: The living areas of the fire hall are located on the south façade of the building so those programs receive the heat from the sun and abundant daylight needed throughout the day. This strategy significantly reduced the heating and lighting loads of the building.

Darryl Condon is Managing Principal at hcma architecture + design.

The building is finished with Vicwest 22Ga AD-300-SR flush seam metal cladding.

Finished with CertainTeed Type X gypsum board, the kitchen, outdoor patio, and dayrooms have south and east exposure to take vantage of natural light. 

A Zehnder Comfoair 160 heat recovery ventilator from Airia Brands provides balanced ventilation with a constant supply of fresh air. 

Project Credits

  • Owner/Developer  City of Vancouver
  • Architect  hcma architecture +design
  • General Contractor DGS Construction
  • Structural Engineer  RJC Engineers
  • Mechanical Engineer  Integral Group
  • Electrical Engineer  Integral Group
  • Civil Engineer  Binnie
  • Landscape Architect  Hapa Collaborative
  • Building envelope  RJC Engineers
  • Energy Modeller Morrison Hershfield
  • Building Code  Jenson Hughes
  • Acoustics  BAP Acoustics
  • Traffic  Bunt & Associates
  • Wayfinding + Signage  hcma architecture + design
  • Photos  Ema Peter Photography
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25 St Clair Avenue East Rehabilitation

Deep green retrofit a flagship model of fed’s sustainability commitments

By Charles Marshall

The rehabilitation of 25 St. Clair Avenue East in Toronto is a flagship project for the federal government; signifying its intention to reduce operating carbon emissions across its real estate portfolio while supporting the health and wellbeing of building occupants. The project demonstrated the viability of deep green retrofits for government stakeholders and the real estate industry at large.

Deep green retrofits are major projects that remake an existing building with the result of saving 30-50% or more in operating energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while targeting improved environmental quality and outcomes for human health. Achieving our climate action goals, such as Canada’s pledge to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, will depend on substantial reductions from the real estate sector. Deep retrofits represent an achievable approach to substantially reducing GHG emissions while improving quality of life for building occupants and the members of the surrounding community.

URBAN CONTEXT

25 St. Clair Ave. E was chosen as a candidate for rehabilitation because of its central, transit-connected location and the significant remaining service life of the existing structure. The east-west orientation of the building lends itself very well to the implementation of passive design principles, including a reduced window-to-wall ratio.

The building is exceptionally well connected to public transit, including the Yonge subway line and the St. Clair streetcar line. The retrofitted building also provides exemplary infrastructure for cyclists; with over 120 bicycle parking spaces; as well as shower facilities. All parking is located below grade. EV charging stations are provided, with more roughed in to meet future demand.

Street trees and planters have been provided on St. Clair Avenue to reduce the urban heat island effect  and contributing to streetscape improvements. These trees require no permanent irrigation systems. A 110 cubic meter stormwater cistern conserves runoff from storm events to reduce strain on municipal infrastructure and release of untreated stormwater into waterways.Both the north and south facades have generous windows, providing daylight and views for building occupants.

A feature stair on the north side allows light to permeate into the building and at the same time, provides a vertical ‘neighbourhood’ for circulation and socializing. The compact form of the building contributes to air tightness and lowered heating and cooling loads, enabling the deployment of low-carbon energy systems.

New walls, windows, and roof surfaces were constructed to remake the façades and allow for appropriate levels of daylight and environmental quality, and to upgrade significantly the thermal performance and air tightness of the building envelope. Glazing surfaces were optimized to maintain thermal comfort and energy efficiency while providing ample daylight; thermally broken punch windows and curtainwall systems with triple-pane glazing were installed to target extremely low U-values for vision glazing.  Solid wall sections were provided with 200mm of semi-rigid insulation and thermally broken cladding supports to achieve an effective RSI value of 4.9 W/m2K. 

BUILDING SYSTEMS

Building systems are designed to complement the highly thermally efficient building envelope and minimize the energy required to provide comfort while eliminating combustion on-site and minimizing operating energy and carbon emissions.

Ventilation is provided from central dedicated outdoor air systems (DOAS), improving air quality and reducing the energy required to heat and cool ventilation air. MERV 14 filters remove pollutants and contribute to improved air quality. Ventilation units are sized to exceed the minimum requirements of ASHRAE 62.1 while outdoor air quantities are modulated according to the reading of zone level CO2 sensors.

The DOAS system includes a dual-core regenerative heat recovery unit for very high efficiency. A geo-exchange field is connected to a ground coupled heat pump chiller that will direct heating and cooling water throughout the building as required, including water-side heat recovery.

The design team at Geo-Xergy Systems worked with the architects to create an integrated heating and cooling solution.

The combined system leverages the available energy of the ground source system to provide the highest efficiency in both heating and cooling, while also carefully managing the energy source to ensure it operates reliably over the life of the building.

Project Credits

  • Architect  DIALOG
  • Owner/Developer  PSPC / Government
  • of Canada
  • Constructor  Urbacon
  • Project Manager BGIS
  • Landscape Architect  DIALOG
  • Civil Engineer  LEA Consulting Ltd.
  • Electrical engineer  DIALOG
  • Structural / Mechanical Engineer  DIALOG
  • Building Envelope Consultant 
  • RDH Building Science
  • Commissioning Agent  WSP
  • Renewable Energy Systems  ZON Engineering
  • Ground Source Energy Consultant
  • Geo-Xergy Systems
  • PhotoS  Scott Norsworthy

Charles Marshall, P.Eng. MBA LEED® AP BD+C is partner Engineering & Sustainability at DIALOG.

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