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Category: Building Profiles

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Meadowbrook Lane passive house residence

Passive House delivers affordable living

By Peter Ng and Irene Rivera

Meadowbrook Lane is the first multi-unit residential high-rise building to be built by Windsor Essex Community Housing Corporation (WECHC) in 30 years. The 10-storey multi-unit residential building brings much needed affordable housing to the City of Windsor.

The building includes 145 affordable housing units, from bachelor to three-bedroom suites, with shared amenity space on each residential floor. The ground floor of the building has offices, a multipurpose room, laundry room and a four-bedroom community special care unit.

The WECHC wanted the building to be energy efficient and designed to meet Passive House standards for certification by the Passivhaus Institute (PHI) in Germany. In adhering to the principles of Passive House Design, rigorous effort was exercised to uphold a robust continuous airtight thermal envelope, prioritizing the continuity of the air barrier membrane by managing service penetrations.

The design was guided by the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) model, with all consultants involved in designing the systems to meet Passive House Classic Certification. Beyond the design phase and during construction, the installation of the air membrane was monitored and documented regularly to ensure its integrity and continuity were not compromised and would meet the 0.6ACH or below air change per hour at 50Pa as required by PHI. The building achieved an impressive final result of 0.123ACH.

The project won the Grand Prize & Finalist Prize Award at the 2024 EIFS Council of Canada Architecture Design Awards. Within the building, ‘vertical’ community neighbourhoods are facilitated by one amenity room on every residential floor with a view to the nearby golf course.

The multi-purpose ground floor amenity room provides a venue for both residents and external functions and opens to a community garden furnished with a barbeque, seating areas, a bike shelter with charging stations for 10 e-bikes, and four EV parking stalls with chargers in the parking area.

The landscaping integrates the building to the site using native and drought tolerant species in keeping with the natural flora of the area. The HVAC system incorporates fan coils and roof-mounted units by Mitsubishi Electric Sales Canada.

Project Performance

  • Energy Intensity, base building = 10.69KWh/m2/year
  • Energy Intensity, process energy = 135.70KWh/m2/year
  • Reduction in energy intensity relative to reference
  • building under ASHRAE 90.1, SB-10 and OBC 2017
  • ASHRAE 90.1-2010 = 87%

Project Credits

  • Owner/Developer  Windsor Essex Community Housing
  • Corporation (CHC)
  • Architect  Kearns Mancini Architects
  • General Contractor  Amico
  • Landscape Architect  Fleisher Ridout Partnership
  • Building envelope consultant Pretium Engineering
  • Civil Engineer  Morrison Hershfield
  • Electrical/Mechanical Engineer  Integral Group – Introba
  • Structural Engineer  RJC Engineering
  • Commissioning Agent  JLSR Engineering Inc
  • Passive House Certification  Peel Passive House
  • Photos  Craft Architecture Photography & Video
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təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre

Challenging building type achieves double certification, 

and pursuing LEED Gold

By Paul Fast

Completed in 2024, this 10,684 sq.m combined aquatic and community centre in New Westminster, BC is Canada’s first completed all-electric facility to achieve the Canada Green Building Council’s (CAGBC) Zero Carbon Building Design standard, a significant accomplishment for a building typology that has traditionally been one of the largest greenhouse gas emitters for many local governments.

The name təməsew̓txʷ is derived from hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ (the local Indigenous language) and means “Sea Otter House”. Reflecting this Indigenous identity reflecting this indigenous identity, the building is woven into the landscape with a dramatic unifying roof and aims to be the heart and soul of the community and a place for all to connect. The building makes a strong civic statement being sensitive to the natural environment and human-scale experience.

Sustainable design strategies and process

Pools are one of the most energy-intensive building types. To successfully minimize energy use, the design strategy for təməsew̓txʷ applies a passive approach first, considering not only how the architecture can respond to specific site conditions for efficiency and comfort, but how operational conditions, strategies, and expectations inform the design. Reducing demand first, followed by optimizing active systems, ensures a low impact result.

To meet the stringent leed v4 and Zero Carbon Building (zcb) requirements, a range of strategies were implemented to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

The building’s compact massing and form factor were shaped by site conditions, with the existing facility required to remain operational during construction, and the need to avoid critical infrastructure running through the site.

Although these constraints limited the optimization of the form, the design still significantly contributes to overall performance. The building features a wide southern section housing the main natatorium, which gradually narrows and steps toward the north, where the gymnasium and multipurpose spaces are located. This design also creates unique outdoor spaces.

The building orientation and program overlay were optimized for energy efficiency, with primary glazing along the south façade and carefully angled overhangs and roof slopes for solar shading and photovoltaic (pv) panel efficiency. The envelope design addresses thermal bridging and emphasizes airtightness, while large overhangs provide shading on the south, east, and west facades. The stepping nature of the façade further enhances vertical shading along the south-west elevation.

Natural ventilation is a key feature, with substantial portions of the envelope designed to open, allowing fresh air into the main gymnasium and creating indoor/outdoor play spaces. The facility also maximizes daylight through large openings and clerestories, reducing the need for artificial lighting. Triple-glazed clerestories above the lap pool ensure abundant natural light, enhancing the space’s ambiance.

Operating energy

Heat recovery ventilators (hrvs) capture waste heat from energy-intensive pool systems. The electric-based mechanical system, supported by heat pumps and back-up electric boilers, significantly reduces carbon emissions. The heat-pump system is supported by back-up electric boilers to help reheat pool water when it’s drained and refilled a few times a year (a very energy intensive process).

The leisure pool and the 50m lap pool are separated by  a glass wall to maintain different air and water temperatures, optimizing energy efficiency and user comfort. This design creates two distinct comfort zones: a warmer area for leisure activities and a cooler environment for high-performance swimming, addressing the discomfort of cold temperatures often noted in other aquatic facilities without this separation.

In compliance with zcb, 5% of the required annual operating energy for the building is generated on site via photovoltaics installed on the roof. Special emphasis was placed on reducing the energy demand of the building, carefully optimizing the system for maximum efficiency.

Water quality

In a first for North America, the təməsew̓txʷ gravity-fed InBlue pool filtration and disinfection system is expected to have a significant impact on patron experience, as well as minimizing pump energy consumption by almost 50% and improving air and water quality.

InBlue uses a drum filter system which has lower water consumption and lower energy requirements. Based on monthly usage since its opening, the filtration system alone is on track to reduce energy costs annually by over $100,000. The biggest benefit from this system is the reduced levels of required chlorine, leading to much better water and air quality for swimmers. Initial results show that the system produces air and water quality far exceeding the standards set out by the Health Act.

Paul fast architect aibc, mraic, principal in charge, hcma architecture + design.

CertainTeed  supplied Type X Drywall Panel, M2Tech Gypsum Board, M2Tech Shaftliner.

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Albert Campbell Library Renovation/Modernization


Reno reimagines potential to connect with people

By Brock James

The Albert Campbell Branch Library opened its doors in 1971 to serve Scarborough’s diverse community. In this rapidly growing Toronto suburb, the brutalist building stood as a beacon to the community. But after five decades, the Toronto Public Library (TPL) recognized the need for upgrades to meet contemporary needs. Working with LGA Architectural Partners, TPL sought to reimagine Albert Campbell as a more welcoming hub that brings people together and is connected to the community.

Originally, TPL believed that an expansion or a replacement would be necessary. However, our careful analysis revealed that 25% of the back-of-house space could be repurposed for public use by unlocking and reconnecting the buried first floor. This approach has enabled TPL to satisfy many of its wider visionary objectives such as sustainability and placemaking.

We began by relocating the main entrance from the second to the first floor. Previously, visitors accessed the building via an upward ramp, which created a dark and underutilized ground level. By carefully reshaping the land downward to follow the natural topography of the site, we redirected the library’s main entrance to the first floor. With new windows, the entry is now intimately connected to the front landscape.

On the second level, we cut a new floor opening above the entry and removed walls, allowing visitors to experience horizontal and vertical views into the entire branch while new east and west-facing windows draw in both daylight and verdant community views. A new elevator, painted red as a nod to the previous colour scheme, visually orients visitors while providing barrier-free access to all areas of the building, particularly to the previously limited-access subterranean community room, and the rooftop terrace.

Beyond achieving TPL’s objective to improve accessibility, the renovation was an opportunity for us to rethink the library’s programming and create a series of more contemporary spaces that would increase the community’s engagement with their local branch. Some of these new spaces include a Digital Innovation Hub, a recording studio, a room that accommodates Indigenous smudging, an outdoor roof terrace, group study rooms, medium and large multi-purpose rooms, a learning centre, and nine all-gender washrooms.

As for the project’s sustainability goals, our decision to reuse and renovate the existing concrete structure was the single most important step in limiting the project’s potential carbon footprint. Through the renovation, though, a number of other strategies were also applied to improve the building’s performance and bring it up to today’s standards.

Re-cladding the building’s exterior, for example, was one of these strategies. The exterior envelope was previously comprised of two wythes of concrete block with minimal insulation and no air or vapour barriers. To remedy this issue, we covered the existing block with a liquid-applied air/vapour barrier, R-25 insulation and fibre concrete panel cladding.

Project Team

  • Architect  LGA Architectural Partners
  • Indigenous Consultant  Trina Moyan, Bell and Bernard LTD
  • Landscape Architect  Aboud & Associates
  • Structural Engineer  Blackwell Engineers
  • Civil Engineer EMC Group
  • Mechanical/Electrical Engineer  Enso Systems Inc
  • Contractor  Pre-Eng Contracting
  • Photos  LGA Architectural Partners

Brock James, OAA, FRAIC is Partner at LGA and Partner-in-Charge on the project.

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Giant Steps autism centre


A giant step for autism

A thorough, highly individualized interdisciplinary approach led to the design of Giant Steps Autism Centre, a cutting-edge facility aiming to transform the way autism services are deployed worldwide. Tailor-made for individuals on the spectrum, this project constitutes a perfect example of the use of architecture as a malleable work tool. More than just a school, Giant Steps is a place of solace – a safe space for the entire community.

For the past 40 years, Giant Steps Autism Centre has asserted its leadership in the provision of services supporting the education and success of people with ASD. As the number of individuals and families affected by autism steadily grows, there was an urgency to develop new ways to respond to their needs. The Centre represents a centralized hub based on four separate but integrated pillars: education, adult services, community outreach, and research.

Giant Steps Autism Centre finds its home in the Technopôle Angus, an avant-garde eco-district guided by principles of innovative sustainable development. With a design informed by the many perceptual differences and sensory challenges often facing people with autism, the Centre integrates the values of its new environment with style, placing innovation at the heart of its achievements.

The architecture is expressed as a concave curve creation that opens into an inner shielded courtyard and closes at the site’s rear embankment. Individuals on the autism spectrum experience both perceptual differences and difficulty processing sensory information.

Any of the senses may be over- or under-sensitive, or both, at different times. Since a child’s development – autonomy, socialization, creativity, and learning – is optimized through sensory stimulation, the building serves as a tool to introduce stimuli at every opportunity.

Vertically, the structure is defined by multiple storeys deployed in step-like fashion, serving to open up the courtyard space. The entrance leads directly to the school’s core, creating a visual link with the courtyard focal point. Lining the building’s massing is a corridor, constituting a shifting space revealing different opening and closing areas. Developed in close collaboration with occupational therapists, the schoolyard is designed to introduce children to many different stimuli.

Project Credits

  • Client  Giant Steps Autism Centre
  • Architect  Provencher_Roy 
  • Project manager  Gestion Proaxis
  • Structural engineer  L2C Experts
  • Concrete Prefabricator  BPDL Inc.
  • Photos  2 and 6 Thibault Carron, 1, 3, 4 and 5 Adrien Williams

Emile Deschenes P. Eng. is Project Manager at BPDL Inc.

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Kipling Transit Hub


Advanced steel framing cuts tonnage costs  

By Scott Norris

Completed in 2022, the Kipling Transit Hub is a 4,890m2 revitalization of an existing transit station. The LEED Gold station serves as a key transit interchange in Toronto’s west end, connecting GO Transit, TTC subway and MiWay buses under one roof.

The focal point of the project was a new 300m2 bus terminal with a long curving cantilevered roof structure projecting out over the bus parking and circulation area. The $73 million design/build project was led by Ellis Don.

The elliptical shaped roof structure supports a 4,460m2 green roof which contributed to the LEED accreditation. Along with the station building there were many other components including a pedestrian bridge, tunnels, platforms and parking, which will not be covered in this article.

Over the course of the project it was determined that the scope of the structural steel work was expanding beyond the initial budget.  At this point, Steelcon was brought on in a design assist role to determine whether its proprietary SIN beam member could be utilized to reduce cost, overall steel tonnage and improve delivery times.

The SIN beam is a custom built-up beam with a corrugated web section that allows the web thickness to be optimized for the design loads.  The sinusoidal (SIN) profile of the corrugations improves the strength-to-weight ratio of the web by virtue of its geometry. This web optimization along with substantial variability in the flange members resulted in significant reduction in the overall tonnage of steel required for the project.

Value Engineering Approach

The initial design for the elliptical roof structure consisted of typical frames spaced at approximately 8.0m on centre through the middle of the structure and transitioning to radially oriented girders at the west end and cantilever trusses to the east. The typical frames consisted of a central truss spanning between columns spaced at 10.5m, with the trusses then projecting 12.75m beyond the supporting columns and tapered down from 2.0m deep at the centre to 300mm at the roof perimeter.  Between the main frames, secondary open web steel joists support a metal deck on which the roof was applied.

During the design assist review, the trusses at the typical interior frames were revised to long span cantilevered SIN girders. In this application the SIN girders were tapered to follow the initial truss profile. The radially oriented girders at the west end of the roof were also replaced with SIN girders. However, the east end remained as trusses due to the efficiency in this configuration.

The final change involved the replacement of all the secondary framing, open web steel joists being replaced with SIN beams. The framing of the associated ancillary buildings and pedestrian bridge was less suitable for SIN beam replacement and was thus not considered. In all a total of 177 open web steel joists and 11 roof truss members were replaced.

Sustainability Approach

Since this project was designed and built before embodied carbon thresholds and other sustainability targets for structural steel projects became common practice, we decided to review the Kipling project to determine the associated benefits of SIN Beam substitution; notably reductions in global warming potential (GWP). The conclusions from this analysis enable us to extrapolate  to future projects which are subject to carbon thresholds.

Scott Norris B.Esc., P.Eng.is Director, Engineering Solutions at  Steelcan. Photos of completed building: Simon Liao, courtesy Strasman Architects.

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Fast + Epp head office

Urban infill building highlights hybrid construction

Completed in 2022, the Fast + Epp Home Office is an elegant, economic and highly transferable example of an urban densification project whose approach to material use is a pragmatic hybrid of mass timber, steel and concrete.

The four-storey mixed use building is located close to the city centre on the south shore of False Creek, an eclectic light industrial area that has undergone dramatic transformation over the past decade.

The 137.1m x 13.3m site is zoned for an FSR of 3.0, of which 1.0 must be an industrial use located at street level. A 1.2m right-of-way reduced the width of the site, forcing a portion of the industrial use to the second level and making vertical fire separations necessary.

Below grade, the reduced width required the elimination of interior columns in favour of a clear span, post-tensioned slab to accommodate a single row of parking and an aisle. This in turn influenced the design of the above ground structure, where clear spanning glulam beams informed both the subdivision of space and the routing of exposed building services.

These constraints required a pragmatic design response, both in the use of space and choice of materials. This approach resonated with Fast + Epp (both client and structural engineer for the project) and with f2a architecture, which aims “to create buildings that are minimal, energy efficient, have healthy interiors and a direct relationship to their site.”

To maximize leasable area within the zoning envelope, floor to floor heights were carefully manipulated according to use; Level 1 being 4.8m; Levels 2 and 3 being 3.6m and the Level 4 penthouse 2.6m. There is an interconnected floor space (IFS) between Levels 3 and 4. There is a 2-hour fire separation between industrial and office occupancies, with 1-hour required for the other floors and supporting structure.

The IFS forms an atrium, serving as a meeting area and social space for the Fast + Epp office. The lower level has a small kitchen, while the upper level accommodates ‘touch down’ work stations and (being smaller than the lower floors) has access to a roof terrace.

Project Credits

  • Owner/Developer Fast + Epp Structural Engineers
  • Architect  f2a architecture
  • General Contractor Companion Construction Ltd
  • Building Code  GHL Consultants
  • Structural Engineer Fast + Epp Structural Engineers
  • Interior Design HCMA Architecture + Design
  • Mechanical Engineering Impact Engineering
  • Photos Michael Elkan
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Cheko’nien House

Energy efficiency, resilience, and emission reductions on a grand scale

By Alex Minard

Cheko’nien (Čeqʷəŋín ʔéʔləŋ) House is the first of two buildings that together comprise the new Student Housing and Dining project at the University of Victoria (UVic) that embodies a transformative approach to student living and community engagement.

The 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, while above a 398-bedroom student residence offers modern living spaces tailored to promote student well-being and academic success.

The facility supports UVic in its commitment to energy efficiency, climate resilience, and GHG emission reductions, as outlined in the university’s Sustainability Action Plan. The project has achieved Step 4 of the BC Energy Code and LEED v4 Gold certification, and is on track for Passive House certification.

“Passive House allows us to meet a number of our objectives for sustainability and the student experience, and was the natural choice for the new Student Housing and Dining buildings,” says Mike Wilson, Director of Campus Planning and Sustainability.

Simultaneously addressing the need to preserve greenspace while meeting the growing demand for on campus student 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.

Achieving Passive House energy performance depends to a significant degree on passive design strategies. These include fixed sunshades and optimized fenestration to balance daylight, heating, and cooling. Complemented by energy-efficient HVAC and lighting systems and a high-performance building envelope, these strategies ensure optimal performance while minimizing energy inputs and carbon emissions.

From inside to outside, the exterior walls comprise: 16mm Gypsum board; 152mm metal studs; exterior gypsum sheathing;  vapour non-permeable self adhered sheet air/weather barrier; 203mm low density mineral wool with LKME clips @ 400mm o/c horizontally and 610mm o/c vertically; air gap and cladding.

Insulation, shading, and thermal bridge reduction all contribute to high energy efficiency, as do triple glazing and a tested airtightness of 0.22 ACH50—approximately one third of the Passive House limit. The resulting reduction in energy demand for heating and cooling means that  the building can be powered almost entirely by hydroelectricity from British Columbia’s clean energy grid. This considerably reduces the use of fossil fuels.

However, serving approximately 8,700 meals per day, the large commercial kitchen represents a significant amount of the energy demand for the building. Employing a robust energy reduction strategy, the kitchen is designed to be five to six times more energy efficient than conventionally equipped equivalents —reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% for the entire building.

In addition to the commercial kitchen, the 398 bedrooms mean the project has an inherently  high demand for domestic hot water (DHW)—roughly 27,750 L/day. A waste heat recovery system from the refrigeration system, kitchen exhaust, dishwashers, and shower drains, is used to pre-heat water. Captured heat from the kitchen also preheats supply air, resulting in an 82% reduction in heating demand.

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

The housing entrance is located on the new north-south greenway that connects the residential district. Cascadia Windows & Doors supplied the fixed and operable fibreglass windows from its Universal PH Series.

Interconnections among spaces create a vibrant and dynamic environment. A mixed-mode ventilation system using semi-centralized Swegon Gold RXF HRVs deliver excellent airflow to the student quarters, augmented by operable windows and regulated by exposed thermal mass.

The glazed aluminum curtainwalls, exterior sun control devices, and interior aluminum framed storefronts and doors by Phoenix Glass provide abundant natural light and a visual connection to the outside.

ALEX MINARD ARCHITECT AIBC, MRAIC, CPHD, LEED AP BD+C IS PRINCIPAL AT PERKINS&WILL, VANCOUVER.

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The Narrows

Experience hones understanding of details

By Scott Kennedy and Simon Richards

Located in the Hastings Sunrise neighbourhood of Vancouver, The Narrows is a six-storey mixed-use building with 48 residential rental suites in conventional wood frame construction over 225 sq. m of commercial uses in a concrete podium. It is located just one block east of The Heights, another mixed-use building which in 2018 became the first Passive House certified project to be completed by Cornerstone Architecture.  The Narrows has been recognized by the Province as a Clean BC Net-Zero Energy-Ready Challenge Winner.

Unlike The Heights, which is located on a corner, The Narrows has zero lot line setbacks on both the east and west sides, with its south façade on busy Hastings Street, and its north façade facing a commercial lane. From a Passive House perspective, the site is a challenging one, as the lane is almost two storeys higher than the street. As well as planning complexity, this creates issues around thermal bridging, the extent and detailing of the airtight envelope, and the transition between the parkade and the occupied portion of the building.

Additional massing complexity was generated by setback steps in the building section, in part responding to City zoning guidelines (of note, the City is recognizing this issue and is moving to allow simpler massing forms). The Narrows achieves a form factor of 0.47; higher than that for The Heights (which was 0.42) but still within the range that can meet Passive House energy standards. The zero lot line condition on the two sides necessitated an innovative solution to achieve the required levels of air tightness, insulation, minimized thermal bridging, as well as providing required fire ratings.

On the ground floor, which is at basement level relative to the lane, there are two retail units. The transition from the parking area includes a vestibule with doors at either end. The vestibule prevents the infiltration of carbon monoxide from the parking garage to the occupied spaces of the building. With the low air change rates required in Passive House buildings, ensuring the quality of incoming air is critical. 

Elevators connect a cold parkade to a warm building. At The Heights, the inside of the elevator shaft was lined with insulation; at The Narrows the outside of the shaft was insulated. Where the concrete podium extends beyond the upper floors, thermal bridging is again an issue.  At The Heights, the solution was to create a double slab with insulation between the layers; at The Narrows, the insulation was simply extended out beyond the building enclosure. Even with well-considered and conscientious detailing, it is impossible to eliminate thermal bridging entirely.  In large buildings, these deficiencies are manageable, as their impact can be minimal when considering the performance of the whole building.

The wall framing is generally conventional; the front and rear assembly comprises a 2×8 load-bearing external section with an internal 2×3 framed service layer – both with insulated cavities. The intelligent combined air/vapour barrier is installed in a protected position between the two. This membrane needs to be construction-sequenced around the outside of the floor perimeter for continuity.

Project Credits

  • Owner/Developer  Steiner Properties
  • Architect  Cornerstone Architecture
  • Project Manager  ADM Management
  • Construction Manager  Scott Construction Group
  • CP/Code Consultant  Camphora Engineering
  • Structural Engineer Weiler Smith Bowers
  • Mechanical/ Electrical Engineer  Smith + Andersen
  • Geotechnical Engineer  Terrane Group
  • Civil Engineer  Webster Engineering
  • Building Envelope Engineer 
  • Aqua-Coast Engineering
  • Interior Design  Port + Quarter
  • Landscape Architect  Forma Design td.
  • Photos Luke Han Architect AIBC

The zero lot line conditions on two sides required innovative solutions to achieve the required levels of air tightness, minimized thermal bridging, and fire ratings. Varsa Windows & Doors provided Passive-certified UPVC windows and doors for the project, contributing to the high energy-efficiency performance of the envelope.

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WINDERMERE FIRE STATION No.31

Canada’s first net-zero fire station features sweeping PV array

Windermere Fire Station No. 31 is located in southwest Edmonton in a rapidly expanding neighbourhood. The project is the City of Edmonton’s first net-zero building, achieved through a comprehensive passive design approach and a combination of solar arrays, geothermal heating and cooling.

he 1,520 sq.m facility has bays for three fire engines as well as offices, sleeping quarters and dining areas for a crew of up to 12 firefighters.  The post-disaster, non-combustible, sprinklered building will also act as a community centre in the event of an emergency. To underpin this role, it also has a dedicated room to support  the many community drives in which the department is involved.

Design Approach

As civic buildings, fire stations are highly functional and technical facilities, usually embedded in residential communities for citizen safety. At once practical and symbolic, contemporary fire stations serve a critical public service while conveying important civic values within a neighbourhood.

The design challenge was to create an expressive and engaging structure that would encourage community pride and incorporate technical advances in environmental performance.

The City of Edmonton requested a highly sustainable project that would generate on-site renewable energy equal to 100% of the total building energy demand. The facility must also have an energy performance that is 40% more efficient than NECB 2011, yield 40% less green house gas emissions than the baseline using NECB 2011, and operate at no more than 80 kilowatt-hours per square metre per year for heating needs.

The project site was unbuilt and unremarkable – essentially a blank slate. The station’s form was derived from a desire to underscore both the iconic image of a fire station as a community anchor, and a contemporary imperative for sustainable citizenship. A typical fire station might have been characterized by familiar signatures such as a pitched roof, large fire truck doors, a hose and bell tower, and solid and heavy load-bearing walls.

Windermere adheres to those principles, however, it re-imagines the hose and bell tower form – now redundant elements – with a gently curving, south-facing roof, outfitted with an extensive array of photovoltaic panels.

Other strategies to increase environmental performance include the building’s southern orientation which reduces energy demand by improving the quality of light received in the workplace. A geothermal heating and cooling system is also incorporated. The building is extremely well-insulated and includes high-performance windows and exterior doors.

Edited by SABMag editor Jim Taggart from material created by the project team.

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CENTENNIAL COLLEGE: A-BUILDING EXPANSION

LEED Gold, net-zero carbon, and WELL certifications signify huge commitment to sustainability

By Craig Applegath

Established in 1966, Centennial College of Applied Arts & Technology is the oldest publicly funded college in Ontario.  A-Building is situated on the Progress Campus in Scarborough, about 25km east of Downtown Toronto.

The city of Toronto is located on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many different First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. This contributes to the cultural diversity of Centennial College; whose faculty and students speak more than 80 different languages.

Context and Concept

Centennial College envisioned its A Building Expansion as a living embodiment of Chief R.

Stacey Laforme’s inspirational book Living in the Tall Grass: Poems of Reconciliation.  The design response to this challenge is a celebration of the Mi’kmaq concept of “Two-Eyed Seeing” which harmonizes Indigenous wisdom and Western perspectives. 

The A-Building Expansion, which houses the School of Engineering Technology and Applied Science programs completes the truncated corner of the site, forming a gateway into the campus. A new urban edge & landscaped area planted with biologically indigenous plant species enhances the public realm.

The prominent north & west facades act as a tool for storytelling, visually symbolizing the aspirations of the institution. Designed to embody the Indigenous concepts of the four-colour medicine wheel and the seven directions, the building also visually signals the coming together of Indigenous and Western aesthetics.

Program

The A Building Expansion sits lightly on the land, and is aligned with the four cardinal directions. The main entrance opens to the East, echoing the traditional approach of a longhouse. In this six storey structure, the lower three floors contain flexible and accessible classrooms, labs, informal learning spaces and food services; while the upper three floors contain flexible workspaces for Faculty and Staff specifically planned for collaboration and student engagement. The building also surrounds an exterior courtyard that serves as an outdoor classroom for teaching in the round. Designed for inclusivity, the facility also incorporates universal Washrooms, lactation rooms, and a multi-faith space to meet the needs of all occupants.

Structure, Form and Materials

The ground floor structure is cast-in-place concrete, above which are five storeys of glulam post and beam construction, with CLT floor panels with concrete topping. Much of the mass timber structure is left exposed.

The geometry of the exterior envelope is inspired by the underlying structure in indigenous arts and craft, animal skins and the shingling of traditional haudenosaunee longhouses.  The cladding combines parallelogram and trapezoidal shingled aluminum wall panels in combination with composite wood veneer wall panels, which wrap the building mass and administration floors at the upper levels.  The envelope of the classroom block complements and balances the architectural form, grounding the building through the west of the site. It is clad in large and elegant anthracite grey solid phenolic wall panels.

Large areas of triple glazed aluminum framed curtain wall reveal the underlying wood structure, exposing student, staff and faculty life while alluding to the drawing back of the skins over a traditional Haudenosaunee wigwam frame in response to seasonal temperature changes. 

Interior Design

Internally, the plan is organized along Wisdom Hall, a highly transparent, 4-storey diagonal atrium space for user engagement & study zones with a grand stair that ascends from the East entrance toward the West, lined with Indigenous stories

Entering the building from the East, students ascend the grand stair, animating the main spine of the building through a series of informal learning spaces designed to facilitate spontaneous conversation and the sharing of ideas.

Reaching the top at Level 3, the stair culminates at a large Student hub and café that showcase Indigenous food offerings, allowing students to experience Indigenous culture through its cuisine.

The main circulation corridor along Wisdom Hall features acoustic wood ceiling baffles that undulate to represent the flow of water, a key element that is richly woven through Indigenous stories, customs, and heritage. On each side of the baffles, commissioned artwork tells a Creation Story. Students may learn the story of the Anishinaabe as they walk West to class and the story of Haudenosaunee on their return towards the East.

The cladding combines parallelogram and trapezoidal shingled aluminum wall panels in combination with composite wood veneer wall panels. Tremco supplied all of the roofing products.

Project Performance

  • Energy intensity (building and process energy) = 106 KWhr/m²/year
  • ANNUAL ON-SITE RENEWABLE ENERGY EXPORTED = 69,000 kWh/year
  • ANNUAL NET ENERGY USE INTENSITY = 98 kWh/year
  • Energy savings relative to OBC SB-10 reference building = 40%
  • Annual Energy Cost (ECI) = $14/m²/year

Project Credits

  • Owner/Developer  Centennial College
  • Architect  DIALOG Architects and Smoke Architecture Project Manager  Colliers
  • Design/Build Contractor Ellis Don
  • Landscape Architect  Vertechs Design
  • Civil Engineer Walter Fedy
  • Mechanical & Electrical Engineer  Smith + Andersen
  • Structural Engineer  RJC Engineers
  • Photos  James Brittain

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