THE ANNUAL GUIDE:
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.
Reclaiming the value held in buildings
By Brenda Martens
Design for Disassembly and Adaptability (DfD/A) is an approach that facilitates dismantling a product or building at its end-of-use, enabling the recovery of components and materials intact, to facilitate their use in subsequent applications, including complete reassembly. The goal of DfD/A is to keep materials in their highest use for as long as possible.
Historical Highlights
The concept of DfD/A in permanent buildings isn’t new. Indeed, there were industrious (and perhaps morally suspect) parishioners in the 1500’s in Appenzell, a canton in the Swiss Confederacy, constructing homes on their lots, taking advantage of the free lumber from the church-owned forests offered to the congregation for this purpose, then disassembling these houses to sell to others, to be relocated and reassembled on a new site.
Even earlier, in Japan, techniques for carpentry (Miyadaiku) allowed for the removal and replacement of the wooden elements of construction. The dismantling, repairing or replacing, and reassembling of the timber parts has resulted in some wooden temples standing for centuries, largely replaced in place. The Hōryū-ji temple, over 1,300 years old, is the oldest standing wooden structure. After many restorations, only roughly a fifth of the original materials remain.
Canadian Context
Closer to home and our own time, the C.K. Choi Building at UBC (’96) is a striking early and influential project that demonstrated circular design principles. Under the direction of architects Joanne Perdue and Eva Matsuzaki and structural engineers Diana Klein and Gilbert Raynard, the project aspired to, and succeeded in incorporating salvaged heavy timber from the Armoury Building next door that was slated for demolition.
The Armoury, built in 1941 and used for military training in World War II, was repurposed after the war by UBC for registration, sessional examinations, graduation ceremonies and other assemblies but no longer fit with campus master plans. It provided approximately two thirds of the CK Choi’s structure, but only after the structural engineers had regraded all of the salvaged timber appropriate to its future use, with the knowledge of where it would be used in the new building, overruling the lumber grader’s previous conservative grading.
Brenda Martens, OBC, B.Sc., LEED FellowBCIT faculty and developer of the Applied Circular Economy: Zero Waste Buildings microcredential. with courses on Design for Disassembly, Deconstruction Management and Construction Material Flows. www.bcit.ca/ZeroWasteBuildings
New school a harmonious fusion of education and nature
In partnership with Leclerc Architects, Montreal-based Pelletier de Fontenay has recently completed École du Zénith in Schefford, QC, a project resulting from a series of competitions launched by Lab-École in 2019. Being the first school architecture competition since the 1960s, this major project marks a turning point in Quebec’s educational landscape, renewing the program, organization, and way of building elementary schools in the province.
In partnership with Leclerc Architects, Montreal-based Pelletier de Fontenay has recently completed École du Zénith in Schefford, QC, a project resulting from a series of competitions launched by Lab-École in 2019. Being the first school architecture competition since the 1960s, this major project marks a turning point in Quebec’s educational landscape, renewing the program, organization, and way of building elementary schools in the province.
Project Credits
Edited by Jim Taggart from text supplied by the project team.
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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
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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By Tracy Dacko
As our energy codes become more and more stringent, thermal breaks are increasingly important to prevent condensation and mould, reduce heat loss through envelope penetrations, lower energy costs and reduce carbon emissions.
Among the most critical locations to address this concern is at projecting balconies, where cantilevered slabs were traditionally a major contributor to the overall thermal bridging through the envelope. The introduction of structural thermal break systems has prompted a resurgence of interest in balconies, which are once again a prominent feature of many buildings.
A striking recent example of this trend is Sonder Maisonneuve, an upscale extended stay hotel at 1500 Maisonneuve in downtown Montréal. Completed in the fall of 2021, the project team included Le Groupe Architex, Pomerleau Construction, L2C Structural Engineers, and Desjardins Experts Conseils, a mechanical, electrical and civil engineering firm. The building is owned by Prime Properties and operated by Sonder, an international hospitality company.
Performance Goals and Strategies
The Team instituted a suite of sustainability measures in advance of new requirements set by the National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings (NECB) 2015 and ahead of Montréal’s 46-point action plan established in 2016 targeting carbon-neutrality by 2050.
Changes to the NECB include such measures as monitoring electricity use, lighting power density reduction, air ventilation heat recovery, and continuous insulation of the building envelope. In the case of Sonder Maisonneuve, this included insulating exterior walls to R25, and insulating wraparound balconies on 17 floors using 1600m (5,248 ft) of structural thermal breaks.
Mechanical and electrical efficiencies were achieved in part using condensing hydronic boilers with 96% efficiency for central domestic hot water distribution throughout the building. Each apartment is fitted with energy recovery air exchangers for fresh air requirements. For common areas such as corridors, fresh air comes from a gas-fired high-efficiency modulating air handling unit on the roof.
An underground garage ventilation system controls CO/NOx from car exhaust with in-line fans dedicated to each CO/NOx sensor, saving energy by reducing how often the main exhaust fans and fresh air louvres turn on. HVAC serving the 156 dwelling units is provided by high efficiency variable refrigerant volume heat pumps located on the roof. The heat pumps produce heat with a coefficient of performance for heating of 2.8 at an exterior temperature of -8o C. For cooling they provide a seasonal efficiency rating of 17.
Thwarting thermal bridging at wraparound balconies
The 156 furnished studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments feature floor-to-ceiling double-glazed window walls leading onto continuous balconies that encircle the building. While visually striking, the 2,788 m2 (30,000 sq. ft.) of balconies and 1,600 linear metres (5,248 ft) of window walls posed a risk of thermal bridging, particularly where the concrete floor slabs penetrate the insulated building envelope. With relative humidity of 40-50% typical for occupant comfort, the design team was concerned not only that thermal bridging would cause heat loss but, given Montreal’s extremely cold winters, that condensation could potentially form within the window wall, or other chilled interior cavities adjacent to the balcony connections, leading to mould growth.
Tracy Dacko, Marketing Manager, Schöck North America.
Photos: Sonder Masionneuve Hotel. Photo courtesy Pomerleau.
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An Industry Strategy for Limiting Carbon Emissions
By Alfredo Carrato
When it comes to limiting the amount of carbon emissions globally responsible for advancing climate change, the construction sector has a substantial role to play. Overall, construction is responsible for more than one-tenth of total carbon emissions around the world, and a large portion of this carbon footprint comes from the manufacturing of building materials such as cement, the second-most consumed material in the world after water.
However, the past decade or so has seen significant advancements in methodologies for reducing carbon emissions in the cement production process. One of the most promising and rapidly growing methodologies is called Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS), representing a suite of technologies designed to prevent the carbon dioxide that manufacturing processes produce from going into the atmosphere.
Several leading organizations, such as the International Energy Agency, the International Renewable Energy Agency, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, have released long-term initiatives that rely on the expansion of CCUS to limit the global temperature rise to just 1.5 degrees Celsius. The IEA has also cited CCUS among the most cost-effective options for the decarbonization of carbon-heavy industries, many of which operate across the construction value chain.
Before outlining the specific CCUS methodologies that are gaining real momentum today, it’s important to clarify exactly how it works and the various ways it promises to lower the carbon impact of cement production.
Carbon emissions are an unavoidable byproduct of traditional cement production. This is because a core component of Portland cement – the most widely used cement today – is limestone. When this mineral is heated, the carbon trapped inside the limestone is usually released.
CCUS allows cement manufacturers to capture this carbon byproduct from points of emission within the manufacturing facilities or directly from the air. Such captured emissions can then be safely stored underground in geological formations, injected into concrete to strengthen it, or used to make other valuable products.
Though CCUS has only gained widespread attention fairly recently, the technology has been achieving real results for several decades. In 1996, the first large-scale CCS project was commissioned at the Sleipner offshore gas facility in Norway. At Sleipner and Snøhvit, another leading project in Norway, over 20 million tons of CO2 have been safely stored to date.
Today, more than 30 cement CCUS projects are in different development stages worldwide, the majority of which are based in Europe. In the United States, the U.S. Department of Energy is currently conducting feasibility studies for multiple projects in California, Colorado, Texas, Missouri and Indiana, among others. However, much of the CCUS progress worldwide is taking place at the startup level, often thanks to collaborations with sustainability-focused venture capital firms.
In England, a startup called Carbon Clean has developed proprietary technology that captures carbon emissions from the flue gas that gets released through a cement plant’s smokestack. The technology is currently in use at cement facilities in several countries such as India and more recently Germany, where the goal is to standardize carbon capture and achieve cost-competitive carbon neutrality across so-called hard to abate industries before 2030.
This is just one of the myriad CCUS-related startups that has garnered considerable venture funding as of late, which reflects the increasing prioritization of sustainability in the global construction sector.
The biggest drawbacks to CCUS are the high upfront capital costs for the equipment to separate the carbon, the high energy costs of keeping the equipment running, and the costs related to transportation and safe storage of the captured CO2. According to a recent report from the U.S. Department of Energy, to cover these expenses a cement manufacturing organization would need to spend another $22 to $55 for every metric ton of cement produced.
Alfredo Carrato is a trained architect, BIM enthusiast and college professor who scouts for breakthrough decarbonization technologies for the construction industry. As an Investment and Open Innovation Advisor, he oversees investment activities and partnerships at Cemex Ventures, with a focus on tackling the carbon footprint challenge of the construction sector.
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By Passive House Canada CEO, Chris Ballard Passive House Canada is happy to introduce the annual Passive House issue of SABMag which profiles recently completed Passive House-certified projects from across the country.
We are in overlapping climate, housing, and affordability crises and we must turn to the construction industry to help build and retrofit our way out. But would you turn to an industry that has been notoriously slow to digitize, lagging almost every other sector? Whose productivity underperformed the rest of the economy? What if I told you that the tides are turning, and the construction industry is on the brink of a technological revolution that could redefine our approach to sustainable, high-performance buildings?
THE LONG OVERDUE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION – In 2016, McKinsey ranked the construction industry as second last to digitize, only ahead of agriculture. For two decades, global labour-productivity growth in construction averaged a mere one percent a year, compared to 2.8 percent for the world economy and 3.6 percent in manufacturing.
Canada’s construction productivity also lagged significantly. Even more concerning, Canada’s construction industry faces a severe labour shortage, with an 80,000-position vacancy rate in 2022 and an aging workforce that will require 245,100 new workers over the next decade. Without significant innovation, the sector has been stuck in the past, but perhaps we are witnessing that start of a seismic shift.
In 2019, venture capital investment in Construction Technology (ConTech) outpaced non-construction funding by a factor of 15. Parts of the industry are finally embracing multi-service platforms, 3-D printing, modularization, robotics, digital-twin technology, artificial intelligence, and analytics. But is this enough to help solve our overlapping crises?
CUTTING CARBON EMISSIONS WITH BETTER DATA – Climate change is a pressing issue, and the construction industry is a significant contributor to carbon emissions. In 2019, the building sector accounted for 12.5 percent of Canada’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, primarily from burning fossil fuels for heating (18 percent with electricity included). When the impact of construction, materials and waste is included, the number is much larger.
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and Lifecycle Assessments (LCAs) are both critical digital tools for an evolving construction industry to evaluate systematically the environmental impact of building materials and processes. An EPD is a standardized document that provides specific environmental data of a product based on predetermined parameters.
EPDs are generally derived from LCAs. An LCA is a comprehensive analysis that evaluates the environmental impacts associated with all the stages of a product’s life—from raw material extraction through materials processing, manufacture, distribution, use, repair and maintenance, and disposal or recycling.
LCAs and EPDs work in tandem to provide comprehensive and standardized data on the environmental impact of materials and processes. This data enables architects, engineers, and builders to make informed decisions on material selection, design, and construction methods, thereby optimizing for both reduced carbon emissions and resource efficiency.
The standardized nature of EPDs also facilitates the reuse and recycling of building components, contributing to a more circular economy in construction.
Innovations like AI and machine learning could further amplify the effectiveness of EPDs and LCAs, enabling more dynamic, data-driven decision-making in construction.
These technological advancements not only promise to make the industry more efficient but also pave the way for a more sustainable and circular economy in construction.
ADVANCING HIGH-PERFORMANCE PREFABRICATION – Prefabrication is not new, its adoption has been slow in North America, but signs point toward change.
Total revenue in the North American market for prefabrication and modular-construction real estate projects grew by a factor of 2.4 from 2015-2018, rising from $2 to $4.9 billion. Prefabricated buildings encompass a range of construction methods, including modular, panelized, precut, structural insulated panels (SIPs), hybrid systems, and 3D printing. They offer a multi-faceted solution to some of the construction industry’s most pressing challenges. Built off-site, they enable greater efficiency and reduced waste, contributing to significant reductions in both embodied and operational carbon emissions. Prefabrication also fosters a circular economy by enabling waste reduction, component reuse, and design adaptability. Additionally, the mass production approach of prefab buildings leads to cost efficiency, reduced labour costs, and faster build times, enhancing affordability and predictability.
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By Charles Marshall, Gerry Doering, Bahaa Al Neama, DIALOG
Deep green retrofits represent a critical component of the building industry’s response to climate change. Mobilization across the public and private sectors is necessary to meet national targets for carbon reduction. This project represents a visionary and scalable model for how private buildings can be retrofitted to save energy, reduce carbon, and increase community wellbeing through healthy building strategies and public realm enhancements.
HSBC Bank Place occupies a prominent corner in downtown Edmonton at 103rd Avenue and 101st Street. The building was originally constructed in 1980. By 2017, although the tower still demonstrated some excellent qualities, including excellent urban connectivity and a structure that was built to last, the property was ready for re-investment.
During the initial planning and investigation phases, it was determined that the property was a great candidate for a revitalization and deep green retrofit. Integrated workshops and collaboration between owner, developer, contractor and the design team revealed that an ambitious project scope including re-cladding, replacement of major building systems, and the integration of ‘smart’ building controls could save substantial energy and carbon while materially increasing the property’s attractiveness to tenants.
Across Canada and globally, the need to rapidly reduce GHG emissions creates a strong imperative to decarbonize the buildings sector. This project provides a unique and inspirational model for how this can be accomplished in a commercial context, demonstrating that there is a business case for healthy, low-carbon, and intelligent ‘smart’ buildings.
RETROFIT STRATEGIES
The revitalization project included a complete re-cladding of the tower with the installation of a new, thermally broken triple-glazed curtainwall system and associated upgrades to other building envelope sections. This envelope replacement dramatically improved thermal insulation values, reduced air leakage, increased occupant comfort, and reduced heating and cooling loads.
HVAC systems were completely replaced, with an old inefficient overhead VAV system giving way to a new dedicated outdoor air system connected to local fan coil units with demand-controlled ventilation. Lighting was replaced with new high-efficiency, all-LED fixtures connected to advanced controls for occupancy and daylight modulation.
Technology also plays an important part in the strategy for repositioning, revitalization, and targeting of deep reductions in energy, GHG, and utility expenditure. Systems that are typically separated, including HVAC, lighting, access control, building management, intercom, and video, were connected to an integrated backbone and delivered as one single solution. The result is a highly intelligent building with smart systems for security, communications, tenant experience, and energy tracking. Tenants can access amenities such as parking and the wellness centre using only their cell phones. In 2020, the project was awarded a WiredScore Platinum certification.
The project scope also included a renewal of the streetscape and landscaping, replacing the aged exterior and minimal public realm with planters, furniture, and space dedicated to socialization and relaxation. The specific context, opportunities, options, and outcomes for the project were evaluated through a lens of community wellbeing, seeking goals and measures that could provide impact outside of the project site area and contribute to the rejuvenation of the downtown.
The result is a property that is completely revitalized and repositioned in the local marketplace. Higher ceilings, more daylight, improved temperature control, and better ventilation air quality contribute to a healthier work environment and position the property to compete with new, modern office towers in downtown Edmonton.
Project Team
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