Dedicated to sustainable,
high performance building

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Project Performance

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

Project Credits

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

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

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

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

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

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Technical Award

The Putman Family YWCA, Hamilton, ON

Jury Comment: “This precast concrete structure is a great example of an industry adapting to the challenges it faces in regard to sustainability. Creating a high performance building that is quick to construct and has a long service life is in itself commendable; that the building also serves the most vulnerable sectors of our community makes its contribution all the more valuable.”

This project is Hamilton’s first affordable housing residence for women and children, prioritizing those from Indigenous and marginalized groups. The six-storey building comprises five floors of apartments above a ground floor podium. The podium, flanked by a community garden, includes a gathering space, an Innovation Centr and health and wellness programming for seniors.

Architecturally, the intent was to reflect the tradition of Hamilton as a Steel Town and to use local materials and manufacturers where possible. The brick clad podium reflects the scale and materiality of the neighbourhood, connecting the community programming with the street.

The pursuit of Passive House certification is consistent with supportive housing projects across the country, as it significantly reduces operating costs, while providing a high level of indoor environmental quality for residents. These attributes align with the YWCA’s core mission to provide comfortable, healthy, secure, resilient, and safe housing for women.

Construction Approach

In taking on PH design standards, the client wished to pursue a factory-built solution to reduce the uncertainties still associated with a high-performance building. At this scale, the project team was most comfortable with a modular precast concrete solution.

Analysis concluded that a factory-built concrete building could significantly reduce embodied carbon when compared with that of conventional cast-in-place. Hollowcore prestressed floor elements reduced the depth to span ratio, minimizing the volume (and hence weight) of concrete per unit of floor area.   All precast concrete and steel elements were manufactured in Hamilton.

The building uses a total precast system with a sandwich panel forming the Passive House compliant thermal, air-tight, structural, weathering, and aesthetic façade in one factory-built component.  Using locally manufactured precast concrete reduced the use of traditional formwork, auxiliary elements, and waste.

In turn, factory prefabrication reduced erection times and required only a single crane and a flat bed truck. As a result, truck idling, traffic congestion, construction site emissions and site lighting requirements were all reduced; as were noise, pollution and other environmental impacts on the surrounding community.

The building is a prefabricated total precast concrete construction, including the exterior finishes as seen with the “corduroy” dark slate textured precast concrete finish on the north and west elevations. SIGA membranes and tapes contribute to the integrity of the air barrier.

Project Credits

  • Owner/Developer  YWCA Hamilton
  • Architect  Kearns Mancini Architects Inc.
  • General contractor  Schilthuis Construction Inc.
  • Civil engineer  RJC Engineers
  • Structural Engineer  RJC Engineers
  • Precast Concrete  Coreslab Structures Photos Kearns Mancini Architects Inc. & Co.

Project Performance

  • Energy Intensity 95 KWhr/m2/year
  • The building is Passive House certified
  • Construction materials diverted from landfill  70%
  • Recycled materials content by value  4.75 %
  • Regional materials by value  60%

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