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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