Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1506758
86 | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 3 P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E S Y U N I V ER S I T Y O F TO RO N TO S C A R B O RO U G H Passive House Student Residence – University of Toronto Scarborough Moelis goes on to note that "the facade is articulated using three colours of standing seam metal cladding that acts as a rainscreen, fastened with thermally broken clips. Behind the waterproofing and exterior sheathing there is mineral wool insulation, and then the interior sheathing and vapour barrier. All seams are carefully taped. The window frames are thermally broken and infilled with triple low-e glazing. "The variation in colour and width of the facade material masks the regu- lar spacing of the windows, allowing the facade to read as a whole rather than a regularly punctured surface." Michael Faustini, project director with Pomerleau, says that in addition to the main challenge on the project of the Passive House learning curve, under- taking this build amid the pandemic (construction began in July of 2020), presented additional challenges, including the implementation of strict COVID measures on site and dealing with market effects of the lockdowns. But with creative solutions these challenges were overcome. "We antic- ipated potential price increases that would have been a problem as we were in a fixed price contract, so we ordered equipment as early as we could," he says. Pomerleau also relied on energy modelling with enclosure specialist RDH Building Science to ensure that PH criteria was being met: "We had to pay very close attention to the details of the envelope," Faustini says. "RDH guided us, conducting interim check- points along the way." Pomerleau enhanced the learn- ing experience by building a 10 foot by 25 foot on site mockup of the enve- lope, "so the precise construction process was clear to all parties prior to final installation. The mockup was big enough to include a window and frame, and since the envelope covered about 80 percent of the building exte- rior it was extremely important we understood how it would be built." As for the mechanical systems, a pit in the basement was created to cap- ture hot water from the showers and use it as a heat source; the heat from the cafeteria kitchen was also cap- tured and reused. Passive House Student Residence will welcome its first round of stu- dents in September, and Moelis says, "This project will demonstrate that passive house design is possible at a very large scale." Faustini says, "This was a very positive learning experience, and the knowledge we gained was useful as Toronto constantly advances its green standards." Arifuzzaman says, "The design is what we hoped it would be, the archi- tecture is very strong. We wanted to give our students a great first year experience, and the fact that we can do this through a sustainable building is something we are proud of." A Lear Construction.indd 1 Lear Construction.indd 1 2023-04-26 11:26 2023-04-26 11:26 Image Credit: Handel Architects Designing Living Systems. Transforming Built Environments. introba.com Proud to be part of one of North America's largest Passive House projects, University of Toronto's new Student Residence. Looking for past digital issues? Click on the folder icon in the task bar anytime you're viewing the current issue on your computer or mobile device. Other inquiries? Publisher | Dan Chapman 604.473.0316