Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/177297
storey biowall. "It removes pollutants from the air," he explains, adding that it's "part of the return air system of the building." Visitors take it as "a dramatic symbol of the university's commitment to sustainability." Michael Blackman takes another view on oversizing. "Can you take a school building and recognize that the library, a heavy load, might end up somewhere else?" asks the chair of the sustainable design group at Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd. "We want the structure of the building to last a long time – long life, loose fit. The structure should not interfere with moveable elements such as piping, lighting, or partition walls." That's why Blackman suggests optimizing the structural design to accommodate future uses. "It makes the building more flexible," he says. "Buildings need to be ready to accommodate other loads like solar, green roofs and changes in occupancy." "The incremental cost in original construction is very small. It's less than the error in bidding and far less than upgrading and renovating the structure in the future." The Old Main Building at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, B.C. needed 40,000 more square feet of space and it had to meet a new seismic code. The Diamond + Schmitt team decided on an unusual approach. They figured that the 400-foot-long, 84-footwide building, which houses the Faculty of Law, could accommodate a second storey and that upgrades to meet the seismic code could be made on the interior. They're accomplishing this using prefabricated timber panels in a "design that echoes the undulating hills surrounding Kamloops," says Leckman. Timber "is a harvestable product," he continues, "and the energy that's expended between the forest and installation is the lowest embodied energy of any construction Thompson Rivers University Faculty of Law, Kamloops, BC: Prefab timber panels create the distinctive undulating second-storey roof line. Courtesy Diamond + Schmitt Architects. material available to us for building structures." Approaching changes in building codes "are encouraging the use of timber in buildings taller than previously permitted," Leckman notes. On the retrofit side, "we're seeing major constructors team up with engineers and architects to approach building owners to propose an audit on their buildings," Bolus says. "After the audit, they will tell owners what measures they can take that would be most effective and what the payback periods would be." "With existing buildings, achieving gains in 'sustainability' measurements is usually more of a forensics exercise," adds Keenan. "We seldom strike gold with a single improvement. Usually, we make a lot of incremental improvements across many systems, and it's not until we add them up that we see the degree of improvement we've achieved." Unfortunately, there's a Prius-versus-SUV marketing battle to wage for greener buildings. Banelis, for instance, points out the struggle between the optimal (Prius) building envelope 60-40 opaque-window split and a market infatuated with (SUV) wall-to-ceiling windows on their condo units. "It's hard to sell a building without floor-to-ceiling glazing," he says. "It's inherently bad design, in terms of energy usage and comfort. Yet everybody wants a fantastic view out over the city." "The window industry needs to step up and produce better windows," adds Larry Adams, principal for Neale Staniszkis Doll Adams. In the absence of better windows, Banelis looks to beautiful European mid-and low-rise buildings while admitting the esthetic doesn't transfer as easily to Market forces Karis Place - More Than A Roof, 2012 SAB Awards, Canadian Green Building Award Winner. 201-134 Abbott St., Vancouver BC, Canada V6B 2K4 T: 604.669.1926 RESIDENTIAL • SPECIAL NEEDS • CIVIC • COMMERCIAL MIXED-USE • SENIORS • HEALTHC ARE Green building design p12-19GreenBuilding.indd 15 december 2012 /15 11/16/12 3:18 PM