Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/177525
PHOTO COURTESY KASIAN ARCHITECTURE to accommodate two water systems – one that uses collected rainwater and stormwater for toilets, and the other, which uses potable water for drinking. "This cuts water consumption from the city water supply by 40 per cent. The storage capacity has to be substantial because it doesn't rain much in winter," says Cantor. The envelope has triple glazing for windows and spandrels, eliminating the need for perimeter heating. The fan-coil system includes an average of 78 units per floor. Cantor notes that the absence of perimeter heating frees up an extra 550 square feet per floor on a rectangular floor plate of 25,000 square feet. The rectangular floor plate allows for a shorter distance – 35 to 40 feet – between building core and the envelope, which in turn, enables lots of natural light to reach the core area. "The design and orientation of the building is to maximize light all year. The building has a strong south-facing exposure," says Christiaan Odinga, an associate at Kasian Architecture Interior Design & Planning Ltd. and lead designer for the Epcor Tower. The tower is one of a handful in Canada that uses earth tubes for pre-warming and pre-cooling ventilation, so that air is always drawn in to the main fan room at six degrees Celsius, regardless of temperatures outside. The push to energy efficiency has resulted in one two unique structural components. "The balconies are a little unusual. They are steel, which allows for a big load with a smaller profile. A steel beam runs from outside to inside but where steel beams connect to band beams. Some have thermal breaks, while others do not due to strength issues. Insulation was used to reduce thermal transference," says Andy Smith, senior structural engineer for the project at AECOM Canada Ltd. One of the complicating aspects of the construction process stemmed from a light rail transit (LRT) easement. "We had to construct a tunnel for the LRT under the building about 20 metres below grade. It involved some challenges with sequencing," says Mike Roper, senior project manager with Ledcor Construction Ltd. The tower sits on a 2.3-metre-deep raft slab, which used about 4,000 cubic metres of concrete. "But the slab had to be set lower to accommodate the tunnel," says Roper. That created a void between part of the slab and the P4 level. Instead of back-filling this space with soil, a stormwater storage tank was built. ■ LOCATION 10423 101 Street Edmonton, Alberta OWNER Station Lands Ltd. DEVELOPER Qualico ARCHITECT Kasian Architecture Interior Design & Planning Ltd. CONSTRUCTION MANAGER Ledcor Construction Ltd. STRUCTURAL/MECHANICAL/ ELECTRICAL/CIVIL CONSULTANT AECOM Canada Ltd. GEOTECHNICAL CONSULTANT Thurber Engineering Ltd. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT EIDOS Consultants LEED COMMISSIONING Stantec TOTAL AREA 625,500 square feet CONSTRUCTION COST $250 million Proud to be the flooring and ceramic tile contractor for EPCOR Tower. #100, 17878 - 106 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T5S 1V4 Peter R. Zeller Zelco Painting Ltd. Office: 604-574-0621 | Fax: 604-574-0695 zelcopainting.ca | info@zelcopainting.ca Proud to be the painting contractor for Burnaby Central Secondary School. Congratulations DGS Construction on a job well done! 58/ FEBRUARY 2012 p.54-61Epcor_Burnaby.indd 58 EPCOR Tower 1/23/12 10:38:41 AM