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December 2013

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Jim Pattison Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Building Technologies and Renewable Energy Conservation at Okanagan College. Rendering courtesy CEI Architecture. 83 per cent and 63 per cent, respectively) she says that, relative to the National Model Construction Code, these should result in energy cost savings of 48 per cent. Whether the project involves a state-of-the-art research facility or an energy-efficiency retrofit on the Lower Mainland, involving stakeholders in the process is critical. "[When it comes to] the mechanical design, people might need to be informed of the leasing options that are planned for a new office high-rise. For example, there are [mechanical] implications if an open-plan floor is available in halves [of the entire floor] or not. It's important to communicate the design intent to contractors and other consultants," says Michael Blackman, a project engineer and sustainability adviser at Read Jones Christoffersen. Despite an often discouraging environment for cutting-edge green design – except where owneroperators stand to save dollars over the long haul by building smart – demand is starting to help. "Developers, building to sell condos or even to hold and rent, have started to realize in the last five years that there's a market for better buildings," says Derek Neale, a principal at NSDA Architects. Some buildings, like hospitals, can hardly avoid a sizable environmental footprint, says Brent Whiteley, VP at Parkin Architects Limited. But with a host of measures drawn from the green-building playbook, including roof gardens, esthetically attractive but mold-resistant materials like Prodema, low or zero VOC carpets and furnishings, daylighting and occupancy "We call it LEED on steroids." – Richard Bolus, partner, CEI Architecture. sensors, such buildings can address patient and staff comfort and tilt toward sustainability, he says. In the education sector, many buildings are being constructed to net-zero energy and water consumption standards. The new Jim Pattison Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Building Technologies and Renewable Energy Conservation at Okanagan College was designed for teaching sustainable construction practices to people learning trades, site management and other constructionrelated skills. It is built with an aim to receive the Living Building Challenge certification. "We call it LEED on steroids," says Richard Bolus, a partner at CEI Architecture, architects for the Centre of Excellence. Work on another front could prove more controversial. The Canadian Wood Council has completed about 90 per cent of a technical guide for the design and construction of tall buildings. Earlier, the Council had commissioned a study on constructing wood buildings, 20 to 30-storeys high, says Bolus. "Modern buildings in wood are typically not higher than six storeys," he says, noting that an exception (nine storeys) was built in London recently. For Randy Smith, principal at Williams Engineering Canada, the height of today's high-rises is an issue. "The sustainability concept is becoming awash with misinformation. Today's high-rises won't last. The ones you see today won't be around in 200 years. They're too expensive to fix or retrofit or replace the HVAC on. We need to build to last. Why throw resources away for a decade or two, when what we could do is use materials that will last centuries, not decades?" ■ RJC is committed to delivering innovative and practical design. Our Structural Design team in Vancouver, BC engineered the new greenwall at Guildford Town Centre, now the largest greenwall in North America. RJC Roles: Structural Engineering (shopping mall expansion), Specialty Structural Engineering (greenwall and access platform) Photo credit: msphoto.ca Green building design p14-23Green Building.indd 23 Guildford Town Centre Expansion: Vancouver, BC Projected LEED Gold rjc.ca december 2013 /23 13-11-15 3:39 PM

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