Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/755184
DECEMBER 2016 | 53 PHOTOGRAPHY BY LARA SHECTER/COURTESY URBAN ONE BUILDERS Ponderosa Commons Phase 2 – UBC residential towers to use heat reclaimed from the washroom exhaust to preheat the outdoor air and save energy. "Phase 2 has a completely different heating plant than Phase 1," adds Dhont. "Between the completion of Phase 1 and the design of Phase 2, UBC campus switched requirements and the heating was to come from UBC Academic District Energy System (ADES). We designed and co-ordinated with UBC to come up with an efficient heating and domestic water energy transfer station within the building." For the electrical system, Phase 2 included a 12.5kV electrical service to a 2000 kVA indoor unit substation located in the main electrical room in the basement level of the building. "Working closely with UBC's IT Services Department, a structured cabling system was provided for the communication and data cabling, utilizing a zoned conduit system through the ceiling spaces of the residential corridors," says Jim Jay, principal, buildings at Stantec. "The system provides flexibility for future cabling additions and changes, while not taking up valuable ceiling space in the tower corridors." Look outside the window and you notice careful attention to detail has been paid to the landscaping to bring Ponderosa Phase 1 and Phase 2 together. A breezeway provides a pedestrian connection between the buildings and is articulated by drawing the lower facade of the collegium in on a gentle angle. The steep slope and tight site meant designing accessible walkways and level areas with multiple functions was a challenge, however Hapa Collaborative was able to do this through the careful positioning of low maintenance planting, feature plants and apple trees. They were also able to retain a couple of the older cherry trees "that celebrate the history of that site and were donated to the University many years ago," explains Sarah Siegel from Hapa Collaborative For Siegel, the true stand-out feature is the single Ponderosa tree, after which the project was named. "The most wonderful moment of the landscape for me is the Ponderosa tree itself. It had a concrete platform that went from the street to the building and we managed to repurpose that concrete in a simple way that looks new and draws your eye to the tree." In conclusion, Wyman says: "To be able to stand on the crest of University Boulevard and look at how the two phases work together with the public realm is really stunning. The team was fantastic and dedicated. It was such a great partnership." A Ampco Grafix.indd 1 2016-10-27 12:21 PM