Toronto Fire and Emergency Services Training Institute
State-of-the-art training centre balances active and passive technologies
The East elevation where vehicle bays and bermed earth act as thermal buffers and reduce perimeter wall exposure
by Kasia Mychajlowycz .When the Greater Toronto Airport Authority [GTAA] chose to pursue LEED™ Silver certification for the first time on its new Fire and Emergency Services Training Institute [FESTI], it signified a new sense of commitment to sustainable building technology and a willingness to be held accountable to the rigorous design guidelines and third-party certification of the LEED™ process.
The project, located on Toronto Pearson International Airport property, comprises several functional components: a school, administration offices, apparatus and vehicle bays and three training structures. The building incorporates readily available low and high tech building components to improve not only its environmental and economic performance, but also its functionality and architectural design.
The complex is sited to take advantage of views, access to natural daylight, and exposure to solar radiation and wind which make up its natural passive technologies. The organization of the Administration/ Education Building developed a strong, figurative and literal “inhabitable wall” that mediates between the rigid geometry of the vehicle bays and the classrooms and cafeteria that terrace toward Etobicoke Creek.
The clarity of the plan and the complexity of the section create dynamic and varied spaces. Careful consideration was given to massing and exterior finishes, and to the placement and character of lighting for day and night response. Lighting was a particularly critical issue given the location of the project adjacent to a runway. Transparency, permeability and solidity are explored for both practical and aesthetic purposes.
Solar shading, a green roof, a solar wall and natural ventilation are identifiable elements of sustainable design that are integrated into the architectural expression and act as passive technologies. The green roof that extends from the upper catwalk of the cafeteria to the ground connects the building both physically and visually to its surroundings, while elsewhere heat reflective roofing and perforated siding contribute further to the architectural and ecological language of the building.
The south-western facade is clad with SolarWall®, a simple assembly of perforated metal siding with a conductive black finish. Air trapped between the perforated siding and the sheet metal liner is heated by the energy captured by the black surface. When heating is required, the convective forces feed the heated air into a plenum where a fan delivers it to the building’s air handling system. When heating is not required, dampers open to direct the warm air away from the building.
This simple innovation reduces annual heating costs by $20 to $80 per square metre of the collector, and reduces annual CO2 emissions by 1 ton per 5 square meters of collector. Construction cost for the system is comparable to that of a brick wall.
Natural ventilation contributes further to the efficiency in heating and cooling, as well as providing a more comfortable and healthier indoor environment. Other architectural elements, such as a second-storey courtyard, double-wall stack effect ventilation, exterior solar shades, volumetric articulation and operable windows minimize stale air in the building and promote constant air circulation.
Primary heating and cooling is provided by a TermoDeck® radiant slab system. As opposed to conventional forced air systems, TermoDeck® is a low-pressure system that uses hollow core concrete slabs to distribute air taking advantage of the thermal mass of the building for conditioning the air.
On the ground floor, the in-situ concrete slab replicates the hollow cores of the TermoDeck® upper floors. Up to 70% of the heating or cooling of rooms is through the radiant effect, directly heating or cooling the occupants rather than the air around them. This is an extremely efficient system, continuously monitored by computer sensors that direct the flow of heated or cooled air to each room, and increase the flow of fresh air to occupied rooms by reading fluctuations in CO2 levels. With the exception of extreme temperatures, the TermoDeck® system uses 100% fresh air, whereas conventional systems can use as little as 10% to 15%.
By committing to responsible building practices, the GTAA has created a healthier space for its trainees and staff, and an energy efficient building that benefits the surrounding community. The FESTI facility illustrates how simple and inexpensive design innovations can harness both active and passive technologies that contribute to an environmentally sound building and at the same time enhance its architectural expression.
Credits
- Architect: Kleinfeldt Mychajlowycz Architects Inc., Toronto
- Project Manager: Kleinfeldt Mychajlowycz Architects Inc. and Greater Toronto Airport Authority
- Structural Engineer/LEED Consultant: Halsall Associates, Toronto
- Mechanical/ Electrical Engineer: P.T. Engineering, Hamilton, ON
- Civil Engineer: Trow Consulting Engineers Ltd., Brampton, ON
- Construction: Aquicon Construction, Brampton, ON
Materials
- Poured in place concrete and pre-cast stairs and tilt-up sections, steel structure with SolarWall® steel cladding at south elevation; linoleum epoxy flooring; spray-applied insulation; Lexcan TPO reflective roofing, ELT green roof; heat recovery ventilator captures heat from building exhaust air, tankless water heaters,
- Kalwall insulated translucent, Kalwall translucent glazings, PPG Solar Ban 60 glazing, exterior sun shading at windows; low-flow toilets and fixtures, and waterless urinals
- Area: 30,000sf