Plaza 2006
Sustainable design principles based on materials, HVAC and landscape
The north elevation where the glazed three storey atrium reveals two animated stairs, and wood panel-faced classrooms behind which are located faculty offices.
by Steve Carpenter in association with Macky-Lyons Sweetapple Architects .The Brock University Plaza Building is a five storey, 7880 sq.m building located on the university campus in St. Catharines, Ontario, close to the Niagara escarpment. The building is the new home of the University book store and other retail, and provides office, classroom and laboratory spaces.
The building consists of a structural steel frame with an envelope of copper cladding and stone masonry. The Plaza building is an early manifestation of the university’s new policy to introduce sustainable design principles and to implement urban design strategies to transform the existing campus into a more pedestrian-friendly environment.
The result of a highly participatory design process, this project responds to the university’s sustainability principles in its form, organization, building systems and materials. The placement and geometry of the building in plan creates a new quadrangle and suggests the further development of a system of open courtyard spaces.
On the north side of the plan, a fully glazed three storey atrium, an internal social street, connects to the existing campus street system, and animates the quadrangle. This naturally lit space with its two generous stairs, ramp, and 200-foot limestone bench provides a place to see and be seen, interact, socialize, and study. Parallel to the street is a three storey wood classroom box. Behind the box are the faculty offices on the building’s south face, expressed as oversized extruded copper “eyelashes.” The campus store is located at ground level.
Sustainable design principles are based on logical and common sense. The clear, and straightforward material expression of the project is related to the rational plan. The building systems take on a didactic role, creating the aesthetic identity of the building inside and out.
Structural and HVAC systems are integrated. The building floor is constructed of Termodeck hollow-core precast concrete slabs supported by the steel frame. 100% fresh air from air handling systems is directed into the voids in the hollow core, and from there into each room of the building. Thus, the need for conventional distribution ductwork in each room is eliminated. In addition, the thermal mass of the floor is an advantage in system design. The thermal mass of the concrete floor evens out the peak heating and cooling demands on the building HVAC systems and thus saves energy and reduces heating and cooling equipment size.
Other energy related building features include:
- high performance building envelope and windows
- lights controlled by occupancy sensors
- condensing gas boiler
On the south side, the building incorporates a passive solar approach by utilizing a 400 year copper skin, which is finely crafted and shaped into copper channels which shade the summer sun, invite the winter sun, and admit diffused indirect natural light.
The use of local Niagara Escarpment limestone for both interior and exterior finishes connects this project to its place. Specification of local materials [33% by cost] formed part of a resource conservation strategy; that also involved recycling of construction waste and the use of reclaimed and recycled materials. [17% by weight]
Externally, the University committed to using ‘xeriscaping’ for all the landscaping around the building - landscaping aimed at reducing irrigation, pest control and fertilizing requirements to a minimum. The use of drought-resistant native species entirely eliminated the need for outdoor watering. These species include fescue grasses, serviceberry and pin oak.
A 45 m3 cistern stores rainwater collected from the building roof. This water is used in non-potable applications such as toilet flushing and for non-irrigation outdoor use. Water conserving fixtures include dual-flush toilets, and low-flow urinals and faucets. In combination, these strategies, achieve a 61% savings in the use of potable water.
Together with a comprehensive strategy for transportation alternatives, the sustainable design principles added up to a LEED® Silver designation, the third academic building in Ontario, and only the seventh in the country to achieve this status.
Credits
- Prime Consultant: Rounthwaite, Dick & Hadley Architects, Toronto
- Design Architect: MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects Limited, Halifax
- LEED Consultant: Enermodal Engineering Ltd., Waterloo, ON
- Contract Administration: David Premi Architect, Hamilton, ON
- Structural Engineer: Halsall Associates Ltd., Toronto
- Mechanical electrical Engineer: Jain and Associates Ltd., Mississauga
- Landscape Architect: Nak Design Group, Toronto
- Commissioning Agent: CFMS West Consulting, Ancaster, ON
- General Contractors: Merit Contractors, St. Catharines, ON
- Steel fabricator: Spencer Steel Limited, Ilderton, ON
- Photos: Steven Evans, Toronto
Materials
- Structure: Steel frame by Spencer Steel Limited, precast hollow-core concrete slabs [Termodeck system] in which 100% fresh air flows through voids in the slabs, eliminating ductwork
- Exterior: Rain screen system of copper cladding over waterproof membrane, acoustic steel deck, mineral wool insulation 64mm, vapour barrier, gypsum board 13mm, sprayed insulation;
Local Niagara Escarpment limestone; double glazed, aluminum frame high performance windows and curtain wall; 45 m3 cistern stores rainwater for toilet flushing and non-irrigation outdoor use. - Interior: Drywall painted with ICI Dulux Lifemaster, local Niagara Escarpment limestone, Tandus/Crossley carpet tile, RetroPlate System [as with Child Dev. Centre project] on concrete floors applied by BNE Contractors Inc.of Kitchener ON
- Lighting/HVAC/Plumbing: Main lighting fixtures by Solera Corp., lights controlled by occupancy sensors; high efficiency condensing gas boiler and heat recovery units; dual-flush toilets, and low-flow urinals and faucets.