Energy conservation, small ecological footprint go hand-in-hand

Campuses and research institutions worldwide acknowledge the need to facilitate the convergence of disciplines as traditional boundaries continue to dissolve. There is also recognition that informal or chance encounters between university faculty, research personnel and students can be of great value. This intangible feature fosters a high quality workplace capable of attracting the best faculty, researchers and students.

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A summary of recent advances

Glazing considerations such as window area, elevation and orientation, thermal performance and solar shading to optimize natural daylighting and passive solar heat gain are very important to the envelope performance and energy consumption of buildings [1]. [BC Cancer Agency Research Centre, IBI Group and Henriquez Partners Architects, Photo: Nic Lehoux]

by Hugh Perry

Many of Canada’s commercial buildings were built over 40 years ago when there were few, if any, worries about energy performance and environmental responsibility. In an era of cheap and abundant energy, heating and cooling loads were of little concern; buildings were often clad entirely in glass with no differentiation between facades having different orientations. (more…)

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

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. (more…)