Calgary Court Centre

Bridges connect the towers across the light-filled atrium at every level

by Bill Chomik

Located in the heart of Calgary, the new court centre serves both federal and provincial jurisdictions with a total of 73 courtrooms - one configured specifically for aboriginal hearings - making it the largest court facility in Canada. The design for the 1 million SF complex was driven by concerns for transparency, public space, sustainability, circulation, and flexibility. (more…)

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…)

Energy Star windows

While performance should be based on the entire window assembly, the consumer’s guide published by the Office of Energy Efficiency, Natural Resources Canada states that fiberglass, with foam insulation in the frame cavities, provides the best energy performance for window frames. The Mnjikaning first nation early childhood education centre by Teeple Architects. [ Courtesy Inline Fiberglass Ltd.]

Over the last twenty years, ongoing research and development in all aspects of design and performance
has transformed the window from a simple product to a sophisticated environmental control system. (more…)