Big ideas within a modest structure
Buildings consume more than half of Canada’s electricity and contribute around a quarter of its greenhouse gas emissions.
“Buildings need to provide a safe, healthy and comfortable indoor environment at minimal cost to the environment and the society,” Ge notes. “This means being both energy-efficient and climate-resilient in extreme weather conditions — something we see more frequently due to climate change. This facility will support our research to advance our knowledge and best practices.”
To meet the building’s unique requirements, researchers and Facilities Management staff sought the assistance of the Montreal firm Smith Vigeant Architects. The architects helped come up with solutions that would allow researchers to change the exterior envelope every year or two, depending on the project.
“As part of our work to design intelligent net-zero energy buildings (NZEBs), we have to run a significant number of tests in order to optimize integrated system performance under real weather operating conditions,” Ge explains.
A second challenge was ensuring that the building would blend well with its surroundings.
“Though research requirements defined many aspects of the building’s appearance, we sought an aesthetic that would transition from our other institutional structures toward that of residential homes nearby,” says Shawn Moss, project manager for Facilities Management.
“Furthermore, we want the new building to integrate into the landscape so we also brought in some rural design elements like wood exterior cladding, similar to the old Solar House. And while we build, we are doing our utmost to protect the adjacent perennial gardens. We hope they will continue to flourish alongside the new building.”
In addition to testing building envelopes, the facility will also gather data on interaction between heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems as well as indoor environments. Researchers and students will be able to experiment with automation systems, hybrid renewables, urban wind energy and smart nano-grids.
“The facility will expand our capacity to train the next generation of building and electrical engineers in the design and operation of NZEBs. They should come away with experience and a better understanding of indoor environmental quality, sustainability and economics,” Ge says.