Zero Footprint_ReSkinningAwards, 2010

2010

www.zerofootprintprize.org 1 Please visit us at www.zerofootprintprize.org

It’s clear we have a problem. We are pouring greenhouse gases into the atmosphere with potentially devastating consequences. 1 Please visit us at www.zerofootprintprize.org

Scientists calculate that we need to stabilize the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere at no more than 350 parts per million (ppm) to prevent runaway global warming. We are already at 390 ppm, and adding to this at roughly 2 ppm a year. In other words, we not only have to halt the increase of global carbon emissions, we have to turn the process around, and fast. We have to reduce global carbon emissions by 80 percent or more.

Forty percent of total energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the United States can be attributed to operating buildings – heating them, cooling them, lighting them and providing hot water. The emissions are most intense in cities. Buildings are responsible for almost 80 percent of New York’s carbon footprint. For Hong Kong, the figure is over 70 percent, and for London, 52 percent. To put this in perspective, SUVs account for just 3 percent of emissions in North America.

It’s also clear that there is a lot we can do. When we look at the major sources of carbon emissions and where the efforts are currently directed, there is one area where we have barely scratched the surface: our buildings.

If we are to successfully tackle global warming, it’s clear we have to do something about the carbon footprint of our buildings. Over 90 percent of buildings in most cities are old, and most of them will still exist in 2050. It is this aging, energy inefficient residential and office stock that we need to tackle. The main problem is a lack of insulation. Too many older buildings have little or no thermal break between the outside weather and the inside living space. They get hot in summer and leak heat in winter.

Tackling the Carbon Footprint of our Buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Economics of Re-Skinning . The Re-Skinning Awards . . . . . . . . The Jurors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Finalists and Winners . . . . . . . . . . . . WINNER PROFILES 355 Eleventh Street . . . . . . . . . . . . Sparkasse Vorderpfalz . . . . . . . . . . Eichhorster Weg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Now House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . University of Technology Tower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FINALIST PROFILES Hespeler Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Evergreen Brick Works . . . . . . . . . Tomamu Towers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Docks en Seine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nova Scotia Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . University of Ulster, Belfast Campus . . . . . . . . . 100 Park Avenue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 Jarvis Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . West Park Court . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lennox Addington Hall . . . . . . . .

2 5 6 7 8

So the bad news is that we need to refurbish entire cities. The good news is that if we do, we will gain far more than just climate change benefits.

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21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39

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MORE THAN RETROFITTING Tearing down all the old inefficient buildings and replacing them with new high-performance ones is not affordable or practical. For a start, it would cause enormous environmental damage. Already, one third of all waste in North America is building waste. If London alone were to demolish just its high-rise towers it would generate around 40 million tonnes of building rubble. Rebuilding would also consume resources at an almost unimaginable level, including vast amounts of cement whose manufacture is one of the most carbon intensive of all industries. Importantly, it would also take decades, if not centuries to accomplish – far longer than we have to turn things around. There are now well established techniques of improving buildings, such as upgrading heating and ventilation systems, fitting low energy lights, draught-proofing and so on. These kinds of retrofitting programs are under way around the globe in cities like Johannesburg, Mexico City and Mumbai. A project in Washington is investing US $175 million in retrofitting 400 government and private buildings with the aim of saving US $36.5 million in energy costs per year. In the United States, President Obama has committed his administration to improving the energy efficiency of all federal government buildings.

Re-Skinning

Re-skinning is about rethinking the state-ofthe-art in retrofitting. It is about looking at the building as a whole and tackling the major cause of the problem head on. It is about creating a proper thermal barrier so that all of the internal improvements that we make, in terms of lighting, heating and so on, can have their full impact.

+

Green Roofs Smart Systems

Wind Turbines

Re-skinning is more than just adding a layer of cladding to the outside of a tower block to freshen up its looks or protect its deteriorating exterior. In addition to adding an essential layer of insulation, a new skin can hide added piping, cabling and other services, making retrofitting internal systems quicker and cheaper. A welldesigned re-skinning project can also alter the face of a building, making it easier on the eye while also making it a more comfortable, energy efficient and flexible place to live or work.

Off energy grid

Solar Panels

Solar Hot Water

But retrofitting alone will not bring the reduction in carbon footprint we need. The biggest cause of energy inefficiency with older buildings is their lack of insulation. Without a thermal break between the interior and the outside world, older buildings just capture heat in the summer and leak it away in the winter. Retrofitting older buildings will not be successful without new ways to design and insulate their external envelopes. What these buildings need in effect is a new ‘skin’.

Footprint reduced

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Hydrogen Cells Ground Water Heating & Cooling Mechanical Systems Social Amenities

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= + Reduces need for power generation

+ Preserves housing stock in cities

CHANGING THE CULTURE OF USE Re-skinning and retrofitting is the first step towards improving building energy efficiency. The second is changing the culture of their use. Standards such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in the US and Passivhaus in Germany have set benchmarks for what can be achieved in the construction or refurbishment of buildings. This is essential for raising the bar and encouraging best practice. But these standards take no account of the behaviour of the occupants once the projects are completed. It can undermine the whole effort if energy efficient light bulbs are fitted and then left on all night. Or if windows that allow for passive cooling are shut and an energy-intensive air-conditioner is turned on instead. Or if taps are left running needlessly. Recently, a New York skyscraper was built to the LEED Gold standard – in other words, its designers went to great lengths to make the building as energy efficient and environmentally friendly as possible. But when an energy efficiency expert walked by the building in the early hours of the morning a little while after it was completed he saw that it was lit up like a Christmas tree. Despite all of the good intentions, the building was an energy hog. Unfortunately, this was not an isolated case, and a number of LEED buildings have been found to perform no better than comparable buildings with no rating. The problem is that standards such as LEED only predict how a building might perform, and don’t measure how it actually performs. And this is down to its culture of use. If we are to cut the emissions from buildings, old or new, by any significant amount we have to change the way people inside them behave. Conforming to a standard like LEED will ensure that the occupants have all the tools and mechanisms they need to operate the building efficiently

and sustainably. In addition, the occupants need to be educated on how to achieve the best performance with the building, and given the information they need to do so. This entails giving them immediate as well as longer-term feedback. This might mean information on temperature or air quality, which can indicate when windows should be opened or closed. Or it might mean monthly data on how their building is performing in comparison with similar buildings to provide a benchmark and a basis for assessing performance. Smart building systems have a major role to play here. Occupancy and carbon dioxide sensors can monitor how people are using rooms so an automated building management system can turn lights and ventilation systems on and off accordingly. Other sensors can measure ambient light and temperature, allowing the building management system to optimize both energy use and the comfort of the occupants. Mechanisms can allow individuals to optimize their personal conditions by adjusting blinds, lighting or windows. Regular measurement and comparison with peer buildings is essential to ensure that performance gains are ongoing and the culture of efficient use is embedded among the occupants. Some experts have even suggested that official ratings such as LEED should be given only after a building has proven its energy efficiency over one or two years, and the ratings should be subject to periodic review.


THE ECONOMICS OF RE-SKINNING If we analyze the costs of re-skinning and look at the payback – cutting carbon emissions also means cutting energy bills – it quickly becomes apparent that we can cut emissions dramatically in a payback period that is economically attractive. So why aren’t we doing it? The answer is in the economics. The number of existing buildings is vast, and the cost of retrofitting them all is enormous. Individual building owners lack the capital resources needed to do it. Asking government to foot the entire bill through grants and subsidies is like asking them to print money for years. It is also beyond their means, especially during an economic recession. The following table shows energy statistics associated only with US commercial buildings. US COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS, NEW AND EXISTING

ORDER OF MAGNITUDE

Annual new construction cost

US $300 billion

Annual energy cost in buildings

US $200 billion

Annual energy cost per square foot (average)

US $3/SF

Cost of substantial, green retrofit to save 40% energy

US $10 to US $30/SF

% of national energy consumed and C02 emitted in the US by commercial buildings

20%

% of national C02 emissions in the US that need to be removed in the next 5 to 40 years

80%

Approximate amount in square feet of US commercial space

67 billion SF

Approximate cost of retrofitting existing, energy-inefficient commercial space

± 60 billion SF x ±$20 to $1.2 trillion

But here is a clue to how it could be done. If the cash flows from the benefits of the retrofitting (i.e. the reduction in energy costs) were to be credit enhanced, then the benefits could be packaged and sold to the financial markets in a multitude of high quality financial products. For example, instead of funding the retrofits directly, the government insures the benefits that result from the savings in energy costs. By backing the cash flows, the government would create a market in financial products that would provide the funding for the retrofits. In this way we get two major advantages.


p For a fixed level of government funding – for example $100 million – applied to insuring rather than capitalizing retrofitting projects, we could get up to $10 billion worth of retrofits based on a 1 percent default rate in the cash flow payments.

p The financial markets, rather than the government, would become the vehicle to fund the intensive retrofitting program that is required to achieve a meaningful and timely impact. For example, taking this approach, the US $25 billion that United States President Obama has dedicated to retrofitting, could be leveraged to between $1 and $2.5 trillion worth of actual retrofitting. Twenty five billion dollars does not make a significant dent in the retrofitting needs of a major country, but $2.5 trillion will. It is important to note that this investment will not only prevent massive amounts of carbon from entering the atmosphere and improve the environment of our cities, but it will also provide jobs in a new green economy. The economic and social opportunities are enormous. Here are some benefits that large-scale investment in reskinning and retrofitting programs could bring:

p research and development of new materials, processes and manufacturing technologies related to building retrofits;

p infrastructure investment including largescale energy-savings projects like district energy systems, solar arrays, geothermal, etc.;

p the creation of millions of jobs globally to retrofit millions of buildings that are candidates for this type of renewal; and

p education and job training for a new generation of workers who will be required to support this expanding industrial sector.

RECOGNIZING BEST PRACTICE

THE RE-SKINNING AWARDS

Zerofootprint has introduced the Zerofootprint Prize and the annual Zerofootprint Re-Skinning Awards with the aim of stimulating major advances in the design and technology for retrofitting and re-skinning buildings. Retrofitting is the upgrading or addition of internal building systems and materials, while re-skinning is the replacement or addition of the external envelope, all for the purposes of improving the energy efficiency, comfort and sustainability of older buildings. Upgrading the existing inventory of high carbon footprint and water-wasting buildings will give them new life, and will revitalize our aging cities.

What do re-skinned buildings look like? What techniques and materials do they use? How do they improve their communities?

Zerofootprint is offering the Zerofootprint Prize to the design team who can take an older concrete high-rise structure and, using re-skinning along with other retrofitting technologies, reduce its carbon, water and energy footprint to net zero while also maintaining the highest architectural design standards. To secure the Zerofootprint Prize a candidate building will be required to have a net zero footprint for one year. Buildings from any country are eligible. Zerofootprint, in collaboration with the UN HABITAT and contributing to the World Urban Campaign, also offers the annual Re-skinning Awards to showcase the most successful, holistic retrofitting projects of the year. New for 2011, we have partnered with the John H. Daniels School of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, University of Toronto. The awards provide practitioners and policy makers with a global snapshot of state-of-the-art retrofitting and re-skinning projects. The aim is to promote the best innovation from these single projects to encourage a wave of building refurbishment across the globe that will save a massive amount of carbon and revitalize our cities at the same time.

The 2010 award candidates represent a crosssection of the latest approaches to re-skinning and retrofitting buildings. They range from a small post-war bungalow, to futuristic solutions based on new materials and technologies. All entrants were asked to submit projects that satisfied the following six criteria: 1. EFFICIENCY – the finished building had to be energy efficient. 2. AESTHETICS – the design had to enhance the existing building and its neighbourhood. 3. ECONOMY – the project had to pay for itself over a period of no more than 20 years. 4. REPRODUCIBLE – the re-skinning and retrofitting technologies had to be scalable internationally. 5. INTELLIGENT – where possible, the buildings had to embed new ‘smart’ energy systems. 6. GOOD NEIGHBOURS – the project had to benefit the community. Of these, reproducibility is the most important. This is an unusual criterion for an architectural prize that usually reward uniqueness. However, the scale of our building problem is enormous and we won’t solve it unless we come up with practical, cost-effective and scalable solutions. Building types are often similar across cities and across regions, with architectural fashions, including materials and building techniques, adopted very widely. We need common solutions that can be reproduced globally, where economies of scale reduce costs and where training and skills are readily transferable.


THE JURORS Winners of the 2010 Re-Skinning Awards were selected by an international jury of nine leading environmentalists, engineers, architects, designers and academics. Each brought a unique perspective to the review process, helping to guarantee that exceptional projects were selected for the awards. To save energy and keep the competition’s carbon footprint to a minimum, the jurors reviewed entries online through a dedicated website.

THOMAS AUER

ANDREW BOWERBANK

GEORGE BAIRD

• Masters in Process Engineering, University of Stuttgart • Partner and Managing Director of Transsolar GmbH building energy design consultancy • Visiting lecturer at Yale School of Architecture

• B Ed; BA Industrial Design (Hon.) • President of the EC3 Initiative for a low-carbon economy • Executive Director of the World Green Building Council, 2007-09 • EnerQuality 2007 Leader of the Year

• MA (Hon.), Harvard; B Arch (Hon.), University of Toronto • Dean, Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, and Professor of Architecture, University of Toronto • Partner, Baird Sampson Neuert Architects • Ontario Association of Architects’ da Vinci Medal, 2000

STEFAN BEHNISCH

FIONA COUSINS

JUDITH DIMAIO, AIA

• BA in Philosophy, Hochschule der Jesuiten, Munich; Architecture Diploma, University of Karlsruhe; BDA; CIMA; Economics, Ludwig Maximillians University • Principal Partner Behnisch Studio East, Inc. architecture firm • Interiors & Sources Magazine, USA, Environmental Champion Award, 2004 • Visiting professor at Yale School of Architecture, 2005-2006

• B MA (Hon.), MSt, CEng, MCIBSE, PE • Principal in the New York office of ARUP, and leader of the sustainability team • ASHRAE NY Woman of the Year, 2007 • Member of the Urban Green Building Council, New York

• BA in Art, Bennington College; B Arch, Cornell University; M Arch, Graduate School of Design, Harvard; Colin Rowe resident, 2009 • Dean, School of Architecture & Design, NYIT • Rome prize in Architecture, 1978 • Resident, American Academy, Rome

RICK HUIJBREGTS

EDWARD MAZRIA

WILLIAM MCDONOUGH

• Masters (Real Estate Development and Project Management), Delft University; PhD Harvard • Director of Real Estate Solutions for Emerging Markets, Cisco Canada • Executive Director, Center for Design Informatics at Harvard Design School, 2001-2004

• B Arch, Pratt Institute • Author of the ‘bible’ of solar design, The Passive Solar Energy Book • Developed the 2030 Challenge to reduce global GHG emissions and fossil-fuel consumption • National Wildlife Federation’s National Conservation Achievement Award, 2008

• BA, Dartmouth College; MFA; M Arch, Yale University • Architect, designer, author and winner of three US presidential awards • Time magazine 1999 ‘Hero for the Planet’ and 2007 ‘Hero of the Environment’ • Co-author of Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, 2002


THE FINALISTS AND WINNERS The following fifteen finalists represent a crosssection of re-skinning and energy retrofitting projects from around the globe. The winners of the five categories were announced on March 24, 2010, in Rio de Janeiro as part of World Urban Forum 5.

THE FINALISTS HESPELER LIBRARY

UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER, BELFAST CAMPUS

Small/Medium Commercial Date Constructed: 2007 Developer / Owner: Cambridge Libraries & Galleries Architect / Engineer: Kongats Architect, Lam & Assoc., MTE Consultants Location: Cambridge, Canada

Large Commercial Date Constructed: 2008-2010 Developer / Owner: University of Ulster Architect / Engineer: TODD Architects, BDP Engineers, DEGW Space Consultants Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland

EVERGREEN BRICK WORKS

100 PARK AVENUE

Small/Medium Commercial Date Constructed: 2009-2010 Developer / Owner: Evergreen Architect / Engineer: Du Toit Alsop Hillier, Diamond + Schmitt Architects, Stantec, Halsall, AECOM Location: Toronto, Canada

Large Commercial Date Constructed: 2006-2009 Developer / Owner: SL Green Realty Architect / Engineer: MOED de ARMAS & SHANNON Architects, Robert Derector Associates (RDA) Consulting Engineers Location: New York, U.S.A.

TOMAMU TOWERS Large Residential Date Constructed: 2006-2008 Developer / Owner: Hoshino Resort Tomamu Architect / Engineer: Klein Dytham architects, Meiho Facility Works Ltd., Asahi Danke Co., Ltd & Horex Inc., DuRock Location: Tomamu, Japan

222 JARVIS STREET Large Commercial Date Constructed: 2010 Developer / Owner: Ontario Realty Corporation Architect / Engineer: WZMH Architects, Enermodal Engineering Location: Toronto, Canada

DOCKS EN SEINE

WEST PARK COURT

Large Commercial Date Constructed: 2008-2009 Developer / Owner: Caisse des Dépôts Architect / Engineer: Jakob + MacFarlane Architects, RFR Engineers Location: Paris, France

Large Residential Date Constructed: 2007 Developer / Owner: West Park Court Housing Architect / Engineer: Perfido Weiskopf Wagstaff + Goettel Architects, Donald Schock, P.E. Location: Pittsburgh, U.S.A.

NOVA SCOTIA POWER

LENNOX ADDINGTON HALL

Large Commercial Date Constructed: 2010 Developer / Owner: Nova Scotia Power Architect / Engineer: WZMH Architects, Enermodal Engineering, M&R Electrical and Mech. Location: Halifax, Canada

Large Residential Date Constructed: 2010 Developer / Owner: University of Guelph Architect / Engineer: Walter Agius Architect (1969), Larkin Architect, Halcrow Yolles, Peter Di Lullo Eng., Engineered Assemblies Location: Guelph, Canada


THE WINNERS 355 ELEVENTH STREET WINNER: Small/Medium Commercial and Overall Winner Date Constructed: 2009 Developer / Owner: Matarozzi / Pelsinger Architect / Engineer: Aidlin Darling Architects, Simain & Associates, CB Engineers Location: San Francisco, U.S.A.

SPARKASSE VORDERPFALZ WINNER: Large Commercial Date Constructed: 2008-2009 Developer / Owner: Sparkasse Vorderpfalz Architect / Engineer: Egon Weiß (1974), Thiemo Ebbert – imagine envelope Architects (2009) Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany

EICHHORSTER WEG WINNER: Large Residential Date Constructed: 2008-2009 Developer / Owner: GESOBAU AG (State of Berlin) Architect / Engineer: Oswald Mathias Ungers (1964), DAHM Architekten + Ingenieure Location: Berlin, Germany

NOW HOUSE WINNER: Small Residential Date Constructed: 2008-2009 Developer / Owner: Now House Project Architect / Engineer: Work Worth Doing & Lorraine Gauthier Location: Toronto, Canada

UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY TOWER WINNER: Future of Re-Skinning Date Constructed: Proposal Developer / Owner: University of Technology, Sydney Architect / Engineer: Laboratory for Visionary Architecture Location: Sydney, Australia


Winners and Finalists

355 ELEVENTH STREET Winner: Small/Medium Commercial Overall Winner

Date Constructed

2009

Developer / Owner

Matarozzi / Pelsinger

Architect / Engineer

Aidlin Darling Architects, Simain & Associates, CB Engineers

Location

San Francisco, U.S.A.

355 Eleventh Street, San Francisco, was built in 1912 as a warehouse for a local brewery. By 2008, the building had become derelict and an eyesore, but was protected from demolition because of its historical significance. When green building contractor Matarozzi/Pelsinger bought the building to develop as its new headquarters, they aimed to make it a showcase for its commitment to sustainability and its proficiency in modern building techniques. Given the generic utilitarian design and construction of the original warehouse – corrugated sheet metal nailed to a timber frame – a successful refurbishment would be applicable to tens of thousands of similar old buildings in cities around the world. The designers, Aidlin Darling Architects, faced a challenge in reconciling the new owner’s requirements of ample light and air with the City’s planning constraints that stipulated no new windows and insisted that any replacement of the outer corrugated sheeting had to be ‘in kind’ to maintain the industrial character of the building. Their solution was to fit the building with a new facade perforated with fields of small holes that allow light and air to pass through while screening out direct sunlight. Behind this new skin, they set opening windows to allow controlled crossventilation of the interior. The gap between the outer facade and the inner construction acts as an insulating buffer. A green roof is planted with drought-resistant native or adapted plant species for filtering storm water, insulating the building and decreasing the urban heat-island effect.

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355 ELEVENTH STREET Winner: Small/Medium Commercial Overall Winner 355 Eleventh’s new skin not only prevents solar gain and provides passive cooling of the interior while meeting listed building planning constraints, it also gives the building a facelift, transforming it from a mundane run-down structure to an aesthetically attractive modern building. Because of its natural ventilation and lighting and thermal buffer, among some other green features, the building is extremely energy efficient and has received Gold-level LEED certification. The re-skinning methods used on 355 Eleventh are both low-tech and cost-effective, and could be replicated on a global scale. Simple smart energy systems include sensors fitted to lighting systems to dim or turn off lights when there is sufficient natural light, and occupancy sensors turn off lighting altogether when no one is detected in rooms or other spaces. Otherwise, the building relies on passive lighting and cooling. Cooling depends on manual operation of the windows, and there is no monitoring or information feedback on how well the occupants are utilizing the cooling systems. Community benefits of the project are the preservation of a building of historical significance and an improvement to the aesthetics of the neighbourhood.


SPARKASSE VORDERPFALZ Winner: Large Commercial

Date Constructed

2008-2009

Developer / Owner

Sparkasse Vorderpfalz


Egon Weiß (1974), Thiemo Ebbert – imagine envelope Architects (2009)

Location

Ludwigshafen, Germany

Sparkasse Vorderpfalz is a German regional bank with its headquarters in Ludwigshafen on the River Rhine. The building, constructed in 1974 and comprising a three-storey base and nine-storey office tower, is located on the most prominent square in the city centre and is a feature of the city’s skyline. By 2006, problems of weather penetration and poor insulation, as well as an outmoded appearance, led the bank to initiate a refurbishment of the building’s facade and its heating and cooling services. A condition of the project was that the retrofitting had to be carried out ‘without staining the carpet’ – the building’s interior had been recently renovated, and the bank insisted that the work should cause minimal disruption to its operations. The architects’ solution was to take advantage of the existing service platforms on the outside of the tower section of the building to fit a new skin of laminated glass mounted on a steel frame. This created a weatherproof envelope and a cavity between the new facade and the original exterior of the building within which the retrofitting work could proceed without interrupting the building’s occupants. Venetian blinds are mounted inside the cavity to reduce solar gain, but at the same time deflect some of the sunlight into the building to reduce the need for electric lighting. The cavity is also used to mount a distributed system of small HVAC systems that allow for local environmental control.


SPARKASSE VORDERPFALZ Winner: Large Commercial The aluminum corner sections of the tower were removed, cleaned, recoated, insulated and replaced. The base section has also been clad with an extra laminated glass skin, with additional measures to ensure proper thermal insulation and weatherproofing. The new skin has enabled the use of a number of smart building systems. In summer, the cavity created by the new skin is opened at the top allowing the natural up draught to drag used air from the building. In winter, the cavity is opened at the bottom so that air can be warmed by the sun before entering the heating systems. Furthermore, the temperature in each section of the cavity on the four sides of the building is constantly monitored, and warm air can be moved from one section to another as required. In addition, the decentralized HVAC system means that fresh air is brought in and conditioned only when and where it is needed, eliminating the need for transporting air within the building. Occupants can control the temperature and lighting of their individual offices and sensors switch equipment off when there is no one present. The better thermal insulation provided by the new skin, the intelligent HVAC systems and the daylight-deflecting sun blinds have led to an almost 65 percent improvement in the building’s energy performance. Furthermore, the refurbishment has significantly improved the occupants’ control of their individual environments and their overall comfort inside the building. The energy savings and improved maintenance means that the investment in the re-skinning should pay back within 13 years. The refurbished building has been certified as a Green Building by the German Energy Agency, one of only around 160 such certified buildings in Europe. The original building’s design and materials are common to many buildings constructed in Europe in the 1960s and 70s, and therefore the Sparkasse Vorderpfalz re-skinning process could be reproduced on a wide scale. Perhaps the most significant aspect of the project in terms of reproducibility is the fact that it was completed with minimal disruption for the occupants. The expense and lost work time that conventional recladding methods cause is a major deterrent for many organizations when they contemplate improving the energy efficiency of their buildings. As a mutual institution serving local business and individuals and with municipal and social responsibilities, the bank is closely tied to the community. In commissioning an innovative method for re-skinning the building, the bank not only aimed to refresh the appearance of its headquarters and solve the faults and inefficiencies of the old building, but to do it in a way that would create a best practice example and spark other local renovation.


EICHHORSTER WEG Winner: Large Residential

Date Constructed

2008-2009

Developer / Owner

GESOBAU AG (State of Berlin)


Oswald Mathias Ungers (1964), DAHM Architekten + Ingenieure

Location

Berlin, Germany

Eichhorster Weg is a 538-apartment complex in Berlin’s Märkisches Viertel district. Part of a showpiece 1960s housing development, the apartments were aging and no longer met social demands, nor modern energy efficiency requirements. In 2007, Eichhorster Weg’s builder and owner, the Gesobau housing company owned by the State of Berlin, decided to refurbish the apartments. Its aims were to reduce CO2 emissions from the buildings in line with the German Energy Conservation Directive, halve primary energy consumption, create a more appropriate set of living spaces and enhance the neighbourhood. Key to improving energy efficiency was the re-skinning of the buildings with a composite insulation system and the installation of double-glazed plastic windows. Further efficiencies were achieved by refurbishing all internal heating systems, including the replacement of radiators and pipes, the insulation of pipes and the installation of thermostat valves. The energy efficiency gains from the re-skinning of the apartments in Eichhorster Weg and elsewhere in the Märkisches Viertel development meant that the old natural gas district heating system would have excess capacity. For this reason, and to reduce CO2 emissions from heating, Gesobau is working with the local energy company Fernheizwerk Märkisches Viertel to replace the old system with a combined heat and power, biomass-fed district heating plant. The plant will


EICHHORSTER WEG Winner: Large Residential use wood fuel from renewable sources, and will produce 5 MW to feed into the local power grid in addition to the 30 MW output to serve Märkisches Viertel’s housing requirements. The lower fuel costs from the energy efficiency measures has enabled Gesobau to increase the rents of the apartments while increasing the net payments of the tenants only slightly. The rent increase helps to pay for the investment in the refurbishment while giving tenants greatly improved living conditions for a small increase in outgoings. Gesobau expects a payback on investment of 14 years. An essential part of achieving the potential energy efficiencies is the instruction and training of tenants in operating their refurbished apartments for optimum energy conservation using smart technologies. Gesobau plans to equip up to 10,000 apartments in Märkisches Viertel with intelligent electricity meters in the largest smart metering project in Germany. This will allow tenants to get a detailed account of their consumption, and will also enable the electricity generator to optimize its grid capacity. Tenants will be offered variable rates to encourage them to use appliances at times of low demand rather than at peak hours. Changing the culture of use of buildings can be as important as re-skinning and retrofitting measures in achieving real ongoing reductions in energy use. The refurbishment of Eichhorster Weg and subsequent units in Märkisches Viertel was not intended to be a state-of-the-art demonstration project, but rather a practical solution to the modernization of 1960s apartment blocks that achieves significant energy efficiency, provides social benefit and is economically viable. The re-skinning of Eichhorster Weg has achieved energy savings of 71 percent, or 316 tonnes of CO2 annually. The project recognizes the potential of smart metering and the importance of educating building occupants in behaviours that will deliver on this potential.


NOW HOUSE Winner: Small Residential

Date Constructed

2008-2009

Developer / Owner

Now House Project


Work Worth Doing & Lorraine Gauthier

Location

Toronto, Canada

Now House is a process for retrofitting older houses to turn them into net zero energy homes. The first application was to a 60-year-old wartime house in Toronto, which is similar in layout and footprint to a million other houses in Canada where the process could be replicated. Now House focuses on conservation and utilization of existing property. The design is simple, and is based on maximizing the envelope, and keeping what isn’t broken or problematic – only those things that provide a significant gain are replaced. Insulation is added to the envelope wherever necessary to ensure high thermal insulation. The same goes for double-glazed windows. In all, the retrofit includes renewing or upgrading foundation walls, basement floor, roof, exterior walls, windows, electrical systems, lighting, HVAC, ventilation and water heating. Because the envelope improvements increase the air tightness of the house, a heat recovery ventilator was installed to draw fresh air from outside and distribute it throughout the home. This also rids the home of cooking odours and moisture from showers, and mitigates offgasing from new appliances. A heat recovery unit was also installed for grey water. No other smart building systems were used. Now House is designed to be net zero energy – to produce enough energy from its own sources to offset the amount purchased from the utility provider measured over the course of a year. The Toronto house is predicted to reduce electricity costs 60 percent and save 5.4 tonnes of greenhouse


NOW HOUSE Winner: Small Residential gases annually. It will generate electricity from its solar photovoltaic panels for internal use and to feed back into the grid. It will be monitored for 12 months to check that it achieves these results. The Now House demonstration project proves the concept of a near-zero energy retrofit. However, at a cost of $85,000 using current technologies, payback is well over 20 years. But as the new technologies become more cost effective, achieving net zero energy will become more affordable. This could have a wide social benefit as the process is aimed at low-cost housing. Already, the Toronto house has acted as the prototype for the retrofitting of five similar houses in Windsor, Ontario, that are owned by a social housing agency.


UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY TOWER Winner: Future of Re-Skinning

Date Constructed

Proposal

Developer / Owner

University of Technology, Sydney


Laboratory for Visionary Architecture

Location

Sydney, Australia

University of Technology tower on Broadway, Sydney, houses classrooms and administrative offices and forms a key part of the UTS campus. Built in 1979 and a beacon for the university, nevertheless it is widely denigrated as ugly, outdated and energy-inefficient. However, while the overall UTS campus is undergoing a transformation with major refurbishing and new buildings scheduled for completion by 2020, the tower is not included in the plan. Laboratory for Visionary Architecture (LAVA) has proposed an innovative new skin that would provide a cost-effective means to rejuvenate the building’s aesthetics and simultaneously improve its overall environmental performance. While the proposal aims to transform the identity of the brutalist-style high-rise, the main goal is to reduce its carbon footprint. Currently, the overall energy use of the tower generates approximately 15,000 tonnes of CO2 each year, of which 35 percent is from HVAC systems. Problems include solar gain, an absence of passive air-conditioning and the need to artificially light the interior. The proposed skin is a three-dimensional lightweight, high performance, composite mesh textile. Surface tension will allow the membrane to stretch freely around walls and roof elements, achieving maximum visual impact with minimal material effort. The skin will provide shading, reducing solar gain. Solar thermal technology in the membrane will capture solar energy for water heating, which can then be used for space heating, or passed through absorption chillers to provide solar cooling. In addition, the translucent cocoon formed by the skin will create its own microclimate that will act


UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY TOWER Winner: Future of Re-Skinning as a solar chimney, producing a natural stack-effect and passive cooling. An alternative simpler perforated design of the skin would provide passive cooling through natural ventilation. With the addition of some storage facilities, the membrane could provide free heating and cooling all year round. Overall, the new skin will reduce HVAC use by an estimated 45 percent, saving 2,700 tonnes of CO2 a year. The skin also has the potential to increase natural diffuse light by approximately five percent. Embedded photovoltaic cells will generate electricity, and the membrane could also collect rainwater. The skin could also act as an intelligent media surface for dynamic animation and the communication of information. The skin concept for the UTS tower could have wider applicability for re-purposing inefficient and outdated buildings without the need to demolish or rebuild. The simple, cost effective and easily constructed skin could transform the identity, sustainability and interior comfort of similar existing urban structures in Sydney and elsewhere. The proposal does not include internal smart building systems. The social benefits will be the improved environment for the students and the transformation of a city eyesore into a visually vibrant and iconic element of the Sydney skyline.


HESPELER LIBRARY Finalist: Small/Medium Commercial

Date Constructed

2007

Developer / Owner

Cambridge Libraries & Galleries


Kongats Architect, Lam & Assoc., MTE Consultants

Location

Cambridge, Canada

Hespeler Library in Hespeler, Ontario, was originally built in 1922, funded like many libraries at the time by the Carnegie Foundation. The owner, Cambridge Libraries & Galleries, wanted to substantially expand the library facilities while preserving the historically significant building. At the same time, it wanted to create a showcase building that would link with local redevelopment and contribute to the town’s revitalization. This required turning a solid, early 20th Century building into a welcoming modern library, while minimizing the building’s environmental footprint. The solution developed by Kongats Architects was to selectively demolish earlier additions and renovations to return the building to its original structure, and then entirely enclose it in a large glass box. This functional approach treats the original building as a museum piece while quadrupling the floorspace. The design also allowed the use of a number of energy efficient and sustainable building strategies while improving its overall comfort and usability. It also created a striking civic centrepiece for the town. The glass box skin is made from two layers of ceramic frit glass that modulate in response to interior activities and reduce solar heat gain. Drapes of a custom hand-woven fabric that makes reference to Hespeler’s historic textile manufacturing past provide a third internal layer that filters sunlight. The re-skinning has enabled additional energy efficiency measures such as windows on the upper and lower levels operated by the building’s automation system to provide natural ventilation when


HESPELER LIBRARY Finalist: Small/Medium Commercial interior temperatures exceed a minimum comfort level. The roof has a membrane to reflect heat, and the original Carnegie building is used as a heat sink. Natural daylight is available to 90 percent of the occupied interior spaces. As a result of these measures, and although the floorspace increased by over 400 percent from 3,500 square feet to 14,200 square feet, the energy consumption of the library has increased by only 33 percent – an overall energy efficiency improvement of 67 percent. The refurbished Hespeler Library makes a significant contribution to its community as an architectural landmark and in terms of its public facilities.


EVERGREEN BRICK WORKS Finalist: Small/Medium Commercial

Date Constructed

2009-2010

Developer / Owner

Evergreen


Du Toit Alsop Hillier, Diamond + Schmitt Architects, Stantec, Halsall, AECOM

Location

Toronto, Canada

Evergreen Brick Works is a restoration of Toronto’s Don Valley Brickworks by Evergreen, a national organization that brings communities and nature together for their mutual benefit. The project is transforming previously deteriorating historic industrial buildings into a centre for urban sustainability. The sustainable building and site operations program is focused on reducing waste, energy and water, as well as car use. The aim is for all of the techniques, materials and methods to be reproducible, with most of the systems commercial and proven. Part of the energy efficiency measures that the site will demonstrate are high performance building envelopes, including insulated brick walls and high specification double-glazing with thermallybroken aluminum window frames. As an added skin, densely leaved vegetation will be grown on the walls for cooling in summer. A building management system will email staff when they can open the windows. In addition, all the thermostats in the building will have LED lights that will indicate when conditions are acceptable to open the windows. Other smart building systems include harvesting of waste heat, night cooling of building environments, and intelligent energy and lighting control systems, with ongoing measurement and verification of energy performance. Such ongoing measurement and verification is crucial for embedding the efficiency measures and behavioural change of the occupants.


EVERGREEN BRICK WORKS Finalist: Small/Medium Commercial The Brick Works is seeking a LEED Platinum rating for a number of buildings in the complex. The Brick Works scores highly on community benefit and smart building systems, but less so on re-skinning innovation.


TOMAMU TOWERS Finalist: Large Residential

Date Constructed

2006-2008

Developer / Owner

Hoshino Resort Tomamu


Klein Dytham architects, Meiho Facility Works Ltd., Asahi Danke Co., Ltd & Horex Inc., DuRock

Location

Tomamu, Japan

Tomamu Towers are twin 40-storey hotel towers in the Alpha Resort in the beautiful forestcovered mountains of central Hokkaido. Built in the late 1980s in a period of rampant development during Japan’s economic boom, the towers were not only garish and obtrusive, but were energy inefficient and the facade required frequent and costly maintenance. The external tile cladding suffered spalling, while condensation and dampness were problems internally. The towers’ new owners, Hoshino Resorts, asked Klein Dytham architects (KDa) to come up with a solution that would repair the towers’ damaged surfaces, save on future repair costs, save on overall energy costs, improve comfort levels in the hotel guest rooms, and create a friendlier image. To reduce the visual impact, KDa developed a pixellated colour scheme that camouflaged one tower for winter conditions, fading from black to white, and the other for summer, fading from green to white. However, while KDa wanted to dissolve the buildings’ mass, it did not want complete invisibility, and so inserted a sprinkling of red panels, like red baubles on a Christmas tree. The towers were reclad in a DuRock tile membrane in a project that was the first of its kind in Japan. It required new skills and technologies, with the external insulation fitted by a specialist Canadian company. Re-skinned, the towers consume about 30 percent less energy than they


TOMAMU TOWERS Finalist: Large Residential did prior to the retrofit. The costs of the re-skinning are expected to be paid back in 10 years through savings in energy and maintenance costs. The Tomamu Towers project focused on aesthetics, with improved energy efficiency and more economic maintenance additional priorities. Smart energy systems are not part of the project.


DOCKS EN SEINE Finalist: Large Commercial

Date Constructed

2008-2009

Developer / Owner

Caisse des Dépôts


Jakob + MacFarlane Architects, RFR Engineers

Location

Paris, France

Docks en Seine is a long concrete structure on the River Seine that was built in 1907 as an industrial warehouse. Although innovative in its time as the first reinforced concrete building in Paris, the original building had no protective envelope and no strategies for cooling, preventing heat loss or managing water or waste. In 2005, the City of Paris launched a competition to create a new building to house a new cultural program on the site. The winners, architects Jakob + MacFarlane, opted to retain the existing structure, adding what they call a ‘plug-over’ – a prominent external skin whose design was inspired by the flow of the Seine and the pedestrian promenades along its banks. The skin is comprised of a series of high-performance double-glazed glass facets in a steel frame, with the facets maximized in size to reduce thermal loss through the frame. To facilitate the penetration of daylight at the lower levels where solar gain is not a problem, the glass is transparent. At the higher levels more exposed to the sun, the glass is fritted and coated, and blinds are fitted within the building. The plug-over is deliberately open on two sides to encourage natural ventilation and to avoid heat build-up due to greenhouse effects within the tube. As a result, the space is comfortable even in high summer, with the new skin also providing a year-round rain screen and acoustic shield. The roof terrace is oak wood decking, with grassed areas offering further insulation. The new skin both protects the existing structure and forms a new layer that contains most


DOCKS EN SEINE Finalist: Large Commercial of the public walkways, as well as creating a new top floor. Inside, the exposure of the existing concrete structure in the exhibition space allows it to act as a thermal cooling sink for internal heat loads. The building meets the High Environmental Quality guidelines of the French Certivea sustainability standards organization. Energy efficiency is 25 percent higher than the original design requirements. However, Docks en Seine makes little use of smart building systems. By preserving the original fabric of the building while transforming its appearance and energy efficiency, Docks en Seine demonstrates a design approach and techniques that could be employed for the conversion and retrofitting of existing buildings that might otherwise be demolished. Building waste makes up a substantial portion of all waste currently going to landfill. Docks en Seine’s owner, Caisse des Dépôts, is a publicly-owned investment organization with a mission to promote sustainable development in France. The refurbishment of Docks en Seine is a social project that through its iconic design, as well as its facilities and program of activities, aims to promote awareness and understanding of the impact of design on the individual, the environment and society.


NOVA SCOTIA POWER Finalist: Large Commercial

Date Constructed

2010

Developer / Owner

Nova Scotia Power


WZMH Architects, Enermodal Engineering, M&R Electrical and Mech.

Location

Halifax, Canada

Nova Scotia Power corporate headquarters is a former power generation plant on the waterfront of Halifax harbour. In commissioning the refurbishment of the building to provide new offices, the company specified that the work and final building should demonstrate its environmental responsibility and energy conservation leadership. The project retains and adapts the original concrete-clad steel structure and incorporates a number of sustainability and energy efficiency measures, including a new skin for thermal insulation. The refurbishment design by WZMH Architects includes a new skin for the entire building. Part of the skin takes the form of large high-performance double-glazed window units with thermally broken frames inserted into openings cut in the existing walls. These carefully sited windows will provide 75 percent of the interior spaces with natural light. The remaining shell wall is having an extra layer of cladding with insulation attached. A new roof also adds insulation and is made from a high albedo white material. Energy efficiency measures include the use of existing piping to carry seawater from the Halifax harbour for cooling and heating. The building will be the first major use of efficient ‘chilled beam’ technology in Canada, using seawater rather than air to transport cooling. All rooms will have daylight and occupancy sensors to control lighting and CO2 sensors that will adjust ventilation to suit the number of occupants. Fans and pumps will include variable speeds for non-peak use,


NOVA SCOTIA POWER Finalist: Large Commercial and there will be heat recovery on the ventilation system. Where there is demolition, most of the materials are being reused or recycled, including steel and concrete. The retrofitting project vastly improves the aesthetics of what was a large obtrusive disused industrial building, and contributes to the redevelopment of downtown Halifax. There are a number of public facilities integrated within the building, including a conference centre, atrium and food facility. The building will house Nova Scotia Power’s staff more efficiently in 18 percent less space and will lower the company’s overall environmental footprint, and give it a showpiece headquarters. Because of the change of use of the building there is no direct comparison for energy savings. However, when compared with a standard Canadian office block of the same size, the architects estimate that the re-skinned building will have half the energy costs. It also expects that the building will pay back its investment in energy efficiency measures in just over eight years. The building is a LEED Platinum candidate – one of the first in Canada.


UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER, BELFAST CAMPUS Finalist: Large Commercial

Date Constructed

2008-2010

Developer / Owner

University of Ulster


TODD Architects, BDP Engineers, DEGW Space Consultants

Location

Belfast, Northern Ireland

University of Ulster, Belfast Campus is in the heart of the city and houses the university’s art and design departments. A redevelopment project aims to provide a new and vibrant working environment for 2,000 students – double the number the building previously accommodated. A condition of the redevelopment was that it would not disrupt the university’s activities. TODD Architects’ solution has been to extend the existing 1960s concrete framed building upwards and outwards, providing space for the students to be relocated from sections of the old building, which could then be refurbished. A new skin, including a new roof, has been wrapped over the existing building, enabling refurbishment to take place from within. The Belfast Campus was a typical example of a concrete and steel-framed, single pane, windowwall building of the 1960s and 70s found everywhere and especially in Europe. They are generally not energy efficient, and the University of Ulster redevelopment project provides an example of how to transform such buildings functionally and aesthetically with minimal disruption of the occupants. Re-skinning involved over-cladding the existing window-wall with a new intelligent facade, which also increased the usable floor space of the building. The old facade was then dismantled from the inside ensuring a weather-tight build. The refurbishment of the building’s existing concrete slabs and frame created major logistical hurdles, but saved considerable embodied energy and CO2 compared with using new materials.


UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER BELFAST CAMPUS Finalist: Large Commercial The university has installed two combined heat and power units that meet the energy needs of the campus, one with an estimated payback of 4.2 years and £60,000 savings in energy costs compared with conventional energy supplies, and the other with a 12.5-year payback (chosen because of its very high CO2 savings). These two units generate 48 percent less CO2 than an equivalent gas boiler and grid electricity supply. The new skin provides a passive ventilating facade. Inside the building, exposed concrete slabs are used to store heat or provide night cooling. Heat reclamation is used at the top of the first atrium. Smart building systems include heat and CO2 sensors in all rooms linked to a building maintenance computer that controls natural ventilation and cooling. The design provides daylight to all areas and sensors automatically adjust the levels of any artificial lighting. Waste heat is recovered and re-used from the top of the atria. Rainwater is harvested to provide all toilet and urinal flushing. The passive ventilating facade includes the option to plug in local fancoil units, which will allow the building to be adapted to future changes in occupancy, layout and use. It is the architects’ view that buildings that are able to adapt will in the long run prove to be the most sustainable. The new campus is an important part of the redevelopment of central Belfast and the revitalization of the city’s cultural life, and provides a striking visual landmark.


100 PARK AVENUE Finalist: Large Commercial

Date Constructed

2006-2009

Developer / Owner

SL Green Realty


Moed de Armas & Shannon Architects, Robert Derector Associates (RDA) Consulting Engineers

Location

New York, U.S.A.

100 Park, built in 1949, was the first glass and steel tower on Park Avenue, New York. However, by 2006, the 36-storey office block was looking dated and its once state-of-the-art building systems were becoming obsolete. An ambitious capital improvement program included re-skinning the facades, upgrading the HVAC systems and adding green roofs. The building remained fully occupied throughout the refurbishment process, which has resulted in 29 percent energy savings per year. Moed de Armas and Shannon Architects’ program entailed removing the existing retail storefronts and replacing them with new tempered glass storefronts. The north and south facades were overclad with closed system, coated aluminum, composite metal panels, and the original windows replaced with new insulated glass and coated aluminum windows. The Park Avenue facade was clad with an insulated glass and anodized aluminum curtain wall over the existing aluminum spandrels, brick pilasters and single-pane windows. The windows were then removed from the interior, allowing tenants to remain in the building throughout the refurbishment. The old lobby received limited natural light due to the Park Avenue Viaduct running directly in front of the building at the first-storey level. To reduce artificial lighting costs and make a more inviting space, a double-height lobby with a glass transom at the second level was created. A new efficient HVAC system now serves the area.


100 PARK AVENUE Finalist: Large Commercial The north and south sides of the building now feature 14 green roof spaces, which use a lowmaintenance, low water-consumption Xeroflor mat system. Low-flow plumbing fixtures are being installed through the building, which will save approximately 1 million gallons of water a year. A centralized building automation system monitors and controls all mechanical and lighting systems, allowing precise temperature control on each floor and enabling systems to be more efficiently sized for their actual demand load. The building’s security systems are also integrated into the building automation system. The capital outlay for the re-skinning and new HVAC system was approximately $15.8 million. With annual savings of $1.1 million in energy costs, payback for the retrofit and equipment will be 14 years. The project has increased the building’s Energy Star Score, making it eligible for Energy Star Certification by the Environmental Protection Agency, and helping it to achieve LEED-EB (Existing Buildings) Silver Certification. The re-skinning techniques and technologies used on 100 Park are reproducible on similar tower office blocks. The main community benefit of the project is the building’s improved appearance, with the flatness of the glass emphasizing the tower’s surface as opposed to its volume.


222 JARVIS STREET Finalist: Large Commercial

Date Constructed

2010

Developer / Owner

Ontario Realty Corporation


WZMH Architects, Enermodal Engineering

Location

Toronto, Canada

222 Jarvis Street in Toronto is a nine-storey office building with an inverted pyramid design. Built in 1971, it is a unique example of 20th Century brutalist architecture and has been described as ‘monument-like in appearance with a heavy brooding mass’. Recognizing the strength of the core structure and the building’s iconic status in the city, the Ontario government purchased 222 Jarvis in 2007. Its refurbishment is a flagship project for sustainable reconstruction of downtown Toronto office buildings, and of the Government’s program to reduce its carbon footprint by a third. Prior to the refurbishment, 222 Jarvis performed poorly on all energy and environmental fronts, with energy costs of over $1 million a year. Key to improving the building’s energy performance is the cladding of the concrete walls with an insulating skin and the insertion of a layer of insulation above the parking level ceiling. The original single-glazed tinted windows are being replaced with double-glazed clear windows. In addition, all heating, ventilation, lighting and plumbing systems are being upgraded. A large green roof of native and adaptive local plants and moss is being added, with the rest of the roof covered with highly reflective white pavers to reduce albedo. The roof will collect rainwater that will be used for toilet and urinal flushing, thereby also diverting storm water from the city’s drains. All plumbing features are being replaced with low flow options, and the overall water use reduction is estimated to be 11,000 cubic metres a year.


222 JARVIS STREET Finalist: Large Commercial The original lobby is being expanded in width and length, with a four-storey glass atrium at the entrance. The central escalator well is having its brick walls replaced with glass and a skylight added to the top, all of which will allow for greatly increased penetration of daylight and better circulation of air. The HVAC system is being upgraded to a high efficiency system. Smart building systems include daylight and occupancy sensors connected to an intelligent lighting system, and CO2 sensors that will control ventilation. Staff will be able to control the lighting of their individual workspaces through their PCs. Other measures to reduce the building’s carbon footprint include the installation of solar photovoltaic panels on the roof to supplement the electricity supply, and the addition of a large bicycle lock-up and showers to encourage staff to cycle or run to work. The lower level warehouse space is being converted into a meeting and videoconferencing area, which will help staff avoid travel. The project has a policy of avoiding waste and using recycled and reused materials and local or low-impact transport materials, wherever possible. The finished building will achieve LEED Gold status with platinum certification attributes and will save 4,930 tonnes of CO2 a year. The energy efficiency improvements will save an estimated $737,067 a year. The capital costs of the refurbishing are $7.5 million. Therefore, the payback will be 10 years. The Ontario government expects further payback from increased productivity from staff due to the enhanced working environment. The refurbishment of 222 Jarvis is a highly visible project that aims to provide leadership in green retrofits and demonstrate that older buildings can be upgraded to the quality and efficiency of new buildings.


WEST PARK COURT Finalist: Large Residential

Date Constructed

2007

Developer / Owner

West Park Court Housing


Perfido Weiskopf Wagstaff + Goettel Architects, Donald Schock, P.E.

Location

Pittsburgh, U.S.A.

West Park Court is a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sponsored high-rise apartment building for senior citizens in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The building occupies a prominent position on a corner site in the historic Mexican War Streets neighbourhood, directly opposite a city park and within view of the National Aviary. Constructed in 1979, it was originally clad with a fragile stucco material called EIFS, which is common on HUD and other buildings of this vintage. HUD now discourages the use of EIFS, which have proved to be expensive to maintain, and prone to cracks and leaks that often lead to the formation of mould. West Park Court Housing, the non-profit owner of the building, wanted to refurbish the deteriorating exterior of the building, and at the same time improve its energy efficiency and the living conditions of the residents. Perfido Weiskopf Wagstaff + Goettel (PWWG) Architects proposed a scheme to reclad West Park with an aluminum Pressure Equalized Rainscreen (PER), a chambered curtainwall with open joinery that includes vents that allow the wall to breathe, thereby avoiding the pressure gradients that cause problems with EIFS. The design of PER reduces maintenance requirements and gives a longer life to the cladding – at least 50 years compared with 15-25 years for EIFS. The PER also minimizes the physical and thermal bridge between the interior and exterior components of the wall, thereby improving insulation, and the venting has a stack effect in the summer, increasing cooling.


WEST PARK COURT Finalist: Large Residential Other advantages of using the PER for the re-skinning project were that it was installed entirely from the outside thereby avoiding disruption to residents, it has lower maintenance requirements and used recyclable materials. PWWG forecasts that the refurbishment of West Park with its PER skin will produce 15 percent energy savings. The refurbishment included a new well-insulated high-albedo roof, restoration of balconies with new glass panel railings for improved views for residents, and new garden spaces. The new skin has given the building a more modern and elegant appearance, which is in keeping with its prominent position in the neighbourhood. Apart from the design of the PER, the project made little use of smart building systems. Pressure Equalized Rainscreen technology has a number of advantages, including being simple to construct and fit, and could be applicable to many re-skinning projects.


LENNOX ADDINGTON HALL Finalist: Large Residential

Date Constructed

2010

Developer / Owner

University of Guelph


Walter Agius Architect (1969), Larkin Architect, Halcrow Yolles, Peter Di Lullo Eng., Engineered Assemblies

Location

Guelph, Canada

Lennox Addington Hall on the northern edge of the University of Guelph campus is a 10-storey residence housing 600 students. Constructed in 1970 and typical of large building projects of the era, the residence had limited thermal insulation and consumed an excessive amount of energy. Furthermore, the veneer brick wall system displayed serious structural damage due to interior water vapour and exterior water penetration, and was stained and unsightly. The first task was to repair and make safe the brick veneer, and this was carried out over two summers in 2007 and 2008. To address the building envelope issues of water penetration and lack of insulation and air and vapour barriers, the University commissioned Larkin Architect and Halcrow Yolles Engineers to re-clad the structure and to replace all the windows. The University demanded a long-term sustainable solution, but one that could be implemented during summer vacation time. For insulation, Larkin Architect chose a soya-based polyurethane foam that provides an inherent air and vapour barrier, and which could be quickly to applied over the existing surface with its imperfections. For the cladding, Larkin Architect used an open jointed rain-screen system with extruded terracotta ceramic tile, chosen because of its natural material and warm colour and similarity to the red brick heritage buildings nearby. The remaining parts of the building were clad with corrugated zinc and grey aluminum composite panels, the different cladding types defining


LENNOX ADDINGTON HALL Finalist: Large Residential the distinct elements of the large building complex. The work was begun in the summer of 2009, and was completed in the summer of 2010. The re-skinned Lennox Addington Hall is projected to reduce energy consumption by 47.1 percent and produce annual energy costs savings of $42,000. This will lead to a simple payback on capital costs of 17 years. The approach taken with Lennox Addington Hall could be used on the many similar buildings from the period – the initial repair work and subsequent reskinning resolving the structural problems and facade deterioration, as well as weatherproofing and insulating the building. The re-skinning project has greatly enhanced the aesthetics of the building, and is providing a foundation for planned internal renovation, all of which will make for an enhanced environment for the students. Smart building systems were not part of the project.


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Zero Footprint_ReSkinningAwards, 2010

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