Indoor Systems 1 - Blog 3

The new Manitoba Hydro building in downtown Winnipeg is truly an architectural success. After our tour of the facility last week, I left with an enhanced sense of appreciation for the design and construction team. There is an extensive amount of detailed planning required  for a building that targets LEED Gold sustainability certification. In addition to the unique architectural features, what struck me as most impressive was the vast amount of daylight that penetrated through the workspaces. There was little need for artificial light because there are floor to ceiling windows with narrow floor plates on widely spaced floors. Living green roofs have also been planted on the lower exterior surfaces of the building. Green roofs help to diminish the ‘heat island effect’ that results when heat is absorbed at the roof’s surface. According to the Manitoba Hydro website, other benefits of a green roof include additional insulation, protection from solar gain in the summer and heat loss in the winter, as well as protection of the roof membrane.

Not only does this building benefit the environment, but it also has an extremely healthy impact on the occupants. Several atrium and rooftop terraces are seasonally accessible to all employees and can be used for informal meetings or simply as places to relax. Many of the floors express a unique character; such at the Aboriginal floor, which incorporates a sharing circle in the carpet and pressed wheatgrass within 3Form wall partitions. These kinds of features make strong connections to the community and play a role in the revitalization of the city’s downtown area.

-Ashley W. (PM)

LEED Consultant / Interior Designer

IDP - electrical systems

During the tour of the Manitoba Hydro Building I payed special attention to the electrical systems.  Light meters throughout the office spaces sense how much light is needed at a specific time.  Lights near the windows may remain dim or off during a bright day, while lights further towards the centre of the building may remain slightly brighter.   These same lights are detected by motion, turning on when the space is occupied and off when it is not.
Lighting can also be controlled by each employee through their personal computer.  Having access to a couple lights near their cubical, an employee can adjust the level of light to meet their needs.  They can also adjust the windows and blinds via computer.  By opening the blinds, the use of artificial lights can be reduced.  If the sun is too bright, the blinds can be closed.  This technology makes it easy to control the amount of electricity used, which, in the Hydro building, must be significantly lower than most Winnipeg office buildings.

The orientation of the building also plays a huge role in limiting the amount of electricity used.  The narrow Hydro building is skewed so that more of the building is facing the south.  This provides more of the interior with natural light, limiting the amount of electricity needed.
Designed using an integrated design process (IDP), the Manitoba Hydro Building is a successful LEED building.  Using this process, our team hopes to design a building that functions sustainably.  It will be important to each share our recently obtained knowledge in order to successfully continue the integrated design process.

Stephanie Hill
- electrical engineer

Manitoba Hydro Visit

The Manitoba Hydro building has become a new Winnipeg landmark.  It sets the standard for a more responsible way of building.  Today we saw how some of the systems we've learned about in class actually work.  


Our tour guide told us that a large percentage of the heating and cooling of the building was supplied from the geothermal system.  The geothermal system is a series of pumps, heat exchangers, ground wells and pipes which are embedded into the structure of the building.  


She also pointed out several features of the windows.  The building incorporated double curtain wall system, allowing fresh air to enter the interior space without creating a draft in the winter while insulating from heat in the summer.  The blinds are automatic and close once the interior is receiving too much heat from the sun.  

The part of the tour that interested me the most was when we visited the south atrium.  Even after having only toured a small portion of the building before we reached that space, the atrium still felt very refreshing.  If the atrium had that much of an impact of me after only a few minutes, I can only imagine how much the employees appreciate the relief of that space.  The fresh air immediately hits you, as does the sunlight and also the water feature.  


Natasha Bargen
Mechanical Engineer

Blog_3 IDP

This week our class went on a tour of the new Manitoba Hydro Building at 360 Portage Ave. I tried to view the tour of the building from the LEED perspective to apply this to our small-scale project of the Banana Boat redevelopment.

One of the interesting aspects of this design was the Integrated Design Process (IDP). This building took 7 years of IDP, to ensure sustainable performance and avoid design solutions that pose later problems. The diagram below shows the various sequence orders according to project needs. 

* This Image was taken from http://www.farm-energy.ca

The IDP process enables a more accurate and thorough way to increase sustainability through energy reduction, GHG reduction, day-lighting, material re-use. Some other Winnipeg projects that used the IDP process were Mountain Equipment Coop and Red River College Princess Campus.

In our small IDP I will push for a reduction in energy through better orientation, windows, walls, roofs, and equipment to reduce fuel and cost for operation, electrical consumption as well as maintenance and replacement costs. In order for the IDP process to be successful a skilled design team, good site characteristics and a skilled construction team.

The overall principle of IDP is to explore potential issues at the beginning of the process hearing viewpoints from various disciplines. This increases the likelihood of a well designed and sustainable building.

Sources: http://www.iisbe.org, http://www.sbis.info

Cliff G.

LEED Consultant

As a group we are focused on maintaining the community centered business model that has garnered Banana Boat the success it has had over the years -  - however we would like to give both the business plan and design a facelift.

Throughout our research we noticed that the employees who work at the surrounding office complex's do not have a healthy option when picking a lunchtime spot, nor does the area of South Osborne have any establishments offering healthy choices for neighbourhood kids jonesing for a treat.

We are proposing to re-appropriate the site as a new eatery - offering have cooked lunches  and snacks with a focus on local ingredients and recipes.

We plan to continue selling frozen treats but instead of soft-serve ice cream we will offer a variety of baked goods as well as introduce smoothie bar to the neighbourhood.

We hope to use the site more efficiently by building up. The first floor will be where orders can be blocked and take-out picked up.  The second-floor will be cafeteria-style seating with servers delivering meals but not taking orders.  The rooftop will serve as a patio space in the summer months where individuals, in the summer months, can interact with the green roof and enjoy their lunch while looking over at the river flowing by.

Through an intensive re-branding strategy that focuses on honoring the Banana Boat such as keeping  the sign out front, we hope to capture new customers as well as maintaining loyal to those who have been visiting the banana boat for years.

- Madi Cash Prof. Interior Designer

Charrette - Electrical Systems

The design charrette allowed our group to make some decisions on the possible use for the site.  Removing the building from the site, we intend to design a new structure to house a healthy cafe.  Since the Banana Boat has been around for so many years, we would like to keep the use for the building similar but provide healthier options.
As we move along in the design process it will be important to work together as a group and ensure that all systems work efficiently together.  As the electrical engineer I intend to work closely with the Leed consultants to produce a building that sustainably manages its power.
Simple lighting methods can be used to reduce the structures impact on the environment.  Separate switches for the artificial lighting near the windows allows them to be switched off when daylight provides enough significant light. Dimmer switches are another cost efficient, sustainable method of controlling interior light.

 

Working with the mechanical engineer we will decide on the orientation of the building that will benefit both heating/cooling as well as lighting.  To achieve a sustainable design it will be important for our group to continue working closely with one another.  Not only will this benefit design, but will also allow each of us to learn more about the other roles.  

Stephanie Hill
Electrical Engineer

Blog_2 Charrette

Our immediate reaction as a group was to redevelop the site as a year-round attraction. Although the building is small it has a patchwork of structures and systems. Considering the site for a complete demolition and construction lead me to think about the sheer amount of waste that is created when buildings are demolished, even in small scale projects such as this. Of course a way to counter this is to deconstruct and reuse various portions of the building. But because this structure is not brick and has very small structural members it would be a challenge to incorporate these into a new, proposed structure.

If our proposal was to become LEED certified it would have to be considered early in the development process. Integrated sustainable strategies would have to become an integral part of our new proposal and include all levels of the project team.

The benefits of attaining LEED certification are lowered operating costs and increased asset value, reduce waste to landfills, conserving energy and water, healthier and safer for occupants, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, qualify for tax rebates, zoning allowances as well as demonstrating environmental stewardship and social responsibility within the Winnipeg community.

For our proposal we would be considered under LEED NC (new construction). The site has some qualities that readily provide for LEED certification such as public transportation and community connectivity. Some other early stage considerations to create a LEED certified building are a green roof to reduce the heat island effect, protecting or restoring habitat, promoting alternative transportation and reducing parking as well as managing storm water in an effective way.

So, even just in the initial phases of design development (our charrette) I realized that producing a LEED qualified construction requires much thought from the very beginning. I think that these sustainable ideals need to be and will be incorporated into all design (LEED certified or not) in order to further the design field in a positive and  more sustainable way. 

Cliff G.

LEED Consultant

Charrette

Our charrette this morning provided us with an opportunity compare ideas.  We discussed these ideas from our specific roles in order to consider every aspect of the design.  We decided to create a cafe style eatery, with healthy menu options including salads and frozen yogurt.


We decided on three goals for our design:

• to maintain the meaningful rapport with the community that Banana Boat established years ago
• to respond to the community's needs by creating a design that they would enjoy
• to design our project using sustainable alternatives

Our design may implement alternative systems to operate the building.  We will consider using a variety of energy sources such as geothermal, hydrogen, solar, wind and bioenergy to support our eatery.  

We will consider the human comfort levels when we complete our design.  A key point on this topic is that humidity is a particularly uncomfortable feeling.  People can generally endure heat rather than humidity.  

Our group will consider using a surface water heat pump system or a hybrid geothermal system as both are efficient and cost effective.  

When we place our building on the site, we will consider the orientation.  We will benefit from prevailing winds, plan for breezes and avoid direct sunlight.  

I enjoyed the charrette process because it was a straight forward, interactive way to hear every group member's opinion and interests.  It was clear example of how creativity prospers when people share ideas!

Natasha Bargen

Mechanical Engineer

photo from www.metaefficient.com/wind_power_u.s._turbines.jpg

Indoor Systems 1 - Blog 2

During the group charrette, the team realized that there are a few initials hurdles to overcome before this project reaches LEED certification. This is largely due to a lack of information about sustainable strategies so we decided that a crucial first step would be to register with the Canada Green Building Council. Registering early in the development process ensures the maximum potential for high building performance. We discussed our thoughts and findings thus far, as well as potential site, climate, and business opportunities. We examined the scope of the work associated with each role then arrived on a consensus that a replacement building would achieve a more efficient and environmentally friendly facility- without having to accommodate the existing systems within a weakening structure. Our new program will serve the environment and bear in mind the needs of the community.

Upon an independent audit of the new building, it can be awarded silver, gold or platinum status due to the number of criteria or “points” it has achieved over a wide range of “green” categories. The project will be evaluated by our team’s oversight of the certification through the scope of: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in design.

Since the Banana Boat is located within walking distance to public transportation it immediately earns structure points towards LEED certification. We can also earn points towards certification by providing recycling options. One building point can be earned if the site has a green roof covering the total surface area of the roof, less any considerations for solar panels and mechanical equipment. This type of roof would not be an option had we decided to re-work the existing building. With a new structure we can earn this point for having a 100% green roof serving the entire building.

Throughout this course, I continue to learn how very important interiors are to sustainable design, and in turn, how influential sustainability has become on all facets of design and construction.

-Ashley W. (PM)

LEED Consultant / Interior Designer