-
SUMMER 2015
CENTRE STAGE
Photovoltaic Panels Redesigning Edmonton Net-zero Benefits Ask
an Architect Rexall Reimagined
THE BEAUTY OF RETROFIT
THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRES NEXT BIG ACT IS AN ARTFUL
TRANSFORMATION
OUTDOOR INSPIRATIONSee the best in repurposed outdoor public
spaces
PM# 40020055
BUSINESS OF RETROFITBuild a case for green revamps: its a
no-brainer
RISum15 01 Cover.indd 1 2015-06-03 8:11 AM
-
CONTENTS
Buildings account for 75% of all energy consumption in North
America.
glascurtain.ca
THE LEGACY CENTRE will honour the memory of 2011s Slave Lake
wildfire as a beautiful and sustainable hub offering community and
cultural services to the town.
By leveraging composite materials, we can develop higher
performance building envelopes to reduce operating costs and our
environmental impact. With our unique fiberglass pultrusions,
GlasCurtains curtain wall framing system reduces energy costs by an
incredible 510% compared to aluminum systems.
GlasCurtain is proud to salute the spirit and courage of Slave
Lakes residents by collaborating on The Legacy Centre.
000RE-ManascGlasCurtain-FP.indd 1 2015-05-28 12:24 PMRISum15
02-03 ToC.indd 2 2015-06-03 8:10 AM
-
3summer 2015
ISSUE #3SUMMER 2015
Rejuvenating outdoor spaces has become a global interest
6 Worlds first carbon-positive house
14 Its time to embrace the sun
39 Talking tower renewal
10 Ask an Architect: net-zero buildings
12 Designers ink out a new Edmonton
18 COVER STORY: NAC makeover
28 Edmonton Community Foundation s new home
32 The Associated Engineering Plaza is in need of a refresh
36 Green building trends
40 Hedgerow goes green
43 Institutional change eyed
48 Seeking a revamp for Scotia Place
46 Rexall Place could take MLGs lead
+
Cover image: National Arts Centre, courtesy Diamond Schmitt
Architects
Contents photos: realities:united, BerlinFernand GuerraMalcolm
Brown Manasc Isaac
CONTENTS
22
Buildings account for 75% of all energy consumption in North
America.
glascurtain.ca
THE LEGACY CENTRE will honour the memory of 2011s Slave Lake
wildfire as a beautiful and sustainable hub offering community and
cultural services to the town.
By leveraging composite materials, we can develop higher
performance building envelopes to reduce operating costs and our
environmental impact. With our unique fiberglass pultrusions,
GlasCurtains curtain wall framing system reduces energy costs by an
incredible 510% compared to aluminum systems.
GlasCurtain is proud to salute the spirit and courage of Slave
Lakes residents by collaborating on The Legacy Centre.
000RE-ManascGlasCurtain-FP.indd 1 2015-05-28 12:24 PM RISum15
02-03 ToC.indd 3 2015-06-03 8:10 AM
-
Reimagine Interiors specializes in custom designs that optimize
your space for the people who use it. Using reclaimed materials we
create beautiful, vibrant and sustainable workspaces.
calgary 403.460.4177 edmonton 780.429.3977
MANASC ISAAC ARCHITECTSEDITOR-IN-CHIEF Vivian Manasc
ASSOCIATE EDITORKent McKay
GRAPHIC DESIGN CONSULTANTLisa Mentz
VENTURE PUBLISHING INC.PUBLISHERRuth KellyDIRECTOR OF CUSTOM
CONTENTMifi Purvis
MANAGING EDITORShelley Williamson
ART DIRECTORRyan Girard
ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTORAndrea DeBoer
PRODUCTION MANAGERBetty Feniak Smith
PRODUCTION TECHNICIANSBrent Felzien, Brandon Hoover
DIRECTOR OF CIRCULATIONSharlene Clarke
CIRCULATIONKaren Reilly
CONTRIBUTING WRITERSSydnee Bryant, David DiCenzo, Martin Dover,
Emmett Gallagher, Karamajit Grewal, Richard Isaac, Claire Johnson,
Vivian Manasc, Kent McKay, Tiffany Shaw-Collinge, Richard White
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERSTim Atherton, Cooper + OHara, Malcolm
Brown, Ferdnand Guerra, Phillip Pon, Patrick T I G H E
Reimagine is a biannual publication produced by Venture
Publishing for architectural firm Manasc Isaac. Manasc Isaac is a
Canadian leader in integrated sustainable building with deep
expertise in the reimagining of existing buildings, primarily those
built between 1950 and 2000.
Reimagine magazine showcases the best of reimagined spaces and
promotes sustainable building practices in the community, and
strives to be the authoritative business voice on the value of
reimagined building practices.
Contents 2015 by Manasc Isaac. No part of this publication
should be reproduced in print or on websites without written
permission.
Publications Agreement #40020055
Non-deliverable mail should be directed to: 10225 100 Avenue,
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 0A1
ISSUE #3 SUMMER 2015
reimagine
RIsum15 04-05 masthead+Reimagination.indd 4 2015-06-03 1:28
PM
-
5summer 2015
rutalist buildings structures with exposed concrete facades are
much-maligned among the public, as well as among many architects.
But the
term brutalist isnt related to the ugliness often attributed to
these buildings. Rather, it derives from the French term bton brut,
describing concrete thats left in its natural state of
roughness.
The concrete aesthetic of the massive, grey-brown, impenetrable,
unfriendly and foreboding facades was intended to make a point.
These buildings were meant to be seen as modern-day cathedrals or
monuments to the permanence of public institutions.
The late-1960s and early-1970s were plagued with fear. The Cold
War raged, while air raid shel-ters were built into neighbourhoods.
Governments were persuaded that these heavy-duty precast concrete
buildings would be relatively inexpensive to build, easy to
maintain and provide a strong nationalistic metaphor.
In stark contrast to the light and colourful
inter-national-style modern buildings of the same period, which
some saw as temporal and ephemeral, serious buildings such as
Boston City Hall and the Edmonton Law Courts were designed to
express the gravitas of public institutions, and the relative
insignificance of people in relation to it. These buildings were
often finely detailed and con-sidered pieces of sculpture, artfully
modularized to be manufactured in precast concrete factories
designed to be appreciated by the cognoscenti and to be indifferent
to the masses. One of the most iconic of brutalist buildings,
Boston City Hall and its surrounding plaza have been so difficult
to inhabit that city recently launched a competition to invite the
reimagining of the public domain.
From London to Mexico City, Boston to Edmonton, exposed concrete
buildings were designed and built by prominent architects. Largely
built at a time when the public retreated from the street and
withdrew to cars and suburbs, brutalist
buildings acted as protective fortresses for the important
business of the day after which people went home to their yards,
kids, parks and life.
We now find ourselves reclaiming the city concept with its
urban, walkable nature and its direct interface between the public
realm and our daily lives. Our renewed urban experience changes the
conversation: we now ask the outside faces of buildings to act as
the inside walls of the public street. We now desire open,
revealing, colourful, warm and welcoming facades of buildings that
are the direct antithesis of the brutalist vision.
Contemporary brain research has affirmed what our grandparents
knew that we need light and colour to thrive. People respond to
nature, sunshine, trees and natural materials, and the urban
environments that succeed in creating vibrancy are those that
incorporate these elements.
This brings us to the most important design and construction
trend of this next decade: reimagining brutalist buildings. Given
the massive material investment and the intention to create
buildings that last for centuries, the demolition of these
buildings is less than ideal. Besides, many of these robust,
durable buildings are serviceable and functional they are just ugly
ducklings.
Among the finest examples we have seen is Ottawas National Arts
Centre. A building that has always seemingly turned its back on the
public, the NAC is being reimagined with a colourful, animated
transparent layer atop its massive concrete walls. Respecting the
rigid hexagonal geometry of the original architecture, the
reimagined NAC will add vibrancy to Ottawas downtown and place the
performing arts at the heart of the experience of the city.
Architecturally, the NAC renovation demonstrates whats possible,
leading the way toward an understanding of brutalist buildings and
the opportunity to reimagine them in keeping with the more
human-focused aesthetic of the 2020s.
In this issue, we invite you to think about the brutalist
buildings of the 60s and 70s in your city, and to let us know which
would benefit from a con-temporary, colourful and light reimagine
effort. re
Vivian [email protected]
THE BRUTALITY OF BRUTALISM
reimagination
B
RIsum15 04-05 masthead+Reimagination.indd 5 2015-06-03 10:13
AM
-
reimagine
6
reframetrends, innovations and ideas
MARKET BY THE SEAHALIFAX WAREHOUSE TAKES THE LEED AS A TRULY
SUSTAINABLE
FARMERS MARKETYou might say that, when it comes to the Halifax
Seaport Farmers Market, whats old is new again. The oldest
continuously-running market in North America was established in
1750, but after jumping around a bit it was recently relocated to
an old warehouse owned by the Halifax Port Authority. Its new
56,000-square-foot home is a LEED Platinum-certified building that
was completed in 2010 with the help of some municipal, provincial,
federal and private funding.
The design team, led by Lydon Lynch Architects, kept the core of
the old structure and was able to divert an impressive 96.5 per
cent of the construction waste from the landfill. Green features
added to the revamped warehouse include wind turbines,
solar-thermal panels, geothermal wells, a green roof and
double-glazed argon-filled windows that make the most of views of
the adjacent sea. The old floor was also ripped up, broken down and
used as backfill gravel, while its new concrete replacement floor
includes radiant tubes for heating, and pit boxes with drains,
electrical outlets and faucets to accommodate the markets 250
vendors.
PHOTOS DIALOGDESIGN.CA, ARCHIBLOX.COM.AU
TREADING LIGHTLY
Claiming to produce more energy than it uses, a little company
Down
Under has revealed what it calls the first carbon-positive
house.
Punctuated by floor-to-ceiling windows, the 800-square-foot home
is
crafted by pre-fab builder Archiblox, whose website says, the
CPH has
moved beyond carbon zero by making additional positive
contributions
by producing more energy on-site than the building requires.
Its design includes a green roof, a wood-panelled interior made
of
sustainably sourced and non-toxic materials, sliding edible
garden walls
and an airtight building envelope. The home designs, which come
in one-,
two- and three-bedroom configurations, start at $260,000 plus
GST.
Aussie pre-fab company rolls out the worlds first
carbon-positive house
For more information, visit ARCHIBLOX.COM.AU
RIsum15 06-09 FoB Reframe.indd 6 2015-06-03 8:09 AM
-
summer 2015
7
LATER, SKATER. Skateboard
manufacturers create a lot of waste.
In a bid to reuse that waste, iPhone
cover maker Grove and recycled
skateboard jewelry makers Maple xo
have teamed up to offer a solution
for the discarded post-industrial
material: iPhone backs. Each of the
hand-milled and finished backs is one-of-a-kind and attaches
to the iPhone with a 3M adhesive.
Made at the Grovemade workshop in Portland, Oregon, they retail
for $129 and are available at GROVEMADE.COM
RECORD BREAKERS. Youll be
bowled over by what Vinylux has done
with recycled records. Made from
scratched, warped and otherwise
played out records, their bowls are part
of an array of offerings, including mirrors,
bookends, sketchbooks, ornaments
and clocks. Though theyre not
recommended to hold food, you can choose your genre of
music.
The bowls, which are moulded into shape with heat, retail for
$28 and up and are available online at VINYLUX.NET
HOME OPENER. If youve ever
wanted to feel like youre at a Major
League Baseball game while you
are watching it from your own home
base, uncommongoods.com has just
the ticket. You can crack open your
favourite cold one with a piece from a
recycled bat, and even read up on the
game it came from thanks to a special hologram number. These
baseball bat bottle openers will swing you $95-$125.
Get in the game at UNCOMMONGOODS.COM
RETRO RECYCLERS. Want to delight a child and keep
some plastic out of the landfill at the same time? Green
Toys
uses recycled milk jugs (high-density polyethylene) as the
base for all of its retro-style toys. To date, the
California-
based manufacturer has recycled more than 24 million jugs
to make its classic eco-friendly toys. According to its
website,
every pound of plastic recycled to make its wares saves the
equivalent energy of 3,000 AAA batteries.
For a list of available stores where the toys are available,
visit GREENTOYS.COM
AIR TIME. Who knew there was
another purpose for car air bags
than saving lives in a collision? Well,
one U.S. company has reimagined
this safety feature, but kept it in
the bag. To make their Harvest line
backpacks, Keen takes obsolete or
leftover pre-consumer airbags and
ships them to a factory in Chico, California, after
recycling
them through a sorting facility in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Each
bag is sewn together, numbered and signed by the person who
created it. The bags retail from $70-$130.
For more information, visit KEENFOOTWEAR.COM/EN-CA/BAGS
>
TRASH TALKUpcycled materials net a new lease on life as
household goods
RIsum15 06-09 FoB Reframe.indd 7 2015-06-03 8:09 AM
-
reimagine
8
reframe
LEADING THE PACKTop 10 LEED countries outside the United
StatesGross square metres (GSM) are reported in millions and based
on April 2014 numbers
Source: USGBC
7
8
9
10
6
BRAZIL 2.85 GSM (in 829 certified LEED projects)
SINGAPORE 2.16 GSM (in 91 certified LEED projects)
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES1.82 GSM (in 850 certified LEED
projects)
FINLAND 1.45 GSM (in 148 certified LEED projects)
GERMANY 2.90 GSM (in 365 certified LEED projects)
1
2
3
4
5
CANADA17.74 GSM (in 4,068 certified LEED projects)
CHINA14.30 GSM (in 1,638 certified LEED projects)
INDIA 11.64 GSM (in 1,657 certified LEED projects)
SOUTH KOREA3.84 GSM (in 242 certified LEED projects)
TAIWAN 2.98 GSM (in 114 certified LEED projects)
RIsum15 06-09 FoB Reframe.indd 8 2015-06-03 8:18 AM
-
summer 2015
9
Hong Kong building goes from former police quarters to a design
haven
As its name would suggest, at one time PMQ was home to private
married quarters for police in Sheung Wang, Hong Kong. Even before
that, though, it housed some of Hong Kongs key business tycoons as
part of the first government school to provide a Western education
to Chinese students.
While signs of the 64,583-square-foot two-building sites
colonial heritage are still apparent, today PMQ is home to a mix of
boutiques, studios and cafes. But how it got to its current
iteration was a bit unusual.
The retrofit was a combined funding effort between the
government and the non-profit Musketeers Foundation, a trio of
businessmen whose pooled $100 million helped bring the arts mecca
to fruition.
The design team kept original blocks, granite steps and
retaining walls, and restored interior walls to an original
whitewash. The trim was also returned to the same teal it once
sported. Opened last April after sitting idle for years, its
100-plus units were snapped up by tenants who have quickly made PMQ
one of the most popular scenes in town.
COLONIAL REVIVAL
SAVING FACEReclaimed wood planks punctuate the new facade of
Calgarys Junction 9
SOMETIMES A CLEVER FACADE CAN BE A GOOD THING. Case in point:
Calgary-based MoDA (Modern Office of Design and Architecture)s
revamp of Junction 9, which houses a yoga and Pilates studio and a
rooftop patio.
Located just on the south side of Inglewoods main drag, 9 Avenue
S.E., the structure was once a blah commercial building fraught
with building limitations and a small budget, until Dustin Couzins
and Ben Klumper of MoDA were enlisted for a refresh. Now its
dramatic wooden face sports reclaimed planks from Salvage Solutions
in High River after being hand-milled with the help of a Hutterite
colony, the only ones with large enough equipment to craft the
100-year-old wood planks.
According to MoDAs website, the sharp reclaimed plank screen
kills threebirds with one stone so to speak, by fulfilling the
following functions: 1) view attenuation, 2) wayfinding, and 3)
branding and signage. re
PHOTOS COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG, WORKWILD.CA
RIsum15 06-09 FoB Reframe.indd 9 2015-06-03 8:09 AM
-
10
ask an architect
reimagine
Find out how net-zero buildings conserve power and offset
negative impacts to the environment
What is a net-zero building? A net-zero energy building is any
building that produces at least as much energy as it consumes on
its site over the course of a year.
That means all the consumption of energy from the municipal grid
should be offset through on-site production of energy, usually by
using renewable energy systems such as photovoltaic (PV) solar
systems, solar hot water systems, bio-mass based systems, wind
turbines, tidal differential-based systems or geo-exchange (or
geothermal) systems. Its OK to use any of the known renewable
energy systems alone or in any possible combination. Moreover,
architects and engineers are strongly encouraged to adapt their
ideas to the contextual specifics of the site and to a clients
requirements, to optimize the mechanical, electrical and renewable
energy systems.
Its important to note that, even if a building is connected to a
single source of energy coming from the municipal infrastructure,
its still important to consider a combination of various systems,
even if some of those are not producing energy in the same form
as
the one consumed from the grid. For example, if a building is
connected solely to the electric grid all of its electric energy
consumption doesnt have to be compensated through its PV solar
system, but can also be offset through a combination of a PV system
and geo-exchange system that can dramatically decrease the electric
energy load of the mechanical system. Thats exactly the kind of
strategy that Edmontons Mosaic Centre (themosaiccentre.ca) is using
to meet the net-zero energy requirement. The Mosaic Centre is a
net-zero energy office building on Edmontons south side that houses
Oil Country Engineering and several other smaller tenants,
including a daycare, restaurant and wellness centre. Its the first
building of its kind in Alberta.
Things start to get really interesting with the mind-shifting
idea that preservation is always a more sustainable method than
generation. In the world of construction, that primarily means no
new construction could ever be fully sustainable due to its
transportation, construction, labour, land area and product
embedded energy footprint. That inevitably leads us to realize that
all of those
Reimagine sat down with Vedran Skopac, a Croatian architect
working at Manasc Isaac, to talk about net-zero buildings and their
benefits.
THINK POSITIVE
PHOTOS COOPER + OHARA
Edmontons Mosaic Centre has been dubbed a green-building game
changer.
RISum15 10-11 askArchitect.indd 10 2015-06-03 8:07 AM
-
11
summer 2015
The Mosaic Centre is the first commercial net-zero building to
be built in Alberta.
lousy (and even those less-lousy) performing existing buildings
are a valuable resource that we should consider renovating or
repurposing before we decide to build a new building on a virgin
piece of land. But that, of course, is not the reality of our
fast-growing economies, and therefore we need to consider both.
At the very least, every building, whether its a renovation or
brand new construction should be tasked to preserve both the energy
and the environment as much as possible. In construction, those
strategies are known as passive and they are inherently pragmatic
and logical. Passive strategies are less focused on high-tech
systems and more on basic architectural decisions, which may
present a higher upfront cost though they definitely make sense
when looking at return on investment over a certain time period in
lower energy consumption cost and cost of operation and
maintenance.
To better illustrate the theory behind passive strategies, the
Mosaic Centres design is as elongated as possible in the east-west
direction, with a true south-facing facade area and a relatively
narrow cross section, so it can harvest the free solar energy and
help offset winter heating loads. Some other aspects of the Mosaic
strategy include high ceilings and lots of window glazing, so
natural light can illuminate all the regularly occupied floor areas
of the building and eliminate the need for artificial lighting.
Furthermore, floors are built with concrete topping that is a
potent material to store the daytime thermal energy and gradually
release it during the night, decreasing the need of the mechanical
system to operate in high speed in times when the building is not
occupied. Also, the building envelope is nearly 100 per cent
airtight and impervious to vapour and at least R30 insulated,
dramatically decreasing thermal energy loss, thermal bridging
and vapour condensation issues. Sunshades help decrease solar heat
gain during the summertime when the sun is up high on the horizon,
and that way, decrease the cooling loads.
But perhaps one of the most radical ideas the Mosaic and many
other high-performing buildings are using is the one we all have
long known but seem to sometimes forget operable windows.
What are the benefits of a net-zero building?The main benefit of
a net-zero energy building is the return on its investment through
zero-annual energy bills and, in some cases, even profits on
storing and/or selling back energy to the municipal grid and other
consumers.
A more profound idea lies in the realm of ethics, though. Theres
a rapid increase in the number of owners who not only understand
the financial benefit of highly sustainable buildings, but who also
take pride in it and form their companys identity by way of
practically demonstrating that they care about environmental
sustainability.
A radical view into the current trends of energy use around the
globe may suggest that net-zero energy buildings, as well as the
net-zero water buildings, may not only presume a clever strategy,
but may even be the required one in the near future.
What the Mosaic Centre design anticipates is a growing capacity
in renewable energy production to power the onsite charging
stations for electric vehicles, to meet the demands of an
increasing number of Mosaic workers who have chosen to drive a
hybrid or fully electric vehicle and are pursuing the idea of a
net-zero life. Now that is an interesting thought! re
RISum15 10-11 askArchitect.indd 11 2015-06-03 8:07 AM
-
12
leading edge
reimagine
eimagining a citys buildings on many scales is critical to the
success of sustainable communities, and for more
than a decade Edmontons Manasc Isaac Architects has focused on
the impor-tance of this concept. Recently, to inspire building
owners to think differently about the citys scores of older
buildings, as well as to expand its own expertise, Manasc Isaac
invited team members to collaborate, sharing ideas on how to
achieve the most creative, inventive and sustainable renovation
projects possible.
In early 2015, principal architect Vivian Manasc announced a
reimagine design competition, sparking excitement and great ideas
within the studio. Team members were encouraged to partner up in
groups, or to independently create a concept for an Edmonton
building that could stand to be refreshed.
Although there was no individual
winner, the intriguing new plans demon-strated many winning
ideas. Keep your eyes fixed on the Edmonton skyline and cityscape;
some of these concepts may just emerge as reality.
The Hanging Gardens of EdmontonDesigned by Alecsandru Vasiliu
and Ana-Dora Matei, The Hanging Gardens of Edmonton explores the
revitalization of a series of buildings located along Edmontons 97
Street. Located in an emerging area thats full of historical and
too-often neglected buildings, this city block is typical of
historic Edmonton in its scale. Vasiliu and Mateis concept plays
with the notion of lowscapes, Matei explains. These are small
build-ings, remnants of old developments that have a radically
different scale from their surroundings, she continues. They have
the characteristics of urban squares
if perceived at the speed of a moving vehicle but become
intricate and detailed volumes if one walks by.
The Hanging Gardens would best be experienced by walking (not
driving) by, offering delights for pedestrians as the sidewalk
spirals and twists in interesting ways, as if pedestrians were
climbing up and down through a natural landscape. The program for
the Hanging Gardens is diverse and compelling. Its spaces would
feature rooftop patios, a farmers market, basketball court and even
a rooftop beach. Effectively, the Hanging Gardens consti-tutes a
small piazza for its community, and is a welcome break from the
skyscrapers emerging across the citys landscape.
Tower on the HillFor her reimagine entry, Veronica Her-nandez
turned to Edmontons Old Strath-cona neighbourhood, a diverse,
mature and dynamic part of the city surrounded
By Kent McKay
INVENT CHANGE
R
A contest at Manasc Isaac challenges architects and building
owners to change the way they look at mid-century building
stock
The Hanging Gardens would best be experienced by walking, not
driving by.
RISum15 12-13 LeadingEdge.indd 12 2015-06-08 11:31 AM
-
13
summer 2015
by shops, parks, community centres, restaurants and the
University of Alberta campus. In a bid to inspire progressive
change and improve the neighbourhoods standard of living, her
design gives a visual and functional lift to the Tower on the Hill,
an apartment building overlooking the citys stunning river
valley.
Hernandez warms up the east and west sides of the building by
adding lami-nate timber panels that make the building more
welcoming. She brightens up the north facade of the building with
white, which acts as a proud beacon visible from downtown. Finally,
sustainable deliverables, including solar panels on the buildings
south side, would help to power the tower and equip residents with
highly efficient systems and non-toxic finishes.
Hernandez says that her mandate for the project was to
positively impact the community outside the building and strengthen
the community inside the
building. This project would trigger fur-ther improvement for
the community. It would inspire positive change that moves far
beyond the buildings walls.
An Engineering Marvel Manasc Isaac is no stranger to the
Asso-ciated Engineering Plaza. This concrete high-rise building was
the subject of a 2010 Manasc Isaac feasibility study aimed to help
usher the building into a new era. (For more on this study, see
page 32.)
Vedran Skopac revisited Associated Engineering Plaza with his
entry in the reimagine design competition, offering a bold new
vision to recapitalize the space and solidify its reputation as a
worthy landmark welcoming visitors into the downtown core. Skopacs
concept plays on the notion of texture, wrapping the tower in a
range of innovative material choices. Polytetrafluoroethylene
(PTFE) textile is used in combination with a
transparent foil as a secondary layer to the existing low
performing exterior walls to increase protection from the sun. This
additional skin also controls the privacy of the tenants, he
explains. Additionally, terra cotta baguettes act as sunshades that
wrap the building in a veil made of clay with altering density,
using an algorithm to calculate whether a space requires a
transparent or opaque portion treatment, depending on the privacy
that the space inside needs.
One of the most striking features of the concept is the addition
of greenhouse pods that stud the tower. These pods pro-trude from
the building, offering a view that goes well beyond the traditional
and fabled corner office. Strategically attached to the exterior of
the building, these spaces correspond to occupants needs by adding
leasable area, and could even protect the building from noise and
sun in a series of vertical winter gardens. re
IMAGES MANASC ISAAC
Tower on the Hills north facade was made white to act as a
beacon from downtown.
The Associated Engineering buildings reimagining would include
greenhouse pods.
RISum15 12-13 LeadingEdge.indd 13 2015-06-03 8:05 AM
-
reimagine
14
material world
By Tiffany Shaw-Collinge
Photovoltaic (PV) energy is fast becoming a force to be reckoned
with, promising a life beyond the grid
HERE COMES THE SUN
olar photovoltaic power has an interesting history and an even
more promising future. In 1954, photovoltaic (PV) technology
was
created in a Bell Telephone laboratory with just four per cent
energy efficiency; by 1958 it was sent into space to power
satellites. It is still used as a viable power source for space
applications today. The first solar-powered car, the Quiet
Achiever, was driven in 1982 and the first stand-alone
four-kilowatt powered home was erected in 1983. A solar-powered
aircraft, the iCare, was created in 1996 and the tallest skyscraper
in New York Citys Times Square implemented PV modules between the
37th and 43rd floors in 1999. In 2001, Home Depot began to sell
residential solar power systems in California and in 2013 IKEA
started selling flat-packed solar panels in Great Britain.
Improvements over the last 60 years have focused on innovations
in harnessing the suns power, as the worlds growing population
tries to save and produce energy and live sustainably. Most common
PV applications now are rooftop installations, but you can also
find them integrated into facade treatments, sometimes in
conjunction with other building materials. Lets take a look at a
few successful projects involving sustainable, informed design. Not
only do these buildings help generate their own power and get off
the grid, but architects designed their facade to carefully balance
performance and esthetics.
Higher LearningThe EPFL Quartier Nord, Swiss Tech Convention
Centre, is located in the north campus of cole polytechnique fdrale
de Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland. Completed in 2014, Richter
Dahl Rocha and Associates Architects designed this conference
centre along with housing for 516 students. With a maximum
capacity of 3,000 seats, the building can be opened up as one large
auditorium space or it can be reconfigured into several smaller
rooms for intimate auditorium events, meetings or banquets. This
transition is achieved through mobile wall systems
S
PHOTO FERDNAND GUERRA
RISum15 14-17 MaterialWorld.indd 14 2015-06-03 8:04 AM
-
summer 2015
15
and hydraulic platforms with rotating seat mounts that can
transform from an auditorium into a flat multi-purpose room or
banquet hall in a matter of minutes. The facade is clad with
anodized aluminum panels, glazing and transparent colour-dyed PV
panels that allow light to enter into the interior. These exterior
materials contrast with the natural wood interior trim well.
These west-facing PV panels implemented as glazing not only
fulfill their technological duty by converting sunlight to
electricity, but they also become an integral part of the
aesthetics of the building. Coordinated by artist Catherine Bolle,
transparent multi-coloured PV panels allow natural light to enter
the space illuminating the interior with a tinted glow, similar to
a stained glass effect. The transparency passively reduces the
amount of heat and UV rays entering the building, reducing indoor
cooling, while the sunlight illuminating the PV panels is actively
converted into electricity.
A Social ExperimentPhilippon-Kalt Architectes completed a
17-unit social housing building in Paris, France, using 1,490
square metres of solar collector panels applied as a second skin
for exterior cladding on the balconies. This project was completed
in 2010 and uses solar collectors for
40 per cent of its domestic hot water delivery. The thoughtful
design of integrated exterior materials with solar panels creates
secondary uses that further optimize the buildings performance.
This application also creates a double skin as it is applied to the
outside of balconies, acting as a glass balustrade and rain screen,
in the end offering shading for the building, privacy to residents
and reducing noise transmission from the street below to the
interior. The material integration between these dissimilar items
creates a cohesive image of the building and a sustainable solution
for resident low-income families.
Northern ExposureThe Greenstone Government of Canada building,
completed in Yellowknife, NWT in 2005, won the Royal Architectural
Institute of Canada (RAIC) Innovation Award for its
building-integrated PV panel system. It is the very first LEED Gold
project in the North, and is still among the only installations in
Canada where PV panels are integrated into the glazing rather than
into opaque surfaces. This sustainable and brightly-lit project
operates amidst harsh climatic challenges with the use of
integrated PV panels in a high-performance curtain wall that
supplies more than 30 kilowatts >
PHOTOS PHILLIP PON, TIM ATHERTON
[LEFT] The PV panels at the EPFL Quartier Nord in Lausanne serve
more than electrical needs. [BELOW] This 17-unit social housing in
Paris boasts 1,490 square metres of solar panels.[BOTTOM] The
Greenstone Government of
Canada building in Yellowknife has its PV panels integrated into
the buildings glazing.
Improvements over the last 60 years have focused on innovations
in harnessing the suns power, as the worlds population tries to
save and produce energy and live sustainably.
RISum15 14-17 MaterialWorld.indd 15 2015-06-03 8:04 AM
-
reimagine
16
material world
of electricity to the building. Manasc Isaacs innovative curtain
wall system also allows filtered daylight to enter the atrium,
exposing occupants to natural lighting conditions through the
summer and winter seasons.
Typically, building-integrated solar energy means roof-top
installations, but when solar panels are integrated in harmony with
other building materials on the facade, it can fulfill aesthetic
and energy ambitions of the client and the designer. Roof-top
applications may allow for maximum performance in solar collection,
but changing the angles to work with the design by adding them to
the facade will only slightly reduce its efficiency. However, this
method creates various opportunities for even greater efficiency by
doubling functionality. This can be important when thinking about
retrofitting a current building and reimagining new possibilities.
Perhaps think of installing glass with PV properties in skylights,
facades, windows or curtain walls offered by companies like
Visionwall or Onyx Solar. PV glass panels not only generate
electricity and reduce the cooling load on the building mechanical
system but they also cut down on UV rays that break down material
properties within the interior.
Energy from the sun is theoretically endless, at least for the
next five billion or so years, and it provides clean energy sans
greenhouse-gas emissions which means the level of its use will only
increase.
LEEDing EdgeLocated in Edmonton, the Mosaic Centre building has
been dubbed a green-building game changer. Completed in early 2015,
this centre provides Mosaic staff with a child-care facility,
wellness centre, games room and a restaurant. Designed to target
LEED Platinum, its aiming to be the first net-zero commercial
building in the province, producing as much energy as it consumes
over the year. On top of that, it could also become the first
Living Building Challenge petal-certified building in Alberta.
The Living Building Challenge is a three-petal certification
that requires the highest measures of performance standards
regarding sustainability in the built environment today. To achieve
these soaring standards, the design team at Manasc Isaac Architects
implemented a high-performance envelope with minimal electrical and
mechanical systems that work together to form an integrated
response to the buildings environment
[TOP] The Greenstone Government of Canada building is the first
LEED Gold building in the North.[BOTTOM] The Mosaic Centre is
poised to become the first Living Building Challenge
petal-certified building in Alberta.
PHOTOS COOPER + OHARA
RISum15 14-17 MaterialWorld.indd 16 2015-06-03 8:04 AM
-
summer 2015
17
within a cold climate. This includes the implementation of
cutting-edge technologies in geothermal, photovoltaic, control and
electrical systems. The PV panels are installed on the roof (used
additionally as sun shading) and vertically on the facade. The
panels along the facade turn the corner from the north face to the
east face, and also accommodate openings of windows and doors a
necessary customization method for effective integration of
materials.
Affordable West HollywoodPatrick Tighes Sierra Bonita offers
mixed-use affordable housing for people living with disabilities.
The apartments were built in 2010 in West Hollywood, California,
and contain 42 accessible units with ground-floor retail space and
a bamboo forest in the internal courtyard that creates a cooling
micro climate to provide thermal comfort for occupants. By locating
the bedrooms along the courtyard and living areas along the street
side, the building capitalizes on views of West Hollywood with
north- and south-facing windows to maximize daylight and minimize
solar gain.
The project integrates a rooftop and facade PV system, solar hot
water panels on the rooftop, drought-tolerant landscaping and a
computer-controlled irrigation system. The rooftop solar hot water
system generates enough domestic hot water for the entire building
and the PV panels provide power to the buildings common areas as
well as act as a sound buffer and blocks dust from the traffic
along Santa Monica Boulevard.
The PV panelling is installed on the roof and along the facade
differently than traditional PV applications. Rather than
integrating the panelling into the building materials, the
architect highlights it by offsetting it from the facade making it
one of the first things to catch your attention.
Hawaiian GatewayAnother notable project that does this well is
the Hawaii Gateway Energy Centre, a net-zero building completed in
2005. This building, on the South Coast of Kona on the big Island
of Hawaii, sets itself apart from the lush landscape with a
sculptural space frame that solely contains the PV panels
demonstrating its prominence as a viable power generation source.
re
PHOTO PATRICK T I G H E
In addition to solar power, this West Hollywood affordable
housing complex features a bamboo forest in its courtyard.
The Hawaii Gateway Energy Centre makes the most of the suns
power with PV panels.
RISum15 14-17 MaterialWorld.indd 17 2015-06-03 8:04 AM
-
Now pushing 50, the National Arts Centre will shed its brutalist
beginnings in a massive retrofit
CURTAIN CALLBY SHELLEY WILLIAMSONRENDERINGS COURTESY DIAMOND
SCHMITT ARCHITECTS
reimagine
18
RISum15 18-21 NAC feature.indd 18 2015-06-03 8:02 AM
-
summer 2015
19
FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE IT WAS BUILT, THE National Arts Centre
is getting ready to truly face the nation. Thanks to a massive
retrofit set to begin in 2016, the Ottawa per-formance space
created as a gift to Canadians on the countrys 1967 centennial will
no longer see theatre goers covertly file into shows from a
back-facing entrance off the beaten path.
One of the big problems is the lobbies are all buried in the
building, says lead architect Donald Schmitt of Diamond Schmitt
Architects, who is tasked with reimagining the NAC. Nobody knows
where the front door is. Theres no public visibility of all the
activity that is happening inside the building.
Four or five hundred people work there every day and its a bit
of a bunker. We are trying to turn it inside out so all the
interior space is more visible, more accessible and more clearly
connected to the street.
For starters, the refurbished centre will feature a new
glassed-in tower and prominent front entrance via Elgin Street, one
of Ottawas prime promenades. Users of the 1.2-million-square-foot
space could not be more thrilled with the about-face. You will now
be able to see Parliament Hill, the War Memorial, the Cha-teau
Laurier and the Rideau Canal, explains Rosemary Thomp-son, director
of communications and public affairs for the NAC. Its one of the
most beautiful views in the country and we will now be able to
share that view with our audience and our artists. This was built
in the 60s, and brutalist architecture was very big. But now we
live in an era where we want to be open to the public. Fortunately
for visitors to the NAC, the Diamond Schmitt retrofit will make the
most of the view.
The process for the retrofit started about four years ago and
culminated with the announcement last November that the federal
government would foot the projects bill as part of $4.8 billion in
infrastructure funding. The NACs share is not the largest chunk, at
$110.5 million, but it is a notable infusion none-theless. We
started working on it because the city was about to build a
light-rail transit system, and so that was a big project, says
Thompson. We had hoped to renew the NAC because we turn 50 in 2019,
and so we quietly started working on it in the back-ground.
Schmitt says early work on the project is slated for this
sum-mer, with construction to kick off in spring 2016 and wrap up
in time for Canadas 150th anniversary of Confederation in July
2017. Schmitt, who has a history of designing upscale perform-ing
arts spaces such as Torontos Four Seasons Centre and Mon-treals
Maison symphonique, likens the reimagined performance centres
future feel to the Toronto Opera House or New Yorks Lincoln Center.
Its a place thats open from breakfast until after the last show,
seven days a week, he says. Its got a caf, people come and hang out
with their laptops and meet friends, they watch performances, film
and video, they buy tickets to new performances. It just becomes an
urban hangout. We are trying to build that spirit at the NAC as
well.
Crafted into the new-and-improved NAC is an additional 35,000
square feet, which will include an expanded dining area that will
seat 600, tripling its current capacity. We hope that people will
come for their annual general meeting or their wed-ding, or their
big title speech. We havent had that kind of space to work with
before, says Thompson. >
RISum15 18-21 NAC feature.indd 19 2015-06-03 8:02 AM
-
reimagine
20
In terms of materials, visitors to a newly remodelled NAC will
notice a significant boost in the glass to the building, some wood
and an infusion of green, which should complement the existing
mainly-concrete shroud while delivering energy benefits. A lot of
the glass will be north-facing. We are using high-perfor-mance
glass and its oriented in a way to avoid big solar gain and solar
glare, says Schmitt. Thats a key issue. We are also hoping to use a
wood structure that will be very visible in all the new spaces. We
are hoping to use green roofs on all the new wings as well as some
of the existing wings.
Part of the plan will include staying loyal to the mandate of
being Canadas performance centre, which will be evident like never
before with the help of projection mapping on the build-ings
exterior of images from performances happening at arts centres
across Canada a feat only made possible with the new glass
additions.
The change is going to be really dramatic, says Thompson. Now
when you go up Elgin Street, the ceremonial street in Ottawa, you
will be able to go straight into the NAC and a beau-tiful glass
atrium. We will be projecting images of performing arts from across
the country and into this atrium space and into large spaces that
we will use for both performance and catering events.
We want to embrace all of these arts organizations across the
country that work with us and celebrate their success too. This is
kind of a beacon to demonstrate to Canadians that the perform-ing
arts are important.
Mechanical changes will mean an overhaul of the buildings
heating and cooling systems, Schmitt says. We are putting in major
heat recovery on a lot of the existing mechanical systems and new
mechanical systems, to reduce the operating cost of the building
which is enormous right now. He estimates energy savings
post-renovation to be in the range of 35 per cent.
One thing is for certain: the revamped NAC will scarcely
resemble its brutalist beginnings, which Schmitt admits he does
have some love for. His challenge will be to marry the vision of
original NAC architect Fred Lebensold and his own take on
performance space in the 21st century. Most people you talk to
really hate it. But I think its actually really carefully thought
through, says Schmitt. Its very rigorous geometry that under-pins
all the different components of the building. There are a lot of
very strong things about the building, but there are some
weak-nesses as well like the whole public experience. The NAC, he
says, is definitely of its day.
Also improved will be the intimate and underappreciated fourth
stage, a space created in 2000 from a former shop space and party
room. It will be the one area closed for the 2016-17 season. The
future of the 150-capacity space facing Elgin Street is
yet-to-be-determined, as is the potential LEED status of the
retrofitted national treasure.
For the most part, the show will go on during the 13-month
construction period, so the NACs users will have to brace for
renovation noise and the odd relocated rehearsal, says Schmitt.
They are going to maintain operations, maintain performances and
maintain rehearsals. There will be a lot of challenges with that,
as we work through it. If you are drilling in one part of the
building, that sound can transmit through the whole structure and
interrupt rehearsal thats happening in the middle of the afternoon.
We are going to establish rules that the contractor can do noisy
construction from seven in the morning until four in the afternoon
and then there will have to be a hard stop.
Visitor numbers are expected to climb from the current
million-plus annually, as the revamped spaces grow to cater to more
performances and events. Of all the cultural institutions, the NAC
is a beloved institution, says Thompson. We have 1.2 million people
that come to the NAC for all events annu-ally. We would expect that
those numbers will go up and our capacity to do even more events
than we do now will go up, because we are going to have more
space.
RISum15 18-21 NAC feature.indd 20 2015-06-03 8:02 AM
-
21
summer 2015
RENDERINGS COURTESY DIAMOND SCHMITT ARCHITECTS
Schmitt and his team hope the reimagining of the NAC will only
be the tip of the iceberg, signalling more to come for the countrys
considerable inventory of 1960s brutalist edifices scat-tered in
cities from Edmonton to Ottawa. At any rate, he is up for the
challenge of amalgamating old and new elements into the home of the
Ottawa Symphony Orchestra and so many other talented players.
Weve built lots of new performing arts centres, but we have
never done such an extensive refurbishing of an existing building,
he says. I think also taking the brutalist architecture and making
it more welcoming and more accessible is also a very exciting
op-portunity for this project. Its a whole era of buildings; I
think the lessons learned will apply to a lot of buildings of a
similar era. re
Complete in time for the countrys 150 anniversary of
Confederation, the landmark National Arts Centre retrofit will take
advantage of views of its Ottawa surroundings. A mainly-glass
marquee tower will bring the entrance of the building to prominent
Elgin Street, while improved performance space and new wings will
also enhance the space.
NAC BY THE NUMBERS
The National Arts Centre
(NAC) was built as a project
to mark 100 years of Canadas
Confederation. Though
commissioned to originally
open in 1967, it fell behind
and did not open until June
2, 1969 after seven years of
construction.
Designed by Montreal
architect Fred Lebensold,
the triple-hexagon concrete
complex sits on the banks
of the Rideau Canal in
downtown Ottawa.
The 1.2-million-square-foot
space currently has three
performing spaces a 2,323-
seat opera (now called
Southam Hall), a 897-seat
theatre, a 300-seat studio
and, since 2001, a multi-
purpose, multi-disciplinary
fourth stage with a capacity
of 150 seats. The NAC retrofit
will add 35,000 square feet.
From 1981 to 1996, the NAC
also operated a satellite
pocket theatre, the Atelier,
which held 84 people.
In addition to operas, ballets
and symphony concerts, the
NAC has welcomed such
musical greats as Gordon
Lightfoot, Neil Young, the
Barenaked Ladies and
Barbra Streisand.
RISum15 18-21 NAC feature.indd 21 2015-06-03 8:02 AM
-
TAKE IT OUTSIDE
Architects from Berlin to the Big Apple are considering
better uses for outdoor urban spaces
BY DAVID M. DICENZO
reimagine
22
RIsum15 22-27 OutdoorSpaces.indd 22 2015-06-03 8:00 AM
-
23
summer 2015
Yet for all of its size and numerous residents, there is a
noticeable lack of activity from locals in the German capitals
historic city centre. Yes, there is a strong presence of government
buildings and museums, but few Berliners actually live and spend
time in that area of the famous city.
Jan and Tim Edler have a distinct vision for their home, and one
they hope will ultimately transform the face of the city. The two
Berlin-based brothers, founders of realities:united (a studio for
art, architecture and technology), thought of a way to bring
Berliners back to the core by creating a 750-metre long pool within
a side canal of the Spree River that makes its way through the
capital.
Flussbad Berlin would be the longest natural pool in the world.
And while the idea may seem far-fetched, the Edlers have spent
significant parts of the last 17 years making this novel vision a
reality.
That arm of the river (between Schlossplatz and the Bode-Museum)
has no technical function, says Jan Edler. >
BERLIN IS GERMANYS LARGEST CITY WITH A POPULATION OF ABOUT
THREE-AND-A-HALF MILLION.
RIsum15 22-27 OutdoorSpaces.indd 23 2015-06-03 8:00 AM
-
Until the late 1800s, that river arm was used for transportation
and ships, but in 1894 the ship route moved to a broader parallel
river arm. Since that time, there has been nothing going on there.
That is an important pre-condition.
The brothers saw a 1.5-kilometre stretch in the otherwise
densely populated Berlin where nothing was happening. As in every
other capital city of the world, such immense unused spatial
potential seemed to be economically unpinning, Edler says. The
question that the pair had to answer was: how could they realize
the potential for that unused portion of the Spree and the land
around it?
What triggers us most is the idea that the city centre should be
a place for everyone, for all Berliners and not mostly a place of
representation, Edler says. With
comparatively little residential use, it is typically empty at
night with little going on. We would love to see the city centre
understood as a resource for all of us.
The Edlers philosophy as artists and architects is to use an
existing space and transform it. This is a theme in much of their
studios work. But the idea for Flussbad actually evolved from an
emerging change in the artistic world of their city. When
demolition of the Berlin Wall began on June 13, 1990, it marked the
crumbling not only of a physical barrier that had divided the citys
East and West ends since 1961, it also launched a new era in
freedom of thought and expression. The door was open for
forward-thinking Berliners and the Edlers were among those who
prospered from a creative standpoint in post-wall Berlin.
It was in this new and exciting
climate that the idea for Flussbad was conceived.
Tim and I were involved in an art association named Kunst und
Technik, a group of nine people, says Edler. We had people bored of
office life and coming from universities to do conceptual work.
Projects to make use of empty space were typical after the Wall
fell and Flussbad was one of the ideas we had.
Edler says there was huge potential to what he calls the
sleeping city that was Berlin of the day. This is how the project
evolved, he says. It was a nice idea but people thought it was
utopian.
The Edlers didnt get much press, though one journalist did print
that, if completed, Flussbad would indeed be the longest pool in
the world at that time. This, at least, gave the project a
reimagine
24
Winner of a Holcim award in 2011, Flussbad, if brought to
fruition,
would be one of the longest swimming pools in the world.
RIsum15 22-27 OutdoorSpaces.indd 24 2015-06-03 8:00 AM
-
25
summer 2015
hook. By September of 1998, Jan and Tim completed a publication
about Flussbad. The idea then went dormant, and a couple of years
later, they founded their studio, realities:united. In 2010, a full
decade after founding it, a friend of the Edlers approached and
encouraged them to enter Flussbad in the Holcim Awards, an
international competition that promotes sustainable construction
projects or urban developments.
We thought he was crazy, says Edler. The project was so old. No
one would be interested. They entered. And, up against 6,000
entries from all over the world, they won. Not just the US$100,000
main prize in the European division, but also the US$50,000 bronze
award in the world division.
The atmosphere in Berlin had changed substantially and suddenly,
there was global recognition of Flussbad and the potential of what
could happen on the Spree.
Its interesting because you normally get awards and recognition
for projects that have been realized and completed. Edler says.
Instead, the Holcim Award tries to foster ideas and helped a lot to
kick-start the vision. We wanted to make use of this energy.
Since winning the Holcim Award in 2011, the scope of Flussbad
has expanded dramatically. Fifteen people founded Flussbad Berlin
in 2012. The non-profit association, responsible for all of the
projects communications, now has 400 members and supporters,
including government. Last November, Flussbad received a huge boost
when the project secured a staggering grant of four million Euro
through a new federal funding program. Flussbad now has a team of
people working daily to foster the public and political debate on
how this project will benefit Berlin for future generations. Edler
says there will be an ongoing mixture of discussion, campaigning
and exhibition, with the creation of an embassy in the centre of
Berlin where information on
Flussbad will be made available.It is a simple project on paper
but
very complex in reality, he says. For example, the river does
not belong to Berlin. It belongs to the federal government and
rivers are regarded as a highway for ships. The usage of that part
of the river where the ships dont run needs to be rededicated.
Our job is to find out how things need to be done. These are
quite exciting times.
According to Edler, two of the key issues are concern for the
ecology of the river and maintaining water quality. That portion of
the Spree would become the closest natural resource for swimming
for approximately 500,000 Berliners. Builders would need to create
a series of staircases leading down to the river and the proposed
filtration system would keep the water at safe levels.
Its a catalyst for people to understand the importance of having
clean water, says Edler. They feel it.
Its a river they can use and not just for freight. Its also a
catalyst for sustainable behaviour and political actions.
The hope is that Flussbad can ultimately become not only an
amazing destination for Berliners to enjoy, but also a blueprint
for a best practices project, one initiated by local artists with
the best interests of their own city and citizens at the forefront.
Despite the positivity, there have also been many challenges and
some detractors.
Those people against Flussbad believe the city centre should be
a place of contemplation and not somewhere that naked people go
swimming, Edler says with a smile. Yet we received this funding and
feel that there is an incredible energy building. There are so many
people who really like the idea and they get excited about it
becoming a reality. Its great motivation for us.
Im hoping that I will still be young enough that I can go swim
there when the project is realized.>
The City of Calgarys Water Centre mitigates the danger of
falling snow and
ice with canopies.
IMAGES COURTESY REALITIES:UNITED, STUDIO FOR ART AND
ARCHITECTURE, MANASC ISAAC/RLEMERMEYER
RIsum15 22-27 OutdoorSpaces.indd 25 2015-06-03 8:00 AM
-
THE WATER CENTRE IS Amesmerizing structure that is home to the
City of Calgarys water resources and water services staff. The
inspiration for the innovative building was the actual movement and
translucency of water itself, a design worthy of many accolades for
Manasc Isaac Architects, the firm responsible for its creation.
The Water Centre opened in 2007 and the following year a plan
was hatched to enhance the building in order to address the
obligatory snow accumulation atop structures in Southern Alberta.
The outdoor staircases and walkways required a shield to protect
the people who use them.
We talked at length as to how we would handle the ice and snow
coming off of the roof, says Vivian Manasc, principal at Manasc
Isaac Architects. We accepted that there would be a certain amount
and we would have to watch out for it.
After discussing different strategies, we decided to look at a
canopy solution.
Work on the canopies took about two years and was completed in
October of 2012, but the result has been both a functional and
aesthetic success. Falling snow and ice is no longer a concern at
the Water Centre, thanks to the protective barrier constructed and
the translucent look itself is beautiful, particularly when lit up
in the evening.
We didnt want the space to be dark, says Manasc. The canopies
are made of glass so there is good light coming through in this
sheltered outdoor space.
Integrating the canopies architec-turally was something we set
out to do. Its working well and has achieved the goals we set
out.
HURRICANE SANDYSimpact is still being felt along the Eastern
Seaboard. The devastating super storm, born in the Caribbean
back in October of 2012, ploughed through the East and left
approximately $65 billion of damage in the United States, with many
lives lost. Of the people who died, 43 were in New York, where
storm surges in Manhattans Battery Park reached as high as 14
feet.
The City has taken initiatives to ensure a better outcome when
the next massive climate event strikes. In its 445 pages, A
Stronger, More Resilient New York outlines how the Big Apple will
be prepped to reduce the vulnerability to another super storm. The
comprehensive plan produced by the City will strengthen coastal
defenses, upgrade buildings, protect infrastructure and services
and make neighbourhoods not only safer but also more vibrant.
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
held
reimagine
26
New York Citys proposed Dryline project is part of a plan to
reduce vulnerability to super storms.
RIsum15 22-27 OutdoorSpaces.indd 26 2015-06-03 8:00 AM
-
27
summer 2015
a resiliency project competition as part of its disaster aid
allocation to jurisdictions impacted by Sandy. A New York proposal,
known as The Big U project, secured $335 million to go towards
developing a protective system around Manhattan. Big U would
stretch for 16 continuous kilometres of low-lying geography in a
dense and vibrant, but vulnerable urban area. On top of shielding
the city from flooding and storm water, Big U will offer social and
environmental benefits to the community.
The proposed Dryline project, led by the Bjarke Ingels Group
(BIG), will fortify and enhance three separate but contiguous
regions (or compartments) of the waterfront. Bridging Berm on the
Lower East Side gives vertical protection, while also offering a
beautiful setting with accessible routes in a park packed with salt
tolerant trees and bushes; deployable walls between the Manhattan
Bridge and Montgomery Street, attached underneath FDR Drive can
flip down to provide protection from floodwaters, yet the idea to
decorate them from local artists makes for an aesthetically
attractive area; and Battery Berm would weave an elevated path
around Lower Manhattan, with upland knolls and unique landscapes
that will enhance the public realm and protect the financial
district and critical transportation infrastructure.
Plans for this year include land surveys, inspections of
waterfront structures, tree inventory, bridge inspections and
pedestrian and bicycle traffic studies. The City also wants to hear
what those who felt the full power of Sandy have to say.
Community input is absolutely
critical throughout the planning, design and construction, says
Amy Spitalnick, a representative from the City. It is especially
important as the project scope is developed over the next 12
months. The City will be speaking often with those who know their
community best: the residents.
RECREATION SPACEwithin cities worldwide is at a premium.
Especially in Lima, Peru. The World Health Organization states that
every person living in a city should have eight square metres of
recreation space to enjoy. But in Lima, that number was just shy of
two metres per person.
Peruvian architects Genaro Alva, Denise Ampuero, Gloria Andrea
Rojas and industrial designer Claudia Ampuero took a proactive
approach to address that fact. In 2010, the group created Invasion
Verde (Green Invasion), an uplifting project that transformed Limas
concrete-filled city centre into a unique urban park.
One of five artistic interventions chosen from 137 proposals
submitted for Limas Great Week, Invasion Verde drastically changed
the look of the Pasaje Encarnacion with an injection of
grass-covered mini hills and recycled tires, some containing
planted flowers and others with grass tops and stool legs to make a
cool, comfortable sitting place for those looking to take a break.
The artists also used recycled plastic for sculptural pieces
throughout the park, which also features drought-tolerant
plants.
The message this group made in Lima was clear yes to more green
outdoor space. re
IMAGES COURTESY BIG, ARCHITIZER.COM
With space for its citizens at a premium, architects in Lima,
Peru created a urban park called Invasion Verde.
RIsum15 22-27 OutdoorSpaces.indd 27 2015-06-03 8:00 AM
-
reimagine
28
a tale of two houses
Updating Edmonton Community Foundations aging headquarters meant
a delicate marriage between past and presentBy Emmett Gallagher
The new building was designed to read as a transparent volume, a
distinct element in itself.
RIsum15 28-31 ECF.indd 28 2015-06-03 7:56 AM
-
29
summer 2015
PHOTOS AND RENDERINGS COURTESY MANASC ISAAC
SOMETIMES A REIMAGINE PROJECT has to bridge a communitys past
and present. Such was the case for Manasc Isaacs expansion and
renovation of the Edmonton Community Foundations headquarters.
The Edmonton Community Foundation (ECF) is a charitable
organization that supports and encourages philanthropy by
assembling and administering pools of capital from donors, and then
reinvesting the interest earned on it back into the local
community. Enabled through the Edmonton Community Foundation Act in
1971, the ECF was created in 1989, after receiving significant
donations from members of the philanthropic Stollery and Poole
families.
As ECF became increasingly successful, it became clear that its
headquarters would need to expand to accommodate its burgeoning
staffing and programming needs. The ECF and its collaborating
organizations, the Stollery Charitable Foundation and the Social
Enterprise Fund, could no longer fit under a single roof; yet its
beautiful home, the 1912-built McDougall House, commonly known as
Hilltop House, seemed too charming to abandon. When a golden
opportunity emerged in the form of a 1960s neighbouring building
that became vacant, ECFs CEO Martin Garber-Conrad realized that it
made perfect sense to acquire it and consolidate the two
structures. The project posed a challenge: how can two buildings
from completely independent eras, built in completely different
styles and for completely different purposes, be elegantly and
functionally united as one? The solution required a reimagination
by Edmonton architectural firm Manasc Isaacs design team.
McDougall House was originally built as the residence of John C.
McDougall, son of former Edmonton MLA John A. McDougall. Its
nickname suits it, as the building is perched atop a hill at the
intersection of 103 Street and 100 Avenue in downtown Edmonton and
overlooks the picturesque river valley. Treasured by its community,
Hilltop House is a significant architectural
landmark, and is listed on the Inventory and Register of
Historic Resources in Edmonton.
Designed by local architect David Hardie, Hilltop House is built
in the foursquare style. Characteristic of this style,
architectural features include a bell-cast roof with dormer
windows, deep wood soffits, decorative eaves brackets, red brick
facing, sandstone sills and lintels, a full-width verandah with
square columns and extra-wide entrance stairs. The interior boasts
an entrance vestibule finished with ornate oak wood panelling and
stairs, decorative coffered ceilings, and detailed crown moulding.
>
Hilltop House has been an Edmonton mainstay since 1912.
RIsum15 28-31 ECF.indd 29 2015-06-03 7:56 AM
-
reimagine
30
Over the years, Hilltop House had many lives, serving as a
womens shelter and a drug rehabilitation centre. Multiple
renovations and modifications were made during its varied
incarnations: renovations that would need to be rectified to return
the house to its former glory.
Its neighbouring structure had a very different background.
Built in the early-1960s for Alberta Government Telephone, the
robust Telus Building was originally designed to accommodate
telecommunications equipment, although in its later years it was
transformed into a childcare facility. Its structure consists of
concrete foundation walls, concrete masonry exterior with brick
veneer facing and an open-web steel joist roof.
Following the closure of the childcare facility in early 2013,
Manasc Isaac was commissioned to reimagine a new home for the ECF,
while bridging Hilltop House and the Telus building.
MANASC ISAAC KICKED OFF THE ECFreimagine project with a series
of deeply collaborative workshops with the design and client teams
present. From these meetings, the team identified project risks and
mitigations and established space requirements for the
organizations future. Richard Isaac throughly examined the
operational needs of the client. Project architect for the
reimagined space, Isaac identified two distinct approaches to the
project. The first option involved keeping the two existing
buildings as separate entities, with a walkway connecting the two.
The second, more elaborate one, proposed connecting the existing
buildings by constructing a new building to act as a link between
the two, creating one large building for the organization.
One of the interesting aspects of this project was
that the original building was designed to be viewed and
approached from a direction that was no longer accessible, says
Isaac. Additionally, the project is located in an area zoned as
high-density residential, and is viewed primarily from above, which
was a major consideration to us from the onset. It became clear
early on that if the organization was to be given the recognition
it deserves, the visual presence of the ECF would need to enhanced
significantly. Creating a clear entrance to the ECF from Slatter
Way was undoubtedly the best approach, to ensure visibility was
improved within the surrounding community. For this reason, adding
the link building was chosen as the best way to proceed.
As is often the case in a renovation project, countless unknowns
can lead to increased risk. To mitigate such dangers from the
outset, Manasc Isaac adopted an integrated procurement route by
selecting a contractor early in the design process. Having PCL
Construction Management and its major subtrades involved during the
projects infancy enabled the risks to be clearly identified and
minimized by the entire team.
When designing the reimagined home for the ECF, the team made a
conscious effort to maintain the historical integrity of Hilltop
House, while enhancing the overall aesthetic of the consolidated
building. The new building was designed to read as a transparent
volume, a distinct element in itself, when compared to the opaque
existing buildings to the north and south.
In theory, the link building protrudes west towards Slatter Way,
beyond the reaches of Hilltop House and the Telus building,
creating a new clear entrance to the ECF. An intentional
architectural reveal between Hilltop House and the link building
was introduced to ensure the addition does not impede on the house.
In contrast to the hipped roof of the house, the link building has
a simple flat top, which terminates below the existing soffit. To
ensure maximum thermal efficiency, the link building is enclosed on
the east and west by a full-height composite curtain wall system
with triple-glazing.
In contrast to the hipped roof of the house, the link building
has a simple flat roof.
RIsum15 28-31 ECF.indd 30 2015-06-03 7:56 AM
-
31
summer 2015
On the interior, the link addition is a double-height space
comprising glulam columns and beams, with an exposed wood deck
overhead. Once complete, the link building will be home to main
reception and meeting rooms, with an ability to open up and
accommodate the many social events hosted by the ECF. Manasc Isaac
also repurposed an existing reception desk from one of its previous
projects to reduce waste and environmental impact. This entrance
space will ensure ECF staff and visitors can experience a warm and
comfortable space, created by the naturally inviting qualities of
the wood materials.
On our first visit inside the Telus building, it was clear that
our main objective would be to introduce natural daylight into the
deep floor plate, says Isaac. The only natural daylight entering
the building was via a number of small windows located sparingly
around the exterior walls. Natural daylight was not high on the
list of priorities for telecommunications equipment it would
seem.
To solve the obvious daylight issue, the design team came up
with multiple solutions. First, large openings comprising
triple-glazing and operable awning-style windows were introduced
into both the east and west facades. Secondly, a large clerestory
structure was installed directly above the main corridor, which
runs diagonally through the main floor of the Telus building. By
retaining the original steel joists in the roof, and having them
run through the opening for the clerestory, we were able to add
some architectural interest and context, says Isaac. Introducing
large amounts of natural daylight, coupled with operable windows,
the team ensured that ECF employees will have control over their
workspaces, enhancing their comfort and productivity. This also
saves on operational costs, reducing the need for artificial
lighting, heating and cooling.
To improve the overall performance of the Telus building, the
structure was re-skinned completely in other words, the existing
building was sealed with a thermally efficient building envelope.
The Telus building was enclosed within a fully sealed air/vapour
barrier and high-performance thermal insulation complete with a
high-pressure laminate (HPL) rain screen system. On the roof,
layers of rigid insulation were added over a new air and vapour
barrier and capped with a modified-bitumen roofing system. To
enhance the thermal performance of the basement, new interior walls
were erected around the perimeter, filled with a
thermal insulation and sealed with an air and vapour
barrier.Inside the building, various behind-the-scenes
efficiency
upgrades were incorporated. The Telus and link buildings are
ventilated and air-conditioned using a variable-air-volume (VAV)
ventilation system. New raised-access floors in the Telus building
and link are used for air delivery via VAV boxes and perimeter air
grills. The existing rooftop air-handling unit for Hilltop House
will be replaced with a two-stage heating and cooling unit,
ensuring increased thermal comfort for staff inside the house.
Heating inside the Telus building is now delivered via perimeter
radiant panels, ensuring maximum occupant comfort and space
flexibility.
The ECF reimagine project will be complete this fall. By
choosing to invest in the historical legacy of Hilltop House in
lieu of demolition and rebuild, the organization has demonstrated
its commitment to enhancing its community. In doing so, the ECF
avoids unnecessary environmental implications of demolishing an
existing building. The most sustainable buildings are the buildings
that already exist, says Vivian Manasc, principal architect at
Manasc Isaac.
The ECF reimagine project promises to reflect the organizations
core values of community leadership, visionary thinking, and
innovation. Following the 25th anniversary of the ECF in 2014, this
new home will ensure that the organization can continue to be
recognized as community leaders in prudent investments in Edmontons
future for its next 25 years and beyond. re
PHOTOS AND RENDERINGS COURTESY MANASC ISAAC
The reimagining of Hilltop House, top, involved keeping original
elements as well as amalgamating new ones such as large clerestory
structure below, which was added to the attached building.
RIsum15 28-31 ECF.indd 31 2015-06-03 8:21 AM
-
reimagine
32
RISum15 32-35 AEplaza.indd 32 2015-06-03 7:54 AM
-
33
summer 2015
RENDERING COURTESY MANASC ISAAC
PROBABLY NOT THE UGLIEST BUILDING IN TOWNA Jasper Avenue office
tower is sparking debate among Edmontonians about the citys urban
design
By Richard White
HERE IS MORE THAN ONE WAY TO SKIN A BUILDING. At least, thats
what they say in the architectural world about re-skinning old,
tired-looking office buildings. Across North
America, bland, boring and brown 1960s and 70s office buildings
are getting a facelift. In Edmonton, one of the dreariest looking
office towers is the Associated Engineering Plaza built in 1978 at
the corner of 109 Street and Jasper Avenue.
While the site is a prominent one, the building is not. It is an
ex-ample of the hulking brutalist architecture that dominated many
public buildings and office towers in North America in the 20th
century, into the late 1970s. To greater or lesser effect, the
brutalist sensibility was modern, and todays retrofits have many of
the resulting concrete edifices to deal with. Associated
Engineering Plazas take on brutalism is overly simple: a 12-storey
box that lacks an engaging street level base and is similarly
devoid of an interesting rooftop. The facade is dull brown concrete
panels with horizontal rows of windows from top to bottom. It looks
like something an accountant might have drawn up by adding 12 rows
to an Excel spreadsheet. As befits its brutalist beginnings,
architectural ornamentation is non-existent. >
T
RISum15 32-35 AEplaza.indd 33 2015-06-08 11:32 AM
-
reimagine
34
Back in May 2010, Scott McKeen, then a journalist at the
Edmonton Journal and now a city councillor, wrote, The Associated
Engineering Building is so ugly, blind dogs cross the street.
Today, McKeen is a bit more philo-sophical given the number of
people working in the build-ing who expressed their indignation at
his comments. He says he now realizes even a homely building can
inspire a sense of community. He is quick to add the Associated
Engineering Plaza is probably not the ugliest building in downtown
Edmonton, but close to it.
McKeen adds: I think most of us have now seen in-spiring
architecture from other parts of the world, either first-hand or in
pictures. Basic rectangular design with little articulation and
beige cladding offers no delight to the eye. While he concedes his
appreciation of archi-tecture is not sophisticated, he suggests
public opinion should not be discounted in the debate on how to
make cities both more urban and more attractive.
IN JUNE 2010, EDMONTONS MANASC ISAACArchitects completed a
reimagine study to retrofit the exterior of the Associated
Engineering Plaza for the building owner, ProCura. The concept
proposed to re-move all of the precast concrete panels and replace
them with new glass panel cladding, which would elevate the design
of the building from something dull and boring to something shiny
and reflective.
The plan also called for a new bow element on the east face of
the building that would not only add addi-tional space, but also
transform the flat box into a subtle curve. (Note: iPhones have
curved edges because Steve Job, Apple CEO, realized humans are more
attracted to curved objects than rectangular ones.)
In addition to the glass bow over the buildings en-trance, the
Manasc Isaac design team had a mix of reflec-tive and
non-reflective glass on the side walls, creating ambiguous positive
and negative rectangular shapes to break up the monotony of what
would otherwise have been a blank, boring wall for pedestrians.
Manasc Isaacs reimagine study involved more than just
re-skinning the building. It also included sunshades on the south
side of the building, high-performance windows and other
improvements to reduce the Associ-ated Engineering Plazas energy
consumption by 50 per cent. These changes would make dramatic
improvements to the light inside the building, enhancing the
quality of the workspaces.
At street level, the team designed new entrance cano-pies for
the building as well as the street-level restaurant. They added a
new winter garden element on the north edge to create a more
pedestrian-friendly experience for people walking past or into the
building. By opening up the large concrete wall to create the
winter garden, the design meant more light would extend into the
parkade and create a more pleasant parkade experience.
The architects also had the challenge of creating a build-ing
that would enhance ProCuras vision for the entire pre-cinct around
the Jasper and 109 Street corner. This central in-tersection will
eventually include the completed curved glass Intact Insurance
Building, Mayfair Village South (a completed 16-storey building)
and Mayfair Village North (a 10-storey, 198-unit residential
building currently under construction).
Good urban design connects the neighbouring buildings with
visually interesting juxtapositions of materials, shapes and
decorative elements that are synergistic and harmonious to the eye.
The aim is to create a sense of place that is invit-ing to wander
and linger, as opposed to being a forgettable place to walk by.
Overall, the reimagine study proposed a brighter, bolder and
more visually complex statement for the busy corner at Jasper
Avenue and 109 Street. It would have achieved many of the goals
that the Downtown Business Association, the City of Edmonton and
the landlord had set to reimagine Jas-per Avenue as a vibrant place
for people of all ages and back-grounds. The key words here,
however, are would have.
UNFORTUNATELY, MANASC ISAACS $10-MILLION redesign of the
Associated Engineering Plaza is not likely to happen. ProCura is
currently re-evaluating the buildings future. Its president George
Schluessel is looking at options other than just an office building
given the two million square feet of new office construction
currently underway in downtown Edmonton.
Schluessel is considering a mixed-use office and residential
complex, since downtown Edmontons demand for space has evolved
since the 2010 study. Though the idea of live-work
The Associated Engineering Plaza building has long been a topic
of discussion for its aesthetics.
RISum15 32-35 AEplaza.indd 34 2015-06-03 7:54 AM
-
35
summer 2015
spaces is looking most attractive at the moment, the cur-rent
state of the local economy means nothing is likely to happen in the
short term.
Vivian Manasc, principal architect in the reimagine study of the
Associated Engineering Plaza agrees. Given the increased demand for
more downtown housing, it might make sense to reimagine the
building as a resi-dential or mixed-use space, Manasc says. Several
other office buildings in downtown Edmonton have been successfully
converted to residential. Jasper Avenue and 109 Street is ideal for
residential development with all of the necessary amenities nearby.
Associated Engineering has just announced its relocation to another
recently reimagined building on Jasper Avenue, leaving much of this
tower empty.
This might be bad news for those wanting to see a signature
building with a vibrant streetscape at the corner of Jasper and 109
Street. It is also bad news for Jasper Avenue, which is struggling
to reimagine itself as a 21st-century main street and compete with
the shiny new mega-buildings in the downtown Arena District. Some
Edmontonians are even saying the Arena District is the new Jasper
Avenue.
The good news is that in 2012 the Central Social Hall opened up
in the restaurant space at street level in the Associated
Engineering Building. It has since become one of downtown Edmontons
more popular hangouts. The sports bar, pub and restaurant has, in
fact, already made the corner and the building more wel-coming.
Perhaps this is the start of a more residentially focused corner of
the city.
For most pedestrians, what happens at street level is critical
to shaping their image of a place (if they are not looking up at
the rooftops or the sides of buildings). If they can see
interesting retail window displays or restau-rants, cafes and
patios full of people, the image will be positive.
Walter Trocenko, manager of housing and economic stability with
the City of Edmonton and a member of the Downtown Business
Association, loves the idea that more Edmontonians are expressing
discontent with the urban design of the past. If people dont like a
building, that is a good thing as it means people care and
appreciate the importance of architecture as part of their daily
lives. It also means they have strong sense of community and civic
pride. Trocenko admits that Edmonton hasnt always demanded the best
in urban design. As a city, we can do better, he says. We need
more architecture and streetscapes that inspire people.Trocenko
also expresses enthusiasm for landlords who
recognize the need to invest in their properties to bring them
up to 21st-century standards. Each new downtown building or
makeover raises the bar for other landlords. The compe-tition today
in downtown Edmonton to have buildings that will be attractive to
new office tenants, retailers, restaurants and residents is a
healthy one, he says.
Jane Jacobs, author of The Death and Life of Great American
Cities (1961) and the modern guru on how to revitalize urban
neighbourhoods in North America wrote, In vibrant communities, one
third of the buildings are new, one third are old and one third
have been renovated. If this is the case, the west Jasper Avenue
neighbourhoods revitalization is in good shape with ProCuras two
new apartment buildings, the renovation of the Intact office
building and the older Associated Engineering Plaza with its
bustling restaurant. Yes, the time will come for the mega-makeover
of the building.
Jacobs also espoused that vibrant urban communities must evolve
incrementally, not suddenly. The Jasper Avenue and 109 Street
redevelopment is a classic example of in-cremental evolution, while
the Arena District is more rev-olutionary. It will be interesting
to see what the two urban districts are like 25 years from now.
re
A reimagining of Associated Engineering Plaza would see it
retrofitted with a
slight curve.
PHOTO COURTESY PROCURA, RENDERING COURTESY MANASC ISAAC
RISum15 32-35 AEplaza.indd 35 2015-06-08 11:32 AM
-
36
reimagine
GREEN BUILDING ACTIVITY IN CANADA
ENVIRONMENTAL REASONS FOR
BUILDING GREEN
TRIGGERS FOR GREEN BUILDING
42%24%60%
IT IS EASY BEING GREEN
68%
72%
30%
27%25%
17%23%
27%
11%
25%
By Martin Dover
Canada (2014)
Global (2012)
In early 2014, the Canadian Green Building Council (CaGBC)
conducted an online survey on green building in Canada via McGraw
Hill Construction. For the study, a green building project was
considered as one built in LEED (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) certification or another recognized green
building standard or one that is energy and water efficient and
addresses improved air quality or material resource
conservation.
Participants were drawn from the CaGBC, Construction
Specifications Canada, REALPac, the National Association of Women
in Con-struction and the Newfoundland and Labrador Construction
Association. Among the respondents were architects, contractors,
builder owners and developers, and consultants and engineers
hailing from Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec,
Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Northwest Territories,
Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick.
Reducing energy consumption is the top environmental reason for
building green, as reported by 68 per cent of the respondents.
WELL OVER HALF (56 per cent) of the Canadian respondents
reported that more than 30 per cent of the projects they build are
currently green, and by 2017, 70 per cent expect to be doing at
least that level of green construction. Half (50 per cent) of
respondents also said 60 per cent of these future projects would be
green.
Doing the right thing and/or client demand was a top-three
reason
Doing the right thing was the number-one reaso