SUMMER 2015

Photovoltaic Panels
Redesigning Edmonton
Net-zero Benefits
Ask an Architect
Rexall Reimagined
THE BEAUTY OF RETROFIT

CENTRE
STAGE

THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRES NEXT BIG ACT

IS AN ARTFUL TRANSFORMATION

OUTDOOR INSPIRATION
See the best in repurposed
outdoor public spaces
PM# 40020055

BUSINESS OF RETROFIT
Build a case for green revamps:
its a no-brainer

THE LEGACY
CENTRE

Buildings account for 75% of all

energy consumption in North America.
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.

glascurtain.ca

will honour the

memory of 2011s
Slave Lake wildfire
as a beautiful
and sustainable
hub offering
community and
cultural services
to the town.

ISSUE #3
SUMMER 2015

CONTENTS
22

Rejuvenating
outdoor spaces
has become a
global interest

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

Cover image:
National Arts Centre,
courtesy Diamond Schmitt
Architects

positive house

embrace the sun

39 Talking tower
renewal

46 Rexall Place could

take MLGs lead

summer 2015

Contents photos:
realities:united, Berlin
Fernand Guerra
Malcolm Brown
Manasc Isaac

6 Worlds first carbon- 14 Its time to

reimagine
ISSUE #3 SUMMER 2015

MANASC ISAAC ARCHITECTS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Vivian Manasc
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Kent McKay
GRAPHIC DESIGN CONSULTANT
Lisa Mentz
VENTURE PUBLISHING INC.
PUBLISHER
Ruth Kelly
DIRECTOR OF CUSTOM CONTENT
Mifi Purvis
MANAGING EDITOR
Shelley Williamson
ART DIRECTOR
Ryan Girard
ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR
Andrea DeBoer
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Betty Feniak Smith

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.

PRODUCTION TECHNICIANS
Brent Felzien, Brandon Hoover
DIRECTOR OF CIRCULATION
Sharlene Clarke
CIRCULATION
Karen Reilly
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Sydnee Bryant, David DiCenzo, Martin Dover, Emmett Gallagher, Karamajit Grewal,
Richard Isaac, Claire Johnson, Vivian Manasc, Kent McKay, Tiffany Shaw-Collinge,
Richard White
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Tim 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

calgary 403.460.4177

edmonton 780.429.3977

reimagination

THE BRUTALITY
OF BRUTALISM

Vivian Manasc
Editor-In-Chief
vivian@miarch.com

summer 2015

rutalist buildings structures with

exposed concrete facades are muchmaligned 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, greybrown, 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 shelters 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 international-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 considered 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 contemporary, colourful and light reimagine effort. re

reframe

trends, innovations and ideas

MARKET BY
THE SEA
HALIFAX WAREHOUSE TAKES THE LEED AS A TRULY SUSTAINABLE
FARMERS MARKET
You 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.

TREADING LIGHTLY
Aussie pre-fab company rolls out the
worlds first carbon-positive house
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.

For more information, visit ARCHIBLOX.COM.AU

reimagine

PHOTOS DIALOGDESIGN.CA, ARCHIBLOX.COM.AU

TRASH TALK

Upcycled materials net a new lease on life as household goods

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
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 Californiabased 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

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
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.

Get in the game at UNCOMMONGOODS.COM

>

summer 2015

For more information, visit KEENFOOTWEAR.COM/EN-CA/BAGS

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.

reframe

LEADING THE PACK

Top 10 LEED countries outside the United States
Gross square metres (GSM) are reported in millions and based on April 2014 numbers

1
CANADA
17.74 GSM
(in 4,068 certified LEED projects)

2
CHINA
14.30 GSM
(in 1,638 certified LEED projects)

3
INDIA
11.64 GSM
(in 1,657 certified LEED projects)

4
SOUTH KOREA
3.84 GSM
(in 242 certified LEED projects)

5
TAIWAN
2.98 GSM
(in 114 certified LEED projects)

reimagine

Source: USGBC

6
GERMANY
2.90 GSM
(in 365 certified LEED projects)

7
BRAZIL
2.85 GSM
(in 829 certified LEED projects)

8
SINGAPORE
2.16 GSM
(in 91 certified LEED projects)

9
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
1.82 GSM
(in 850 certified LEED projects)

10
FINLAND
1.45 GSM
(in 148 certified LEED projects)

SAVING
FACE
Reclaimed wood planks
punctuate the new facade
of Calgarys Junction 9

COLONIAL REVIVAL
Hong Kong building goes from former
police quarters to a design haven

PHOTOS COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG, WORKWILD.CA

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

summer 2015

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.

ask an architect

THINK
POSITIVE

Find out how net-zero buildings conserve power

and offset negative impacts to the environment

Reimagine sat down with

Vedran Skopac, a Croatian
architect working at Manasc
Isaac, to talk about net-zero
buildings and their benefits.

reimagine

10

Edmontons Mosaic Centre has been dubbed a green-building game changer.

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 netzero energy requirement.
The Mosaic Centre is a netzero 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 mindshifting 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
PHOTOS COOPER + OHARA

The Mosaic Centre is the first

commercial net-zero building to
be built in Alberta.

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

summer 2015

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,

11

leading edge

INVENT
CHANGE

A contest at Manasc Isaac challenges architects and building owners

to change the way they look at mid-century building stock

By Kent McKay

The Hanging Gardens would best be

experienced by walking, not driving by.

reimagine

12

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 importance 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 demonstrated 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 Edmonton
Designed 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 buildings, 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 constitutes a small piazza for its community, and
is a welcome break from the skyscrapers
emerging across the citys landscape.
Tower on the Hill
For her reimagine entry, Veronica Hernandez turned to Edmontons Old Strathcona neighbourhood, a diverse, mature
and dynamic part of the city surrounded

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.

IMAGES MANASC ISAAC

building. This project would trigger further 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 Associated 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 protrude 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

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 laminate 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

13

material world

HERE COMES THE SUN

Photovoltaic (PV) energy is fast becoming a force to be
reckoned with, promising a life beyond the grid
By Tiffany Shaw-Collinge

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.

reimagine

14

Higher Learning
The 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
PHOTO FERDNAND GUERRA

[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.

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.

PHOTOS PHILLIP PON, TIM ATHERTON

Northern Exposure
The 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 >

summer 2015

A Social Experiment
Philippon-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 lowincome families.

15

material world

[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.

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 rooftop 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.

reimagine

16

LEEDing Edge
Located 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
PHOTOS COOPER + OHARA

In addition to solar power, this

West Hollywood affordable housing
complex features a bamboo forest in
its courtyard.

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.

PHOTO PATRICK T I G H E

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 Gateway
Another 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

summer 2015

Affordable West Hollywood

Patrick 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 Hawaii Gateway Energy Centre

makes the most of the suns power
with PV panels.

17

CURTAIN CALL
Now pushing 50, the National Arts Centre will shed its brutalist
beginnings in a massive retrofit

reimagine

18

BY SHELLEY WILLIAMSON

RENDERINGS COURTESY DIAMOND

SCHMITT ARCHITECTS

FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE IT WAS BUILT, THE

summer 2015

National Arts Centre is getting ready to truly face the nation.

Thanks to a massive retrofit set to begin in 2016, the Ottawa performance 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 glassedin 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 Chateau Laurier and the Rideau Canal, explains Rosemary Thompson, 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 nonetheless. 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 background.
Schmitt says early work on the project is slated for this summer, 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 performing arts spaces such as Torontos Four Seasons Centre and Montreals 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 wedding, or their big title speech. We havent had that kind of space
to work with before, says Thompson. >

19

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-performance 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 buildings 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 beautiful 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 performing 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 underpins all the different components of the building. There are a lot
of very strong things about the building, but there are some weaknesses 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 annually. 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.

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

performing spaces a 2,323seat opera (now called

Southam Hall), a 897-seat

RENDERINGS COURTESY DIAMOND SCHMITT ARCHITECTS

theatre, a 300-seat studio

(NAC) was built as a project

and, since 2001, a multi-

to mark 100 years of Canadas

purpose, multi-disciplinary

Confederation. Though

fourth stage with a capacity

commissioned to originally

of 150 seats. The NAC retrofit

open in 1967, it fell behind

will add 35,000 square feet.

and did not open until June

2, 1969 after seven years of

From 1981 to 1996, the NAC

construction.

also operated a satellite

pocket theatre, the Atelier,

Designed by Montreal

which held 84 people.

architect Fred Lebensold,

the triple-hexagon concrete

In addition to operas, ballets

complex sits on the banks

and symphony concerts, the

of the Rideau Canal in

NAC has welcomed such

downtown Ottawa.

musical greats as Gordon

Lightfoot, Neil Young, the

The 1.2-million-square-foot

Barenaked Ladies and

space currently has three

Barbra Streisand.

summer 2015

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 scattered 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 opportunity 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

The National Arts Centre

21

TAKE IT
OUTSIDE
Architects from Berlin to the
Big Apple are considering
better uses for outdoor
urban spaces
BY DAVID M. DICENZO

reimagine

22

BERLIN IS GERMANYS
LARGEST CITY WITH A
POPULATION OF ABOUT
THREE-AND-A-HALF
MILLION. 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. >

summer 2015

23

Winner of a Holcim award in 2011,

Flussbad, if brought to fruition,
would be one of the longest
swimming pools in the world.

reimagine

24

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

The City of Calgarys

Water Centre mitigates the
danger of falling snow and
ice with canopies.

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.

IMAGES COURTESY REALITIES:UNITED, STUDIO FOR ART AND ARCHITECTURE, MANASC ISAAC/RLEMERMEYER

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.>

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

25

New York Citys proposed

Dryline project is part of a
plan to reduce vulnerability
to super storms.

THE WATER CENTRE IS A

reimagine

26

mesmerizing 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 architecturally was something we set out to do.
Its working well and has achieved the
goals we set out.

HURRICANE SANDYS
impact 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

With space for its citizens at

a premium, architects in Lima,
Peru created a urban park
called Invasion Verde.

IMAGES COURTESY BIG, ARCHITIZER.COM

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 SPACE
within 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 droughttolerant plants.
The message this group made in
Lima was clear yes to more green
outdoor space. re

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

27

a tale
of two
houses

Updating Edmonton
Community Foundations
aging headquarters
meant a delicate marriage
between past and present
By Emmett Gallagher

The new building was designed to read as a

transparent volume, a distinct element in itself.

reimagine

28

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 GarberConrad 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.
summer 2015

PHOTOS AND RENDERINGS COURTESY MANASC ISAAC

29

In contrast to the hipped roof of the house, the link

building has a simple flat roof.

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 ECF

reimagine

30

reimagine 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.

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.

PHOTOS AND RENDERINGS COURTESY MANASC ISAAC

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-airvolume (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

summer 2015

On the interior, the link addition is a doubleheight 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

31

reimagine

32

PROBABLY NOT
THE UGLIEST
BUILDING IN
TOWN
A 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 example 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. >

summer 2015

RENDERING COURTESY MANASC ISAAC

33

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 philosophical given the number of people working in the building 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 inspiring 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 architecture 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.

reimagine

34

IN JUNE 2010, EDMONTONS MANASC ISAAC

Architects completed a reimagine study to retrofit the
exterior of the Associated Engineering Plaza for the
building owner, ProCura. The concept proposed to remove 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 additional 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 entrance, the Manasc Isaac design team had a mix of reflective 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 Associated 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 canopies 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 Associated Engineering Plaza building has long

been a topic of discussion for its aesthetics.

The architects also had the challenge of creating a building that would enhance ProCuras vision for the entire precinct around the Jasper and 109 Street corner. This central intersection 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 inviting 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 Jasper Avenue as a vibrant place for people of all ages and backgrounds. 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

A reimagining of Associated
Engineering Plaza would
see it retrofitted with a
slight curve.

PHOTO COURTESY PROCURA, RENDERING COURTESY MANASC ISAAC

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 competition 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 megamakeover 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 incremental evolution, while the Arena District is more revolutionary. It will be interesting to see what the two urban
districts are like 25 years from now. re

summer 2015

spaces is looking most attractive at the moment, the current 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 residential 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 welcoming. 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 restaurants, 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

35

IT IS EASY

BEING

ENVIRONMENTAL
REASONS FOR
BUILDING GREEN

72%
68%

Canada (2014)

GREEN

Global (2012)

30%
27%

27%

25%
17%

By Martin Dover

25%

23%
11%

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 Construction 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.
HERE IS A SAMPLING OF THE FINDINGS:

reimagine

36

Reduce Energy
Consumption

Lower
Greenhouse
Gasses

Improve Indoor
Air Quality

Protect Natural
Resources

Reduce Water
Consumption

Reducing energy consumption is the top environmental reason for

building green, as reported by 68 per cent of the respondents.

GREEN
BUILDING
ACTIVITY IN
CANADA

TRIGGERS
FOR GREEN
BUILDING

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.

42%
24%
60%

Doing the right thing and/

or client demand was a
top-three reason
Doing the right thing was
the number-one reason
Promoting greater
health and well-being
for building occupants
was the top social factor

Not Sure
IMPACT
OF GREEN
BUILDINGS ON
TRADITIONAL
ENERGY USE

16%

ENERGY AND
WATER USE
SAVINGS

(OWNERS)

2%
No Impact

82%

Nearly all building owner respondents (82 per cent)

who cited the importance of energy impact reported
that building green reduced buildings energy use. The
median reduction was nine per cent, but as many as 19
per cent reported savings of 20 per cent or more.

Decrease

BENEFITS OF
GREEN BUILDING

OVERALL AND GREEN

COMMERCIAL MARKET

Canadian building owners, architects and

contractors reported that green buildings
significantly decrease operating costs in
the first year after construction, and the
impact on operating costs continues to
increase over five years.

Medical hospital construction will be the

most active type of institutional building
in the next few years. Builders expect
double-digit growth.

82 per cent of building owner/developers

reported decreases in energy consumption
compared to similar buildings.

In Canada, a much higher percentage

of firms expect to do residential green
projects than in the U.S. in the next three
years (25 per cent low-rise and 31 per cent
mid- to high-rise).

The percentage of firms doing more than

30 per cent of their projects green has
grown by 50 per cent in three years.
Most of the growth between 2010-13 has
been in the intermediate levels of greener
building, with the highest level of growth
in the 31-to-60-per-cent category.
The largest percentage of future growth
is expected in the category of those
doing more than 60 per cent of their
projects green, with half (50 per cent) of
respondents expecting to be at that level
by 2017.

68 per cent of owner/developers reported

decreases in water consumption over
similar buildings.
Eight years was the reasonable payback
period for new green building projects,
while seven years was the period predicted
for retrofit or renovation projects. The
increased building value was four per cent.

LEVEL OF GREEN
BUILDING ACTIVITY
FOR 2010-13

44%
Canada

38%
U.S.

No Impact
8%

Not Sure
16%

IMPACT
OF GREEN
BUILDINGS ON
WATER USE
(OWNERS)

Decrease

Owners reported a reduction in water use from building

green structures, and those who did also reported
substantial reductions (68 per cent), or reductions of
20 per cent or greater (25 per cent). The total median
water use reduction was 12 per cent.

>

summer 2015

82%

REDUCTION
IN WATER
CONSUMPTION

37

AVERAGE PAYBACK
PERIOD FOR ADDITIONAL
COSTS OF A NEW GREEN
RETROFIT
37%

33%

22%

GREEN
PROJECT
TYPES BY
GEOGRAPHIC
LOCATION

8%

3-5 years

6-10 years

11-20 years

50 per cent of firms in British Columbia

expect to build green mid- to high-rise
residential projects in the next three
years, compared with 32 per cent in
Ontario and 15 per cent in Alberta.
65 per cent of firms in Ontario expect
to do green existing building/retrofit
projects in the next three years,
compared to 40 per cent in British
Columbia and 43 per cent in Alberta.

Dont Know

EXPECTED OPERATING COST

DECREASES FOR RETROFIT
GREEN EFFORTS

Among respondents, owners were more knowledgeable about

the realistic payback period for their green retrofit or renovation
projects, with all but one providing an estimated time frame.
Owners were also more likely to estimate payback in three to
five years, compared to architects, who cited periods of six to 10
years for payback.

29%
31%

32%
18%

GREEN
PROJECTS
BY SIZE
OF FIRM

47%
26%
38%

reimagine

38

of small firms (revenue

less than $1 million)
reported that they
currently do more than
60 per cent of their
projects green.
of medium-size firms
(revenue from $1 million
to $250 million) reported
that they currently do
more than 60 per cent of
their projects green.
of large-size firms
(revenue of more than
$250 million) reported
that they currently do
more than 60 per cent of
their projects green.

NEXT 12
MONTHS

NEXT 5
YEARS
31%

20%

19%

19%

3%
More than
15%

1%

6-15%

5% or
less

None

Dont
Know

Respondents involved in retrofit or renovation projects

reported similar findings, but they were also more
conservative in the longer-term outlook than those creating
new buildings. There is a 13-point difference between the
percentage who expected to see more than 15 per cent
operating cost decreases over the next 12 months and those
expecting the same decrease over the next five years. re

green gains

TOWERING
INCENTIVES
A case can be made for following Torontos
lead in retrofitting aging high-rises over
building from scratch
By Sydnee Bryant

PHOTOS MALCOLM BROWN

According to Keir Brownstone, left, whos with Torontos Tower

Renewal Program, they look at six key areas, from safety
to operations. This process was used when it came to the
renewal of the Lansdowne 1011 building, right.

the buildings performance to 200 similar ones, says Brownstone.

While Brownstone believes Toronto is really quite advanced when it comes to sustainability, that isnt necessarily
happening in Canada as a whole, he says. Canada was really a
world leader for many years but, in terms of renewable energy
systems, community energy, water conservation and greenhouse
gas emission reductions, weve really slipped a lot. Its something
we can probably catch up on.
It makes sense and dollars for other cities to take a
cue from Toronto and create their own versions of the Tower
Renewal Program. re

summer 2015

etrofit activity across Canada continues to grow, and

many building owners are deciding that reimagining
their existing building stock to green standards is the
smartest and most efficient way to go. There are many
reasons for a green retrofit of a building, including cultural, economic and environmental benefits. Owners of mid-century stock
who stand to gain the most should take note.
This is especially true in the City of Toronto, where youll
also see additional economic gains from aiming for a green standard. As part of the Citys Tower Renewal Program, building
owners can apply for HI-RIS, a financing process that anyone
with a tax bill can use to borrow from the City to undertake
energy or water efficiency measures. Owners lock in a favourable
rate for 20 years and the financing stays with the buildings tax
bill even if ownership changes, explains Keir Brownstone, who
works on the Tower Renewal Project. The financing lives with
the building, so if the building gets sold, it stays with the building, he says. Its a good way to retrofit to green standards. When
a builder follows the program and does an energy audit, he or she
can make the payment horizon the same as the savings horizon in
terms of payback. So basically it can be a way to do a zero-sum
loan for energy efficiency and water efficiency upgrades to the
building, Brownstone says.
The Tower Renewal Program targets buildings eight-storeys and higher that were built prior to 1985, in the multi-residential sector. The Tower Program takes a holistic view of
these buildings in that we look at six key areas of the building
and the area around it, says Brownstone. We look at energy,
water and waste management but we also look at safety, community building issues and operations. Its really a stem-to-stern
look at the properties.
That includes a two-part analysis of the buildings that qualify
for the Tower Renewal Project.The first, a STEP assessment,
looks at community infrastructure, safety and security issues, energy, waste and water.The other is a benchmark, in which Brownstones group takes the buildings utility data, including electricity,
natural gas, water and waste, and plots it. Currently we have
about 200 buildings done.With this information at a fairly detailed
level, we can say here are the good things about the tower, here
are some recommendations to make it better, while comparing

39

room of their own

MAXIMUM
IMPACT

A Calgary software company

needed a new space that included
collision points for creativity

By Claire Johnson

reimagine

40

he growing
Calgary software
company Hedgerow
contacted our team
at Manasc Isaac to reimagine
an existing space into a new
and innovative workplace.
Employees were quickly
outgrowing their office, so they
asked us to help them find a
space that would give them
an opportunity to grow and
strengthen a collaborative style
of working.
Determining what
success would look like for
Hedgerow Softwares redesign
was a starting point for the
reimagining process. Integrating
the company branding and
philosophy within the design of
the space was at the top of the
list for the Hedgerow team, led
by Nancy Grinwis. A healthy
and comfortable workplace
for employees and a space
that encouraged collisions
frequent contact points between
staff were also key drivers in
the revamp.
Our team used the existing
skeleton of the building,
which helped the budget and
avoided discarding material
unnecessarily. Following a
thorough inventory of the
existing materials, we quickly
worked out what could be
re-used or re-purposed for
the new office. We were able

to salvage plumbing fixtures,

timber flooring and some
large metal doors that we later
turned into desks.
Challenges when
reimaging existing spaces
often lead to opportunities
most people dont consider in

a new build. In this case, the

location of the exterior glazing
dictated the positioning of
interior room dividers, and
in a few cases partitions were
done away with and other
methods such as furniture
placement and differentiating

the floor design helped

identify and divide the office
space. The constraints imposed
by the existing conditions led
to solutions that have made
the space more inviting. One
example: we created the central
meeting space, framing it

Once a maze of low-ceilinged offices,

Hedgerows new headquarters will be
open and full of natural light.

Our design enabled hubs

in the common areas,
including the lunchroom,
that staff could use for
impromptu stand-up
meeting areas.

The planning of the Hedgerow

office spaces relied on an activity-based
working model (ABW) after looking
closely at the types of work happening
in each area. (Read more about ABW
in the sidebar.) The next step was to
provide a variety of spaces to allow
for both individual work requiring
peace and quiet for concentrating and
multiple areas for more collaborative
tasks. By providing more of these types
of spaces, we were able to reduce the
size of individual workstations. As
Hedgerow employees are frequently
getting together for brainstorming
sessions, many of the partitions were >

summer 2015

PHOTOS AND RENDERINGS COURTESY MANASC ISAAC

with a sculptural band, a ribbon

of green that runs throughout the
room and greets visitors as they enter
the office.
At the outset, the idea was for this
space to occupy a corner office, but
as we explored the existing layout in
more detail, we found that enclosing a
corner would limit the natural daylight
available to the surrounding spaces. Our
alternative solution was to place the
space front-and-centre in the office, to
create a dramatic entrance piece that
evolves into the green Hedgerow form,
which extends throughout the office
space, adding an identifying element
and a nod to the great personality of
the company.
Approaching this space, the
team looked for existing features to
amalgamate into the design. The layout
was a maze of low-ceilinged offices

that didnt allow the fantastic natural

light from the multitude of floor-toceiling windows to penetrate the office
from its north and south sides. Getting
natural light into every space was a top
priority during the design.
The teams first instinct was to
look at removing the ceiling and
mezzanine, opening the office up to
the underside of the roof deck and
designing the space to expose the entire
office to complement the extensive
glazing. Previously hidden views of the
mountains became visible, dramatically
improving the quality of the office
space. Exposing the underside of
the roof deck and open web trusses
produced a light and airy quality to
the space, while still providing visual
interest. This was the most dramatic
change from the existing dowdy and
enclosed interior; even our team almost
couldnt believe how transformed
the space was. We planned the office
to minimize enclosed spaces to only
necessary ones, such as washrooms.
Enclosed spaces run laterally through
the office to maximize light penetration
from the large windows.

41

room of their own

An activity-based working space

Enclosed spaces run laterally

through the office to
maximize light penetration
from the large windows.

reimagine

42

constructed with writeable

wall surfaces accessible from
a desk height and upwards.
Our design enabled hubs in
the common areas, including
the lunchroom, that staff could
use for impromptu standup meeting areas; writeable
surfaces are spots for notes
displayed to interested parties. A
feature particularly important to
the company was the inclusion
of multiple screens within the
wall systems that could be used
for presentations as well as a
general display of information
on central points around
the office.
Now office areas for the
different teams open out to
the common area and meeting
rooms. Within each teams
area there is space for informal
discussions and chatting, a big
part of Hedgerows workplace
model. The combined
kitchen/lunchroom is the heart
of the space, visible throughout
the office, and doubles as an
entertaining area for company
functions and after-hours beer
oclock gatherings. Here
too, we included screens and

writable surfaces, even on the

kitchen cupboards. Hedgerow
Software highlights frequent
communication, whether it is
about the office cookie jar or a
budding business idea.
To integrate Hedgerows
branding into the design of
the spaces, a large arch of
green now greets visitors at
the entrance to the office.
The company logo signals the
entrance to a small meeting
room. Our design team
wove this green element
continuously throughout
the office in the floors, walls
and as its own structure,
connecting the spaces and
visually leading the occupants
into the different areas,
reinforcing the brand and the
companys corporate culture.
Bright, colourful patches in
the floor design emphasize
spaces and provide a sense
of identity to the discreet
areas. This visual signalling
also helps define areas in
an otherwise very open
environment, an important
aspect in creating this
transparent office space. re

THE THREE CS OF ACTIVITY-BASED WORKING

Activity-based working (ABW) is an innovative emerging trend in office design.
Rather than forcing employees into small boxes to work, ABW creates discreet
spaces to accommodate the various types of work characterized by that
companys environment, mainstay and culture. Although every office has its
own workflow that will dictate an ABW layout, the principles of ABWs space
types remain the same. All offices need places for chatter, concentration and
collaboration these are called the three Cs of space.
Chatter Space: This is your water cooler space, where team members gather to
talk about their weekend, that tight deadline that looms over the office or opinions
about last nights game. These fun, lively and informal spaces facilitate connection
between team members.
Collaboration Space: These casual meeting areas are the perfect place to
spontaneously collaborate with co-workers. Ranging from coffee bars to quasisitting rooms, these spaces are valuable, kindling more vibrant conversations than
a traditional boardroom.
Concentration Space: Employees still need to occasionally retreat into a private
space to synthesize the ideas generated in a collaborative ABW environment.
Concentration spaces dont have to be designated desks. For example, the practice
of hot-desking allows staff members to choose a different space to work as
needed, reducing company expenses and maximizing the offices square footage.
Activity-based working is the future of office design, embracing happy accidents,
collaboration and creativity. After all, shouldnt we design spaces around the
behaviours and needs of the people who use them?
IMAGE COURTESY INTERFACEDESIGNWITHPURPOSE.COM.AU

public eye

NEW LEASE
ON LIFE

Edmontons former remand centre is poised

to revitalize the neighbourhood, with
potential uses that include dormitory spaces

By Kent McKay

RENDERING COURTESY MANASC ISAAC

In 2012, the replacement remand facility opened in North

Edmonton, leaving the fate of the 33-year-old ERC uncertain.
Manasc Isaac Architects was engaged by Alberta Infrastructure to
take a look at the vacated former remand centre to examine the
various options for the reuse of the building or the site. Harnessing
decades of experience in innovative and sustainable renovation and
design, Manasc Isaac concluded that there may be a lot of life left to
live for the Edmonton Remand Centre.
Transforming this intimidating and institutional place into
a friendlier environment would set a sustainable example, and
prove that rejuvenation can take place without tearing down an
existing building, says Julia Booth of Manasc Isaac. I think it
would motivate others to do the same. >

summer 2015

n 1979, a new remand facility

opened in the heart of
Edmontons downtown. One of
the cores myriad examples of
brutalist architecture built through
the 1970s, the Edmonton Remand
Centre was kitted out in precast
concrete and peers at the city
through narrow slit windows: its
imposing appearance indicative of
its purpose. The Edmonton Remand
Centre (ERC) was a modern
response to address the citys rising
number of inmates on remand.
Once the Remand Centre was
completed, prisoners no longer
needed to be held in the citys police
stations or in the jails of neighbouring
Alberta communities like Red Deer
or Fort Saskatchewan. Its capacity
ensured that there would be more
than enough space to house the
level of inmates then on remand.
Its location in the downtown core
made sense at the time, too. Situated
on a small piece of land adjacent to
a number of established public and
private services, it provided convenient access to Edmontons
burgeoning LRT system, the downtown Edmonton Police
Station and the Edmonton Law Courts.
By 2006, however, the neighbourhood around the ERC had
significantly evolved. The city had set its sights on revitalizing
its downtown core and as art galleries, performance spaces
and revamped public amenities began to pop up around the
building, it seemed increasingly out of place. At the same
time, the remand centre itself had become overcrowded and
outmoded. Originally designed to house 388 people, the
number of inmates housed there had ballooned to nearly 800
as of 2006, with additional remanded individuals once again
scattered between facilities in nearby suburban communities.

43

public eye

[TOP] Adding larger windows would create a much

friendlier street facade.
[BOTTOM] The current plumbing infrastructure would
work well for a dormitory, but agencies ranging from
police to non-profits have also considered repurposing
the former remand centre.

reimagine

44

Using its integrated reimagine process, the

Manasc Isaac team spent a full week in the building and
explored a range of scenarios, from the very simple (leaving
the building vacant and providing minimal maintenance) to
moderate (revamping the space for residential or office use)
to a complete overhaul (demolishing the remand centre and
replacing it with a new tower or office building).
Each solution offers its own challenges and opportunities.
Repurposing the existing building would offer a dramatic
reduction in environmental impact relative to tearing it down
and replacing it, especially considering its embodied energy (the
amount of energy required to create the buildings materials).
The building is robust and its been well maintained, Booth says.
Some of the building systems are reaching the end of their life,
and obviously some of the indestructible interior finishes suited
to a remand centre would have to be replaced, but the building
envelope is in excellent shape.
The greatest challenge that the former remand centre
faces is how to break out of its specifically tailored design.
The buildings layout contains split-level areas with upper
mezzanines that are only accessible by stairs, and many of its
small interior cells walls would need to be adjusted in order to
create modern living or office spaces.
Some uses are more evident than others: one of the most
intriguing scenarios is student housing. Even in the buildings
current configuration, you can see how well it could work:
split-level cell areas would make ideal student residence clusters.
Every pair of existing cells would be combined into a modern
bedroom unit with an ensuite shower, toilet and sink.
The current plumbing infrastructure would work well for a
dormitory, and the building has a large gymnasium, which could
be an attractive benefit to residents. The old remand centre is
close to the University of Alberta, NAIT, Norquest College and
MacEwan University. Its also close to Chinatown and Little
Italy, with those communities lively assortment of shops and
restaurants. Plus, its got great access to public transit, Booth says.
Windows, as you might imagine for a remand centre, are
quite minimal in the former cell areas, which currently feature
small slit windows. The slit windows are unfortunate, being so
literally prison-like says Vivian Manasc, principal architect at
Manasc Isaac. Happily, she adds, these can be expanded to their
originally designed, larger size without major modifications to
the precast concrete cladding, doubling the window-to-wall
ratio in the tower areas. Adding larger, operable windows
would allow occupants to access fresh air, and it would create a
much friendlier street facade, she explains.

Split-level areas would make ideal student clusters, by

combining pairs of cells into a modern bedroom unit.

According to Manasc, a bit of work at the ground level

would be required to spark the street-friendly presence that
a reimagined ERC deserves: the main floor would benefit
from some new cladding, she says. The current dark glass and
concrete finishes are really uninviting; its like the building is
turning its back onto the street.

As of 2015, renovations are

underway at Vancouvers former
remand centre, which is being
transformed into an affordable
housing complex for marginalized
members of the community.

PHOTOS AND RENDERINGS COURTESY MANASC ISAAC

summer 2015

Challenges aside, there are precedents for such a conversion.

As of 2015, renovations are underway at Vancouvers former
remand centre, which is being transformed into an affordable
housing complex for marginalized members of the community.
The project was coordinated between a variety of government
programs and non-profit organizations and offers 96
residential units.
A variety of other non-residential approaches could be
taken to repurpose the existing ERC, as well. Agencies ranging
from police services to non-profits and private developers have
considered the building for potential space needs. For these
purposes, the buildings unique floor plates and layout would

mean more extensive renovations in order to achieve a modern

and comfortable office space, and parking is very limited.
Regardless of the design route that is decided upon, the
reimagined remand centre will result in a sustainable and healthy
space. The existing building has some energy-efficient design
elements for a 1970s building, it does quite well, says Booth.
Wed make some enhancements to the building envelope and
replace the systems that are at the end of their lifespan with
more efficient ones.
These enhancements and modern upgrades could yield
triple bottom line results, reducing the operational costs of the
building, minimizing its carbon footprint and even bringing the
potential of LEED certification. At the same time, a revitalized
and vibrant reincarnation of the building would add density and
social activity to downtown and The Quarters, Chinatown and
Little Italy communities.
As the Edmonton Remand Centres stakeholders discuss
and explore the business case for repurposing the building, the
buildings architectural and historical significance should also be
considered, Manasc says.
The former remand centre is a product of the brutalist
movement that swept through the institutional design world
between the 50s and 70s. Eschewing any superfluous
decoration, brutalist buildings are fortress-like and institutional,
clad in concrete. During Edmontons boom period of the 70s,
this style of architecture flourished in the city, particularly in the
downtown core.
Yet close to 40 years later, Edmontons brutalist building
stock faces a problem: they are not yet old enough to be
cherished, but they are too old to provide the type of indoor
environment that todays occupants require. Theres not a lot
of love for buildings of the brutalist period in Edmonton yet,
says Manasc. This period in Edmonton architecture, while not
well-loved today, could benefit from preservation. re

45

whats trending

IN THE
ARENA

With Rogers Place in the works, Rexall Places days

are numbered. Whats next? We look to Maple
Leaf Gardens for inspiration

By Karamijit Grewal

reimagine

46

ith the
construction
of Rogers
Place,
Edmontons new indoor arena
scheduled to be completed
in time for the 2016 NHL
season, many have been
considering the fate of
Rexall Place, the soon to
be superseded home of the
Edmonton Oilers. An adaptive
reuse of the arena would
present a unique opportunity
to breathe new life into this
important piece of the citys
history, commemorating its
past while simultaneously
engaging and challenging
Edmontonians and their ideas
about the citys future.
While there has been
some debate as to whether
Edmonton can support two
large-scale interior arenas, the
majority of residents want
Rexall Place to survive in
some capacity. Northlands,
the owner of Rexall Place,
polled more than 26,000 city
residents about their feelings
towards the arena and 70 per
cent of respondents preferred
to either repurpose the
building or keep it as it is.
When considering
precedents for Rexalls
reimagining, its worth
examining Torontos Maple

Leaf Gardens. Both buildings

were home to some of the
National Hockey Leagues
most illustrious hockey
dynasties: the Toronto
Maple Leafs of the 1940s
and 60s, and the Edmonton
Oilers of the 1980s. Names
such as Gretzky, Messier,
Kurri, Anderson, Lowe and
Fuhr (as well as memories of
five Stanley Cup wins) still
run deep in Edmontons
heart. Maple Leaf Gardens
was considered so key to
the national identity, the
building was recognized as
a National Historic Site of
Canada in 2007.
Maple Leaf Gardens also

faced becoming redundant

with the introduction of a
newer arena. However, when
the Loblaw Companies
purchased the Gardens in
2004, they agreed along with
Ryerson University to renovate the arena into a grocery
store and athletic facility
including a fitness facility, studios, high performance courts
and an NHL-sized ice hockey
rink with seating for approximately 2,800 spectators. The
project won the 2012 Architectural Conservancy of Ontarios Paul Oberman Award
for Adaptive Reuse.
ACO sees this adaptive
reuse project as a win-win-

win: the city and neighbourhood win in that a gargantuan,

block-scale, shuttered void
is now once again a vibrant
community amenity, wrote
ACO president Susan Ratcliffe
in a press release following
the awards.
The buildings new
owners win, having cutting
edge facilities bearing a
significant heritage pedigree
in the heart of downtown.
And the building itself wins,
having received millions of
dollars of restoration work
and a significant investment
in interpretation.
The same potential exists
for Rexall Place. By choosing

Edmontons Rogers Place,

opening in 2016, has many
people questioning current
Oilers home Rexall Places
future purpose. Shown
in the opposite pages
rendering and images,
Torontos Maple Leaf
Gardens, which includes
a grocery store, may offer
some realistic suggestions.

PHOTOS AND RENDERINGS COURTESY MANASC ISAAC

redevelopment of the arena

would mirror the effect of
Rogers Place on the revitalization of Edmontons downtown core.
There is a potential for affordable office space, a library,
an interior amphitheatre for

sports events and concerts, as

well as thermal baths. Perhaps the most interesting
option would be for a vertical
farm covering the south and
southwest elevations of the
arena. Referencing Albertas
agricultural roots while con-

sidering the increased move

towards urbanization, Rexall
Place could produce crops
that would encourage visitors
year round, and play a role in
the local food movement via
an in-house restaurant and
grocery store. re

summer 2015

to strategically repurpose the

arena, the city and Northlands
could encourage a larger segment of residents to use and
enjoy the structure. Situated
northeast of downtown, with
direct access to the citys light
rail transit (LRT) line, the

47

higher ground

MID-LIFE
CRISIS

Once the tallest building in the

provincial capital, Scotia Place is
quickly aging into anonymity

By Richard Isaac

reimagine

48

have been a downtown

dweller for a number
of years and in my
daily travels through
Edmontons core, I pass by
many places that Id love to see
reimagined. One such building
is Scotia Place, an Edmonton
landmark that stands above
the citys main drag of Jasper
Avenue. Designed by architect
B. James Wesley, the complex
consists of a two-storey podium
topped by two office towers
one that stands 22 storeys high
and the other 28 storeys. At
street level, the podium
expresses itself as a serrated plan
form with two-storey-high
glazing and polished stone
architrave.The remainder of
the podium is primarily the
same polished stone panels with
punched openings.
At the time of its
completion in 1983, Scotia
Place was the tallest building in
Edmonton and although this
title has since been usurped
by newer structures, it remains
a very prominent icon of
Edmontons skyline.
Despite its status, to me the
building feels very anonymous:
there is no hint as to what the
towers contain, as its shiny
gold-hued glass facades appear
opaque to passersby during the
day. The large Scotiabank S
mounted on the penthouse
level is its only identifier. Its

only at night when the lights

are on inside the building
that one can truly view the
striations of the occupied spaces
and notice signs of life inside.
Every side of the building
facade is treated in the same
way, regardless of which
direction it faces.The sun hits
the glazing on the south in
the same unmodulated fashion
as it does on the west.This is
problematic for the occupants
on the south side of the
building, as heat and glare can
only be partially addressed by
internal blinds and tinted glass.
The problem is even worse
on the west facade when the
still-strong sun is lower in the
sky. The curtain wall has not
been updated since its original
installation 30 years ago. As
a consequence, the facade is
outmoded in its technology
and is nearing the end of its life
and performance.
If given the opportunity to
reimagine Scotia Place, my first
priority would be to address
the buildings original curtain
wall system. In the interest
of enhanced environmental,
thermal and operational
performance, I would remove
the existing glazed wall system
on both towers and replace it
with a new, high-performance
(minimum triple-glazed)
curtain wall skin.While doing
this work, Id make sure to

use brightly coloured glass

spandrels; in a winter city like
Edmonton, its essential to have
fun with colour.
Since the sun hits each
side of the building differently,
Id propose to treat each face
of the building as its own

entity, with specialized shading

technologies. As the sun from
the south is high in the sky,
shading can be achieved with
horizontal shading devices,
the support cables for which
would second as a medium
for climbing plant material.

Scotia Places facade

is outdated in its
technology and is nearing
the end of its lifespan.

PHOTOS AND RENDERINGS COURTESY MANASC ISAAC

need to be created, one that collaboratively

integrates the feedback of existing tenants.
This conversation would deliver an
integrated design process, which would see
building owners and tenants included at
every stage of the project. Because a major
element of the work is a re-skinning of
the buildings exterior, the process would
need to be carefully phased, including a
plan for decanting the office occupants
and creating unoccupied storeys, one at a
time.This would require consensus from all
building inhabitants, but in my experience
this approach is eminently feasible.
These interventions would not just
deliver a better building, but also a more
resilient community.The creation of
new amenities and public spaces, and
the addition of colour to our winter
citys skyline, would improve the urban
environment. A reimagined Scotia Place
could offer environmental benefits, too. Its
new efficient skin, green roof, solar panels
and appropriate shading treatments would
solidify the buildings reputation as a facility
rooted in responsibility this is important
as we move into a green energy future that

is less reliant on fossil fuels to operate our

buildings.
More importantly, the revamp would
improve the lives of the occupants inside.
Crucially, temperatures would be easier
to control and the indoor space more
comfortable due to the implementation
of shading techniques. The addition of
an atrium space would provide office
workers with a bright interior during
the day, while the rooftop could be used
to offer sustainable, healthy and beautiful
outdoor space.
The benefits dont just offer warm
fuzzies and amiable perks for occupants:
there is also a business case for a reimagined
Scotia Place. Building owners can look
forward to reduced heating and cooling
costs, reduced electrical expenses, expanded
leasable square footage in the new atrium,
higher lease rates for a much-improved
office environment and several appealing
amenities that will give the building a
competitive edge on the leasing market,
delivering triple bottom line results that
prove the value of reimagining existing
building stock. re

summer 2015

Sun from the west is lower in the sky, so

its impact on the facade would be reduced
with a mesh of aluminum sticks.
Another possibility would be to add
a new atrium. Id propose to link the two
towers together with roof and curtain wall
system, creating a brightly-lit new interior
space and reducing heat loss from the
former-exterior walls faces.
Id also love to see roofs added to the
top of each tower, which would create
useable outdoor space with amazing views
of the city for occupants and could also
feature an inclined table on which to set
solar panels to provide clean power to the
building.This would also facilitate adding
a green roof that could be accessible by
occupants and used to grow vegetables
which might be welcome by restaurants
in the buildings food court, as well. A
green roof would also provide sustainable
insulation for the roof, reducing energy loss.
The most interesting challenge
would be in the logistics of Scotia Places
reimagining.The building is, after all, home
to many companies and staff.To start, a
well-developed planning process would

49

last word

TOP 5 GREEN BUILDING PERKS

Saving money and the earth are just the tip of the iceberg

SAVE OR
MAKE MONEY

Make an
investment of
2% in green
building
design

Buildings
contribute
38.1% of the
carbon dioxide
emissions in
the U.S

Green buildings
consume 26%
less energy
compared to
the average
commercial
building

ATTRACT
AND KEEP
TENANTS

Reduce these
emissions with
environmentally
responsible
building
practices
Workers report
being 5% more
productive in
green buildings

SAVE ENERGY
KEEP
TENANTS
reimagine

50

LEED-certified
buildings can
command rents
of $11.33 per
square foot
over non-LEED

Save 20%
in construction
costs over
the buildings
life cycle

LEED-certified
boasts a
4.1% higher
occupancy

LOWER YOUR
CARBON
FOOTPRINT

They also boast

maintenance
costs that are
13% lower
than standard
buildings

IMPROVE
EMPLOYEE
PRODUCTIVITY
AND RETENTION

They take
3% fewer
sick days

SOURCES: U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL, GREENBIZ.COM, COSTAR

YOUR OFFICE
REIMAGINED
A NEW OFFICE DOESNT
HAVE TO BE A NEW
BUILDING.
We design sustainable solutions that
are tailored to your needs. With over
30 years of experience, our team
transforms dull, inefficient buildings into
bright, energetic healthy environments.

reimagine your building

with Manasc Isaac.

1800, Calgary Alberta

manascisaac.com

The Sustainable Buildings

Consortium is a non-profit

research Institute dedicated

to Green Buildings, materials
research and developing
Public Policy advocacy
for environmentally
preferable standards for
buildings and communities.

sustainablebuildings.ca

Image: Camrose City Hall, Camrose Alberta

Engaging.
Architecture.
edmonton
780.429.3977

calgary
403.460.4177

We are Canadian leaders in green

design, working with communities
to shape a healthy, beautiful and
sustainable built environment.

manascisaac.com