Fred Kaiser Building

Location

2332 Main Mall

UBC Vancouver, BC

Canada

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Completion date
2005
Site/Building area
8,900 m2
Budget
$18,000,000
Certifications & Awards
Project Team
  • Owner: The University of British Columbia
  • Architect: Omicron Architecture Engineering Construction Ltd. in collaboration with Architects Alliance
  • Mechanical Engineer: Omicron Architecture Engineering Construction Ltd.

Summary

Key Sustainability Features

  • Low Flow Fixtures reduces potable water consumption by 50%
  • Energy efficient design - maximum daylighting without energy loss
  • Building footprint used existing buildings
  • Designed for flexibility of uses

This five-storey academic building provides lab space for UBC's Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty and offices for the Dean of Applied Science. It has 700 occupants, including faculty, researchers, administrators, and students.

Low-flow fixtures such as dual-flush toilets, waterless urinals, and infrared activated faucets reduce potable water consumption by 50% more than a building compliant with the Plumbing Code. The building uses 35% less energy than the Model National Energy Code through radiant slab heating, cooling, natural ventilation and, in the summer, night time evaporative cooling of the slab. An efficient building envelope reduces the requirements of the HVAC and lighting systems.

The building was constructed over an existing building to minimize green space loss and to reduce demand for materials. High volume fly-ash concrete reduces greenhouse gas emissions associated with concrete production.

Designed for maximum flexibility, the space plan and mechanical systems facilitate adaptive reuse over the building's lifetime. "Cast in place" threaded inserts were incorporated into the structural slab system to make it possible to suspend things from the slab ceiling in the future without having to drill and potentially damage the radiant tubing.

The exterior glass facade is designed to allow maximum daylight while reducing unwanted solar gain. This is accomplished with a Low-E double glazing that has been silk screened with a ceramic frit that references the shadows of the oak tree branches that line Main Mall.

A number of monitoring and metering points that can provide trend data will track the performance of the building over time. UBC Facilities personnel and engineering students will use the data as a learning tool. A display monitor in the public lobby shows data on building operation and energy performance in real-time. This monitor also displays information on how much electricity the building integrated photovoltaic array embedded in the glass of the building's atrium is producing.

Activity in the building is centered around the central atrium, which provides views into and out of the building.

Tours: Available upon request. Call the UBC Sustainability Office at 604-827-5641

This post was imported from the 'Greater Vancouver Green Guide', it's part of the 'Green Guide Portal' to the Green Building Brain