In today's special episode, we get a virtual tour of the super green, Manitoba Hydro Place. Devin Evenson, a professional engineer of corporate facilities at the Manitoba Hydro joins us to give us a tour of the green features of this incredible space. The 700 000 sq. ft. building was conceived in 2003 and came to life in 2009. In 2012, it received the LEED platinum certificate and was named the most energy-efficient office tower in North America. None of this would have been possible without a strong vision to make a healthy work environment for the 2,200 employees that work there. During the tour, Devin takes us to various areas of the building, including the entrance, the south atrium, the northern tower, and the parkade. While the building is beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, design decisions weren't made in isolation, and everything contributes to the overall sustainability of the tower. We hear about the climatically responsive design, the heating and cooling system that has decoupled heating from ventilation, and the geothermal system. The way the building's design has leveraged both low and high-tech solutions to come up with an ecologically and human-centric outcome is something well worth hearing!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Introducing Manitoba Hydro Place: its size, its location, and the building project objectives.
- What the project charter for the building set out to achieve.
- Hear more about the fascinating water features in the building and the functions they serve.
- The decision to deconstruct rather than demolish the previous buildings on the site and reuse materials.
- The ways in which the building is energy efficient.
- How the pedestal tower design seeks to match the existing urban context.
- The south atrium or 'lungs of the building’, how it was designed and the different functions it serves.
- How the building's layout helps with harvesting daylight.
- Reasons that the ceiling is sleek and minimalistic without many additions on it.
- How the windows help create an optimal temperature.
- What happens in the north end of the building, where the solar chimney is located.
- Why downtown Winnipeg was chosen as the site for the building.
- Some of the building's parkade supports non-motorized transport.
- How the employees handled the changes that came with the new building and location.
- Hear more about the building's geothermal system.
- The importance of having a cohesive vision, integrated process and a team.
- Evidence that shows the building has improved people's health.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Kristina Hunter Flourishing
Kristina Hunter Flourishing Resources
KPMB Architects
LEED Profile
In-Depth Case Study
Manitoba Eco-Network