flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

Mohawk College will have one of the region’s first net-zero energy institutional buildings

Sustainability

Mohawk College will have one of the region’s first net-zero energy institutional buildings

The project’s net-zero goals led to the development of a new curtain wall system.


By David Malone, Associate Editor | June 28, 2017

Rendering courtesy of B+H + mcCallumSather

A new 96,000-sf building designed by B+H Architects and mcCallumSather will provide students of Ontario’s Mohawk College with solar-powered state-of-the-art labs, workshops, open study spaces, and a lecture theater when construction completes in 2018.

The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation will become one of the first net-zero energy institutional buildings in the region. The architects worked with manufacturers and building scientists to develop a new curtain wall system that incorporates isolation gaskets in order to achieve the energy conservation targets. This new curtain wall system has an effective R20 thermal performance.

 

Rendering courtesy of B+H + mcCallumSather.

 

The new building will be powered by solar panel “wings” on top of the four-story structuure. “We really wanted to elevate the concept of capturing the sun’s energy and making it a design feature as opposed to a series of panels that are going on the roof,” says Joanne McCallem, Director and Co-Founder of mcCallumSather. These solar wings become the most distinctive aspect of the design.

Inside of the building, a large atria flows into modular classrooms that are organized around a central common area. The layout encourages social learning. The architects want the design to make people aware of the energy they use and force them to change their habits. For example, visitors will not be able to leave their laptop plugged in for hours on end throughout the day.

 

Rendering courtesy of B+H + mcCallumSather.

 

The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation is expected to be ready for students for the fall 2018 term.

 

Rendering courtesy of B+H + mcCallumSather.

Related Stories

| Apr 13, 2012

Goettsch Partners designs new music building for Northwestern

The showcase facility is the recital hall, an intimate, two-level space with undulating walls of wood that provide optimal acoustics and lead to the stage, as well as a 50-foot-high wall of cable-supported, double-skin glass

| Apr 13, 2012

Best Commercial Modular Buildings Recognized

Judges scored building entries on a number of criteria including architectural excellence, technical innovation, cost effectiveness, energy efficiency, and calendar days to complete, while marketing pieces were judged on strategy, implementation, and quantifiable results. Read More

| Mar 1, 2012

Cornell shortlists six architectural firms for first building on tech campus

Each of the firms will be asked to assemble a team of consultants and prepare for an interview to discuss their team’s capabilities to successfully design the university’s project.

| Feb 22, 2012

Perkins Eastman expands portfolio in China and Vietnam

Recent awards, project progress signal ongoing commitment to region.

| Jan 4, 2012

Shawmut Design & Construction awarded dorm renovations at Brown University

Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2012, and will be completed by December 2012.

| Dec 27, 2011

BD+C's Under 40 Leadership Summit update

The two-day Under 40 Leadership Summit continued with a Leadership Style interactive presentation; Great Solutions presentations from Under 40 attendees; the Owner’s Perspective panel discussion; and the Blue Ocean Strategy presentation.

| Dec 20, 2011

Gluckman Mayner Architects releases design for Syracuse law building

The design reflects an organizational clarity and professional sophistication that anticipates the user experience of students, faculty, and visitors alike. 

| Dec 10, 2011

BIM tools to make your project easier to manage

Two innovations—program manager Gafcon’s SharePoint360 project management platform and a new BIM “wall creator” add-on developed by ClarkDietrich Building Systems for use with the Revit BIM platform and construction consultant—show how fabricators and owner’s reps are stepping in to fill the gaps between construction and design that can typically be exposed by working with a 3D model.

| Dec 5, 2011

Fraser Brown MacKenna wins Green Gown Award

Working closely with staff at Queen Mary University of London, MEP Engineers Mott MacDonald, Cost Consultants Burnley Wilson Fish and main contractor Charter Construction, we developed a three-fold solution for the sustainable retrofit of the building.

| Dec 2, 2011

What are you waiting for? BD+C's 2012 40 Under 40 nominations are due Friday, Jan. 20

Nominate a colleague, peer, or even yourself. Applications available here.

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category




Mass Timber

Bjarke Ingels Group designs a mass timber cube structure for the University of Kansas

Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and executive architect BNIM have unveiled their design for a new mass timber cube structure called the Makers’ KUbe for the University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design. A six-story, 50,000-sf building for learning and collaboration, the light-filled KUbe will house studio and teaching space, 3D-printing and robotic labs, and a ground-level cafe, all organized around a central core.

halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021