Located in the heart of University of Ottawa, the 15-story Vanier Hall functions as the new home of the large Faculty of Social Science and ‘stands tall’ as a living example of sustainable design boasting the intangibles of a rich and inspiring learning atmosphere, plus the measurable returns of energy saving technology.
From an exterior view, the green plant wall provides a striking contrast to the glass and steel structure. Once inside, visitors can fully appreciate a spectacular six-story-high feature – the largest living wall biofilter in North America at 1,370 square feet. In addition to the aesthetic impact, the biofilter is also part of the building’s sustainable design efforts.
Improves Air Quality and Building Performance
In simple terms, a Nedlaw Living Wall Biofilter is a working machine that harnesses nature’s remarkable ability to ‘eat’ pollutants. Contaminated indoor air is drawn through the biofilter where microorganisms on the root media consume airborne pollutants as food. This removal process cleans 80 – 85% of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air, creating virtual outside air. The cleansed air is then re-circulated through the buidling’s HVAC system.
The ‘soft’ benefits of the living wall include dust control, sound abatement, white noise in the form of running water, and a noticeable ‘smell’ of fresh air.
In terms of improving building performance, the biofilter at Vanier Hall can provide 75 – 80% of the building’s fresh air intake requirement, which not only enhances air quality but also significantly improves energy performance by reducing the amount of air intake and, consequently, heating and cooling costs. Additionally, the wall provides all of the building’s humidity and no mechanical humidification is needed.
The living wall biofilter at Vanier Hall includes energy smart features designed to address certain energy lapses in traditional building systems. For example, water recycled from storm water runoff and HVAC condensation is used for the hydroponic plant wall. According to Dr. Alan Darlington (founder of Nedlaw Living Walls), “We’ve done a lot of work to streamline and make this as efficient as possible without losing the aesthetics of this system.”
Calculating the ROI of Living Wall Biofilters
In recent years, Nedlaw has completed numerous studies to show the effectiveness of contaminant removal from indoor air and has now quantified the return on investment based on energy savings. By replacing outdoor air that needs to be conditioned, a Nedlaw Living Wall Biofilter reduces a building’s energy needs. In general terms, a fully-integrated biofilter can reduce energy costs by up to 30%, because the biofilters provide clean air at a fraction of the cost of traditional systems.
In a recent study completed for a major international retail chain, it was determined that the proposed living wall biofilter could provide 100 litres per second of outside air – meaning the building needed to take in that much less outside air.
Using the biofilter as a source of clean air would reduce the energy consumption of the HVAC system by 32.5 GJ of energy for square metre of biofilter used. If properly integrated into the building (for example, naturally lit and connected directly to the HVAC), the biofilter would require as little as 0.4 GJ of energy per square metre per year. This gives a total annual energy savings of the system of 32.1 GJ. This is equivalent to roughly 5 barrels of oil or 1.6 tonnes of CO2 saved per square metre of biofilter.
For this study, it was determined that approximately 400 m2 of biofilter would be used. Assuming a combined energy cost for electricity and natural gas of $10 USD per GJ and if the biofilter is used to its maximum potential then the payback period for the capital cost associated with the biofilter could be less than 3 - 5 years.
PROJECT DETAILS
Location: University of Ottawa, Vanier Hall
Architect: Diamond Schmitt Architects, KWC Architects
Award of Excellence / Interior Green Wall - Green Roofs for Healthy Cities
LEED Gold Certified
MEDIA COVERAGE
University of Ottawa Tower Wins 3 Awards
ABOUT NEDLAW LIVING WALL BIOFILTERS
Related Stories
| Nov 2, 2010
Yudelson: ‘If It Doesn’t Perform, It Can’t Be Green’
Jerry Yudelson, prolific author and veteran green building expert, challenges Building Teams to think big when it comes to controlling energy use and reducing carbon emissions in buildings.
| Nov 1, 2010
Sustainable, mixed-income housing to revitalize community
The $41 million Arlington Grove mixed-use development in St. Louis is viewed as a major step in revitalizing the community. Developed by McCormack Baron Salazar with KAI Design & Build (architect, MEP, GC), the project will add 112 new and renovated mixed-income rental units (market rate, low-income, and public housing) totaling 162,000 sf, plus 5,000 sf of commercial/retail space.
| Nov 1, 2010
Vancouver’s former Olympic Village shoots for Gold
The first tenants of the Millennium Water development in Vancouver, B.C., were Olympic athletes competing in the 2010 Winter Games. Now the former Olympic Village, located on a 17-acre brownfield site, is being transformed into a residential neighborhood targeting LEED ND Gold. The buildings are expected to consume 30-70% less energy than comparable structures.
| Oct 21, 2010
GSA confirms new LEED Gold requirement
The General Services Administration has increased its sustainability requirements and now mandates LEED Gold for its projects.
| Oct 13, 2010
Editorial
The AEC industry shares a widespread obsession with the new. New is fresh. New is youthful. New is cool. But “old” or “slightly used” can be financially profitable and professionally rewarding, too.
| Oct 12, 2010
University of Toledo, Memorial Field House
27th Annual Reconstruction Awards—Silver Award. Memorial Field House, once the lovely Collegiate Gothic (ca. 1933) centerpiece (along with neighboring University Hall) of the University of Toledo campus, took its share of abuse after a new athletic arena made it redundant, in 1976. The ultimate insult occurred when the ROTC used it as a paintball venue.
| Oct 12, 2010
Cell and Genome Sciences Building, Farmington, Conn.
27th Annual Reconstruction Awards—Silver Award. Administrators at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington didn’t think much of the 1970s building they planned to turn into the school’s Cell and Genome Sciences Building. It’s not that the former toxicology research facility was in such terrible shape, but the 117,800-sf structure had almost no windows and its interior was dark and chopped up.
| Oct 12, 2010
The Watch Factory, Waltham, Mass.
27th Annual Reconstruction Awards — Gold Award. When the Boston Watch Company opened its factory in 1854 on the banks of the Charles River in Waltham, Mass., the area was far enough away from the dust, dirt, and grime of Boston to safely assemble delicate watch parts.
| Oct 12, 2010
Building 13 Naval Station, Great Lakes, Ill.
27th Annual Reconstruction Awards—Gold Award. Designed by Chicago architect Jarvis Hunt and constructed in 1903, Building 13 is one of 39 structures within the Great Lakes Historic District at Naval Station Great Lakes, Ill.
| Oct 12, 2010
Full Steam Ahead for Sustainable Power Plant
An innovative restoration turns a historic but inoperable coal-burning steam plant into a modern, energy-efficient marvel at Duke University.
