Mount Royal College Centre for Continuous Learning LEED Information
LEED definition
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
The Centre for Continuous Learning will be 43% more energy efficient than conventional buildings
Recycled Materials
Pressed straw ceiling tiles & baffles
Wheat board paneling
Recycled paint
Carpet made with recycled wool Utilization of water
Pain water collected and stored in a water tank
Treated then pumped to toilets and outside irrigation system
Water employed in heating and cooling of building Cooling and Heating
Natural ventilation reduces requirement for cooling
Building pre-cooled during the night using fresh air
Potable water cools building through air handling units
Heated through hot water boiler and exterior panels
Heating coils placed in air handling units to heat air
The Centre for Continuous Learning building is designed to meet both:
The Canadian Federal Government's Commercial Building Incentive Program (CBIP) which requires that the building energy performance be a minimum of 25% better than an equivalent building designed to meet the Canadian Model National Code for Building.
The Canadian Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver standard.
As the Centre for Continuous Learning building is designed to meet LEED Silver Standard, there are a number of mechanical systems proposed that are different from traditional buildings. A Green Building usually has half the energy and water consumption of a typical building. The idea is to construct a high performance building, spending more on the building envelope, and down-sizing the mechanical (cooling/ventilation) systems.
The following are mechanical concepts designed to achieve a Sustainable Building:
Capitalizing on the building mass of the structure. Thermal mass can moderate the temperature of occupied spaces. Storing and dispelling energy in a day and night cycle results in the downsizing of cooling and ventilation systems. Higher building mass can be achieved by exposing concrete.
Municipal Water Cooling. Water is used from the municipal lines in a closed loop to take heat from the building and deliver it to the ground. This is a form of "free" environmentally friendly cooling.
Displacement Ventilation System. In the displacement ventilation design, air is typically supplied near the floor in the space at extremely low velocity. The supply air moves horizontally across the floor until it naturally rises, driven by convective currents as it warms due to internal heat from the process, people, lights, computers, etc. There are a number of benefits in using this system, some of which are better indoor air quality, reduced cooling requirements and improved effective ventilation.
Conditioned air will be supplied into each office and other smaller areas through recessed wall diffusers while conditioned air to each classroom and boardroom will be supplied with surface mounted wall diffusers referred to as "potbelly stoves".
Operable windows. To support the displacement ventilation system, it will be necessary to open windows to introduce ventilation air into the facility.
Solar Chimneys. In order to assure that open windows draw air into the building, there will be 3 solar chimneys installed in the atrium area. These chimneys will be designed to draw negative air pressure condition within the atrium, replacing the need for a return air fan. The building's ventilation system is also tied to the outside more-so than in a conventional building. This allows more fresh air for the occupants and can lead to more effective cooling/heating of the building (depending on the outside temperature).
Waterless Urinals. As part of the sustainable building design initiative, waterless urinals will be installed in the building. It has a replaceable cartridge that controls odors.
100% Spaces Day-Lit. The building was designed to take advantage of the sun's light to minimize the need for conventional lighting. 100% of the regularly occupied spaces in the building are adequately lit by sunlight alone on a sunny day.
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Printed with permission from Mount Royal College, Centre for Continuous earning
