Manitoba Hydro Place occupies a previously underutilized site formerly occupied by several vacant buildings and designated a Brownfield. Soil remediation was required to remove patches of hydrocarbon contaminants, and the vacant buildings were carefully deconstructed so that 95% of the components could be recycled or reused. For example, old growth Douglas Fir beams were milled and reused in the new building for soffits and benches.
The two towers of the building sit on a street-scaled podium. Structural and glazing systems emphasize lightness and transparency to reduce the impact of the mass on the surrounding neighborhood. Large-scale entrance canopies protect from prevailing winds and provide shelter for pedestrians.
Green roofs cover the podium roof, a dramatic increase in soft landscaping compared to the hard surface parking lots and tar roofs of the original site. All of the green roofs are planted with native plant species and one of the green roofs is dedicated to the First Nations and was planted with sweetgrass in a traditional ceremony. An increased number of street trees and a grove at the site’s south park help create shade conditions at grade.
Sixty-five percent of the population of the building travels to work by transit, 5% by bike or foot and 3 % via carpool. There are only 151 parking spaces for 2100 occupants and visitors.
The project utilized an Integrated Design Process (IDP), as outlined by the Canadian Government’s National Research Council as IDP-2000, to design and develop ideas. Fifteen initial schemes were created, then three were short-listing for further development. The measures of potential success for each design were based on criteria important to the client and the goal of reaching specified energy targets and urban renewal gestures. Ongoing charrettes after the final project selection coalesced the preliminary strategies into real systems. The highly integrated nature of some of the elements, such as atrium water features and the buildings humidification/de-humidification facilities are a direct outcome of immediate collective intelligence at these charrettes. By merging traditional proven techniques with metered and controlled building components, energy savings potential and design quality were met and exceeded throughout the building. Furthermore, the commissioning process of the project involved ongoing input from key consultants through monthly meetings and a distance monitoring program with the BMS. All of the visible systems were scrutinized, tested, modified and refined by every specialist on the team (including the architects) to ensure every element was synchronized to the whole and harmonized in proportion, form, and scale. |
