flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
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

University Buildings | Jan 19, 2018

A 360-degree classroom highlights Washington State University’s new academic innovation hub

The circle-in-the-round classroom can accommodate 275 students.

Education Facilities | Jan 9, 2018

Elementary school, daycare campus will serve Toronto's skyrise neighborhood

While the district’s vertical living lifestyle is geared for young singles and empty nesters, CityPlace has attracted a surprising number of families.

Education Facilities | Jan 8, 2018

Three former school buildings are repurposed to create mini-campus for teacher education

The $25.3 million project is currently under construction on the Winona State University campus.

Healthcare Facilities | Jan 6, 2018

A new precision dental center embodies Columbia University’s latest direction for oral medicine education

The facility, which nests at “the core” of the university’s Medical Center, relies heavily on technology and big data. 

Education Facilities | Jan 2, 2018

New Bancroft Campus responds to the challenges of autism through design

The 80-acre campus is located in Mount Laurel, N.J.

K-12 Schools | Nov 16, 2017

Future-proofing higher education: Understanding generation Z

There are three driving issues behind this next generation: demographic change, behavioral change, and the power to choose.

Reconstruction Awards | Nov 13, 2017

Harlem Renaissance: A vacant school provides much-needed housing and a clubhouse for children

Word that PS 186 might be demolished brought out the preservationists, whose letter-writing campaign gained the support of the New York Landmarks Conservancy.

Education Facilities | Oct 3, 2017

The growing demand for early childhood education

When the design of early learning centers is grounded in the science of developmental psychology and education, these educational environments can address multiple domains of development that positively stimulate young children's physical and cognitive growth.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


University Buildings

Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences opens a new 88-acre campus

Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences has opened a new campus spanning 88 acres, over three times larger than its previous location. Designed by RDG Planning & Design and built by Turner Construction, the $260 million campus features technology-rich, flexible educational spaces that promote innovative teaching methods, expand research activity, and enhance clinical services. The campus includes four buildings connected with elevated pathways and totaling 382,000 sf. 



Museums

UT Dallas opens Morphosis-designed Crow Museum of Asian Art

In Richardson, Tex., the University of Texas at Dallas has opened a second location for the Crow Museum of Asian Art—the first of multiple buildings that will be part of a 12-acre cultural district. When completed, the arts and performance complex, called the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum, will include two museums, a performance hall and music building, a grand plaza, and a dedicated parking structure on the Richardson campus.

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