Green Building: Challenge poster project

Alice Turner Branch Library, Saskatoon

The Alice Turner Branch Library on Nelson Road in Saskatoon is one of the buildings constructed under Natural Resources Canada’s C2000 environmental building program. The two-storey, 2,102-m2 building was completed in October 1998 and cost $2.2 million.

The mechanical engineers used DOE (U.S. Department of Energy) software to simulate the energy consumption of different design scenarios. The result is a building that is expected to use only 51% of the energy that would be consumed by a similar building designed to ASHRAE/IES 90.1 performance levels.

Many components play a role in reducing the building’s energy. First, the hydronic radiant floor system provides efficient heating. It runs from a low-temperature natural gas Viessmann hot-water boiler. Cooling and back-up heating is provided by a ceiling air distribution system which uses a four-pipe fan coil system with low-energy fans. An enthalpy wheel recovers heat and moisture from outgoing circulation air and transfers it to the incoming air.

The real savings come from having an integrated design where all the systems, components and architecture work together. Mechanical engineer Darren Wingerak says that “everything was so interrelated that if you saved energy on one component, it usually had a domino effect and helped out another system.” Having a lot of natural daylighting, for example, reduced the lighting loads, which in turn reduced the cooling loads. Where there is expansive glazing facing south, it is sheltered by louvers and light shelves (see photo). These devices provide cooling shade in the summer, but allow the sun to penetrate in winter to take advantage of solar gains. Glazing is high efficiency spectrally selective, double-pane, argon-filled, low-e glazing with thermally broken frames. The building’s wood frame construction minimizes embodied energy and avoids thermal bridging.

Mechanical: Daniels Wingerak Engineering

Electrical: Cochrane Engineering

Structural: Robb Kullman Engineering

C-2000 consultant: G.F. Shymko & Associates

Owner: City of Saskatoon

Architect: Kindrachuk Agrey