The Library/Classroom Building features a unique energy-efficient design. It captured national and international attention for its environmentally progressive features and is a landmark on campus and in the community.
Library/Classroom Building Environmental Features:
- Geoexchange Energy Transfer System that utilizes the Earth’s energy for heating and cooling decreasing the use of natural gas, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The building is constructed to be one of the most energy efficient in the country.
- Fly Ash (a by-product of power plants created during coal consumption) infused concrete which is more resistant to chemical corrosion, decreases landfill pollution, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
- Wind Energy for natural ventilation. The undulating roofline is designed to direct the wind to flows over the building wind towers. As the air naturally convects, fresh air enters the building, reducing energy use required for ventilation.
- Solar Shading on windows to allow light to enter, while preventing the sun’s heat from warming the building in the summer.
- Low VOC Paint with reduced levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The paint is more environmentally friendly, has less odour than traditional paints, and is less toxic.
- Tree Relocation. During construction, many trees were safely relocated to other areas on campus while others were donated to a school that needed landscaping.
- Water usage control. All taps, toilets and urinals have automated flushing mechanisms to control the amount of water being used.
The Library/Classroom Building has won the following awards:
- Acknowledgement Award fo Sustainable Construction from the Holcim Foundation.
The Holcim Awards competition is an initiative of the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction based in Switzerland. Its mission is to select and support initiatives that combine sustainable construction solutions with architectural quality and enhanced quality of life beyond technical solutions.
The Holcim Awards 2005 jury identified Langara College’s Library/Classroom Building as an “…innovative effort to produce a building that reflects the environmental forces to which it responds. The systematic approach to achieving a sensible urban ecology is to be highly commended in that it actively pursues a sustainable, low energy design, yet is not functionally or aesthetically compromised.”
- Award of Excellence from Canadian Architect Magazine. Langara College and Teeple Architects Inc., in conjunction with Hancock Brückner Eng & Wright Architects, won the Canadian Architect 2005 Award of Excellence. The project was chosen for its combination of overall design vision and use of sustainable design principles.
- Sustainable Architecture + Building Award from Sustainable Architecture & Building Magazine. Teeple Architects Inc., in joint venture with IBI/HB Architects, was one of six winners of the first Sustainable Architecture + Building Awards (SAB) for the Langara College Library/Classroom Building. The awards were hosted by Sustainable Architecture & Building magazine, a publication that reports on the progress of green building in Canada and beyond.
The awards recognized excellence in the design and execution of Canadian buildings, including new construction, renovations, and interior design projects. The jury, comprised of notable professionals, selected winners based on sustainable design, architectural excellence, and technical innovation.
