By Adam Beneroff Manitoba Hydro Place

General Information

Location Manitoba Hydro Place is located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Building Type The building is a commercial office and a community building.

Building use Its main use is as a corporate headquarters for Manitoba Hydro

Type of Project The building is a new construction

Dates It won the award for one the AIA top ten green projects in 2010 Construction finished in September of 2009

Architects Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects, and Smith Carter Architects and Engineers Incorporated

Ecological Materials and Resources Used

They used locally quarried Tyndall limestone

All of the carpet tiles are made from %100 recycled materials

Douglas fir elements were mainly sourced from the pre existing buildings

High-performance double and triple glazed unitized curtain wall panels

All interior materials meet low-VOC standards in order to provide a safe and healthy working environment

Energy Efficiency

The building has radiant heating and cooling delivered through an exposed concrete thermal mass

High efficacy T-5 fluorescent lamps are dimmable, equipped with day lighting and occupancy sensors, and are individually adjustable

Day light is also used and comes from large exterior windows and high ceilings Large-format automated louvers within the double façade open and close throughout the day to minimize solar gain and glare

The large geothermal field, high-efficiency condensing boilers, and efficient heating and cooling systems ensure that supply and exchange is utilized

A sophisticated building management system monitors internal and external environments to optimize lighting, solar shading, and heating and cooling loads while taking advantage of passive energy sources

All green roofs employ native plant species, irrigated by rainfall or, during drought conditions, by condensate collected from the building’s mechanical equipment

Site Ecology

Structural and glazing systems emphasize lightness and transparency to reduce the impact of the mass on the surrounding neighborhood

Fifteen hundred free parking spots were written out of the design as employees embraced public transit incentives

All plant species incorporated into the green roof are native to the region

The site was specifically selected to maximize energy efficiency, sustainable technologies, public transport availability, and urbanization

The roofs of the podium feature deep-soil intensive green roofs and create accessible, lushly landscaped terraces as an outdoor amenity for employees

Water Resources

Excess rainwater is held within the green roof tray system until the planting medium is ready to absorb it

Excess condensate generated by the building’s fan coil units during the hot summer months is directed to large cisterns

When conditions warrant, this reclaimed water is pumped back up to the green roof and redistributed via an efficient drip irrigation system

Waterless urinals and low-flow toilets and sinks are used throughout the building

Cost Implications

Since the first occupants moved into the building in December 2009, the building has exceeded the original 60% energy savings goal and is now targeting 64.9% energy savings

User control of lighting in the offices, managed through desktop computers, is projected to save an additional 10%–15% in electrical lighting loads

an outdoor park in the south portion of the site and a publicly accessible, three-story-high Public Galleria that runs the full length of the podium base to connect the north and south entrances and provide a new interior, barrier-free gathering space that can accommodate over 1,000 occupants for concerts, farmer’s and Christmas markets, and special events.

The building’s plan organizes vertical neighborhoods around north and south atria to create a sense of community in the high-rise format