1. By Adam Beneroff
Manitoba Hydro Place

2. General Information

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

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

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

6. Type of Project
The building is a new construction

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

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

9. Ecological Materials and Resources Used

10. They used locally quarried Tyndall limestone

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

12. Douglas fir elements were mainly sourced from the pre existing buildings

13. High-performance double and triple glazed unitized curtain wall panels

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

15. Energy Efficiency

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

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

18. 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

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

20. 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

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

22. Site Ecology

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

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

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

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

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

28. Water Resources

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

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

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

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

33. Cost Implications

34. 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

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

36. 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.

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