Middlesex Centre Wellness and Recreation Complex
Year: 2011
Sustainability Recognition: 4 Green Globes Certification
Architect: Cornerstone Architecture Incorporated
Project location: 1 Tunks Lane, Komoka, Ontario, Canada
Located in the village of Komoka, about 20 minutes west of London in southwestern Ontario, the Middlesex Centre Wellness and Recreation Complex consists of an arena, library, and fitness centre. Accommodating a variety of community interests and activities, the facility serves as a recreational and social hub for the surrounding area.
London, Ontario sustainable design firm Cornerstone Architecture took a life cycle assessment based approach to the selection of architectural materials and systems as part of developing the design for the project. This enabled Principal Architect Alison Hannay and her team to consider the long-term impacts and benefits of various options according to their respective capital, maintenance, and replacement costs as well as their energy performance and environmental effects.
The Athena EcoCalculator for Commercial Assemblies was used to compare alternative materials and systems, particularly for the building envelope. “Looking at the environmental impacts from the production of roofing and cladding systems influenced our selection of these materials,” explained Richard Hammond, Cornerstone’s Principal, Green Building Design. “The EcoCalculator results helped us to convey our conclusions and recommendations to the client and consulting team in an effective and authoritative way,” he added.
Applying the EcoCalculator enabled the project to reduce the primary energy and atmosphere impacts of roofing systems by 4 to 6% and reduce the impacts of exterior cladding by 8 to 9%, through the selection of lower-impact product options. More significant impact reductions were identified for interior partitions by utilizing more durable unfinished materials, resulting in 33% less primary energy, 20% less global warming potential, 11% less resource depletion, and 27% less air pollution.
Other Sustainable Features:
Among a number of green building measures employed, including a 300 kW photovoltaic array, the design of this project emphasizes access to views and daylighting for all occupied areas. This includes the arena, where specialized glazing was employed to allow daylighting of the rink without glare or direct sunlight. The video in this link shows Canadian Olympic medal-winning ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir using the space with only natural light.
Photos courtesy of Cornerstone Architecture Incorporated.
