LEED® Project Case Study

* LEED® is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – for information on LEED®, see
www.CaGBC.ca

Prairieview Elementary School, Vulcan, Alberta

Figure 1 – Prairieview Elementary School main entry. The library is to the right,
administration and staff room to the left.

Overview
• Location: Vulcan, AB
• Building type(s): School
• New construction
• 3286 m2 (35,000 ft2)
• Project scope: 1-story building
• Urban setting – small town (pop. 1,800)
• Completed May 2005 (occupied)
• LEED Rating: to be determined

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Prairieview Elementary School – LEED Narrative

Prairieview School is located on the south edge of Vulcan, Alberta, located 80 km SE of

Calgary. This is the only elementary school in the community, so it has an especially important
role as a community centre.
The school serves children from both the town and the surrounding area. Rural children
arrive by bus, so a key consideration in site planning is a safe combination of vehicle and
pedestrian arrivals and departures.

Environmental Aspects
As the only school in the community, the building must be suitable for children with a wide
range of needs, including those with asthma, other environmental sensitivities and a range of
special needs. Therefore, good indoor air quality was a key consideration in design. This is
also an area where water is highly valued and design for efficient use of water was important to
the community.
The new school was built on the site of the town’s existing school, an older building in very
poor condition that was demolished after the new school was occupied. An example of the
community support for the sustainable construction initiative was the Vulcan County Waste
Authority’s agreement to accept sorted waste from the school project at no charge.
The region is cool and predominantly sunny, with about 5400 Celsius degree days of
heating and 40 Celsius degree days of cooling annually. The environmental control concept is
thermal control via an in-slab hydronic heating and cooling system. High-efficiency boilers were
used, their operating efficiencies enhanced by the low heating water temperatures possible with
slab heating. Ventilation is supplied by a displacement ventilation system, which is recognized
as providing greater ventilation effectiveness than conventional overhead air distribution
systems. The envelope design included high performance triple-glazed windows with less
south-facing fenestration to reduced solar gain. As far as the design team is aware, this is the
first school in North America to combine radiant thermal control with displacement ventilation.
Source control was an important part of assuring good indoor air quality. The use of the
slab without tile or carpet was consistent with good thermal performance and also reduced off-
gassing. Paints were selected for low VOC content.
Reduced water use was achieved through efficient fixtures – waterless urinals, dual flush
toilets, and low-flow faucets on the interior and choosing site planting that could be maintained
without landscape irrigation.

Owner & Occupancy

Owned and occupied by Palliser Regional Schools (http://www.pallisersd.ab.ca/).

Building Program
Indoor Spaces: Classrooms (44%), Library (5%), Gymnasium (13%). Office and Meeting
(14%), Circulation (13%), Mechanical systems (2%), Restrooms (4%),
Electrical systems (1%). Storage (4%)

Outdoor Spaces: Patio/hardscape (3%), bus area (10%), parking (7%)

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LEED® Project Case Study

Vulcan Prairieview Elementary School

Finance

Financing Mechanisms
• Equity: Provincial government

Cost Data
Cost data in Canadian dollars as of date of completion.

• Total project cost (land excluded): $5,250,000

• Hard cost: $1600 per sq meter ($149 per sq foot)

At the time this project was constructed, school construction financing and design approval fell
under Alberta Infrastructure. Alberta Infrastructure has a rigorously applied set of standards for
school construction that for example, limit the window fraction that can be used. The project
was built on a standard school budget.

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LEED® Project Case Study

Vulcan Prairieview Elementary School

Land Use & Community

The small town setting of the building means that town residences are within 1 km of the school.
Storage space for bicycles is included on site, and the parking lot includes space for carpools.

Green Strategies

• Property Evaluation
o Investigate property for possible contaminants (e.g., toxic or hazardous wastes)
• Support for Appropriate Transportation
o Provide safe access for cyclists and pedestrians, especially with respect to arrivals and
departures of school busses serving rural areas
o Provide storage area for bicycles
o Provide vehicle access to support car and van pooling
• Property Selection Opportunities
o Select existing school site for new school

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LEED® Project Case Study

Vulcan Prairieview Elementary School

Sustainable Site
Site Description
Vulcan Prairieview School is located on the south edge of town. The site includes a playing
field.

• Lot size: 28,000 m2 ( 300,000 ft2)

• Building footprint: 3280 m2 (35,000 ft2)
• Previously developed land, Preexisting structure(s)

Site Environmental Management During Construction

The intent of site environmental management during construction is to reduce negative
impacts on water and air quality. As an example, a spill containment and cleanup kit (Figure 2)
was kept readily available as a precaution should petroleum or other chemical products have
been spilled. Trees were protected with fencing.

Figure 2 – Vulcan Prairieview Elementary School measures taken to avoid

contamination of ground water. The prominently located spill kit (yellow
container) was a precaution should petroleum or other chemical products
have been spilled.

Redevelopment of Contaminated Site

The existing building included asbestos, PCBs in electrical components and radioactive
materials in smoke detectors. All of these required special procedures for removal and
disposal. During construction, buried timbers impregnated with creosote were found and also
required special disposal procedures.

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Alternative Transportation
Figure 3 shows bicycle racks to encourage use of non-motorized transport. For those
cycling more strenuously, showers are available.
Figure 4 shows the two designated car pool parking stalls.

Figure 3 – Vulcan Prairieview Elementary School bicycle racks to encourage use of

non-motorized transport.

Figure 4 – Vulcan Prairieview Elementary School signs marking car pool spaces for
the 30 staff at the school.

Green Strategies

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• Development Impacts
o Limit parking area (just meets bylaw)

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Reduced Site Disturbance and Stormwater Management

Figure 5 shows the outlet that directs stormwater to the playing field. The playing field
doubles as a stormwater retention pond. This reduces peak flows to local streams, reducing
storm effects. Retaining the stormwater also allows particulates from the hard surfaces to
infiltrate into the ground.
The playing field serves as a community amenity. The landscape design is based on low
maintenance planting (e.g., no fertilization or watering beyond that required for plant
establishment in the first few years).

Figure 5 – Vulcan Prairieview Elementary School hard surface stormwater outlet to

playing field.

Green Strategies
• Preservation of Open Space
o The school ground open space is an amenity for the community. The plants are drought
resistant.
• Runoff Reduction
o The site is designed to retain stormwater, both to reduce peak loads on local storm and
stream systems and to filter particulates that would otherwise carried from the site by
storm water.

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Reduction of Light Pollution

Light pollution effects include light trespass (light annoying people in adjacent properties),
degradation or the view of the night sky, and disturbing the experience of the dark night
environment. Light fixtures that limit light projection to downward distribution can avoid these
problems (Figure 6).

Figure 6 – Vulcan Prairieview Elementary School full cutoff light fixtures at the entry.

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Water Efficiency
The region’s dry climate increases the significance of efficient water use. The LEED® water
analysis template indicates a reduction in water use of 62 percent for the design. Plumbing
fixtures such as dual flush toilets (Figure 7), waterless urinals and low-flow auto shutoff faucets
improve the efficiency of water use.
Planting was selected to avoid the requirement for a built-in landscape irrigation system.

• Indoor potable water use: 840,000 liters/yr (210,000 gal/yr)

• Potable water use per unit area: 256 liters/sq meter (6 gal/sq ft)

Figure 7 – Vulcan Prairieview Elementary School dual flush toilets provided to reduce
wastewater. Urinals are waterless and water-efficient lavatory faucets are
20% of standard flow with infrared sensing auto shutoff.

Green Strategies
• Runoff Reduction
o The site is designed to retain stormwater, both to reduce peak loads on local storm and
stream systems and to filter particulates that would otherwise carried from the site by
storm water.
• Demand for Irrigation
o Plants were selected for drought tolerance

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LEED® Project Case Study

Vulcan Prairieview Elementary School

Energy and Atmosphere

Computer simulations show that the design of the school reduces green house gas
emissions (CO2) by almost 50% relative to a standard school design.

Energy Efficiency
The region is cool and predominantly sunny, with about 5400 Celsius degree days of
heating and 40 Celsius degree days of cooling annually.
The design achieved a 57% annual energy cost reduction relative to a standard school
design based on computer simulation of the building energy systems, independently reviewed
under the auspices of Natural Resources Canada. The Building Energy Performance Index is
912 MJ/m2 (253 ekWh/m2 versus 2200 (611 ekWh/m2) for the reference. 75% of reference
design energy use and 32% of reference design energy cost is for space and outdoor air
heating.
Temperature control is provided by water flowing through piping in the floor slab. (Figure 8).
High-efficiency boilers were used, their operating efficiencies enhanced by the low water
temperatures possible with slab heating.
Ventilation is supplied by a displacement ventilation system (Figure 9). With displacement
ventilation, air is supplied low on the wall instead of overhead. Using natural convective air
flows allows lower fan power and increases ventilation effectiveness. The design team believes
this is the first building in North America to combine radiant thermal control with displacement
ventilation.
To reduce fossil fuel use for heating and cooling of outdoor air supplied to the interior, heat
is transferred between the exhaust air and the entering outdoor air to warm or cool it as
required.
The envelope design included high performance triple-glazed windows with fenestration
arranged to reduce peak cooling loads.

Table 1 – Annual Purchased Energy Use

Fuel Quantity Cost MJ MJ/m2 $/m2

Electricity 249,000 $18,467 1,229,000 374 $5.60
Natural Gas 584,000 $15,594 2,101,000 640 $4.73

Table 2 – Annual End-Use Breakdown

End Use Quantity MJ MJ/m2

Lights 119,604 430,229 131
Space Heating 491,319 1,767,336 539
Space Cooling 4,693 16,880 5
Pumps 6,364 22,894 7
Fans 118,225 425,271 130
Domestic Hot Water 92,914 334,224 102
Plug Loads & Equipment 40,533 145,801 44

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Figure 8 – Vulcan Prairieview Elementary School temperatures are controlled by

heating and cooling water flowing through the concrete floor. The red
plastic pipes feeding the floor system are shown at left. Lower water
temperatures can be used with this system, which allows the high-
efficiency boilers (right) to operate near maximum efficiency.

Figure 9 – Vulcan Prairieview Elementary School low wall displacement ventilation air
supply in computer lab.

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Ozone Protection
Mechanical cooling commonly requires refrigerants. Some refrigerants damage the earth’s
ozone layer. Mechanical refrigeration was largely avoided in the project by designing the walls,
windows and roof to keep peak solar gains relatively small. Water to cool the slab is cooled
only by fans blown over a heat exchanger similar in concept to an automobile radiator (of
course, the building cooling water is only around 20 oC). A non-ozone depleting refrigerant was
selected for the cooling unit for the computer lab, the only room provided with mechanical
refrigeration because of the additional heat from the computers.

Best Practice Commissioning

To ensure that building heating, ventilating and air-conditioning equipment was designed,
installed and setup to operate as designed, an independent company simulated the design after
the design concept was formulated and prior to the development of drawings for construction.
The simulation model was used to evaluate design decisions as the project progressed. The
independent company checked on installation in addition to the usual checks by the architects
and engineers.

Measurement and Verification

As a further step beyond best practice commissioning, a detailed study of the post-
construction performance of the building energy systems is being undertaken. Data recorders
will monitor natural gas and electricity use for the whole building and for individual power panels
and large motors such as the main fan motors. These measurements will provide the energy
end use data as a check on computer simulation estimates (see Table 2). Computer simulation
corrected based on measurements to determine the actual energy use and savings.

Data Sources & Reliability

Simulation results based on submission reviewed under Natural Resources Canada’s
Commercial Building Incentive Program.

Simulation software
EE4-DOE2.1E

Green Strategies
• Wall Insulation
o Achieve an effective whole-wall thermal resistance of RSI 2.4 (R13.7)
• Roof Insulation
o Achieve an effective whole-roof thermal resistance of RSI 3.6 (R20.5)
• Windows
2 o
o High performance triple-glazed windows (overall U-value of 1.76 W/m C) except for
library window wall. which was a double-glazed curtain wall system.
• Air Infiltration
o Use continuous air barriers
o Seal all penetrations through the building envelope
o Seal all joints with caulks or gaskets
• Solar Cooling Loads
o Use gym and mechanical spaces as a buffer to reduce peak solar gains on the south side
o Reduce south-facing window areas
• Heating
o Use high-efficiency condensing boilers with low return water temperature from heated
slab for operating efficiencies of 90% and higher

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• Cooling Systems
o Compressive refrigeration limited to computer lab cooling unit
o Fluid cooler (fan only) for other cooling
• Water Heaters
o Use instantaneous water heaters for hot water supply in areas remote from mechanical
room
• Motors
o Use energy-efficient motors
• HVAC Controls and Zoning
o Provide separate HVAC systems for spaces with distinct heating and cooling loads (e.g.,
computer lab)
o Commission the HVAC system
• Daylighting for Energy Efficiency
o Provide combination of view (low) and daylighting (high) windows; manual electric lighting
control only, so no daylighting credit in energy analysis

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LEED® Project Case Study

Vulcan Prairieview Elementary School

Materials & Resources

Storage and Collection of Recyclables

The school workroom is the designated space to allow students and staff to store
recyclables until they can be collected.

Diversion of Construction & Demolition Waste

To reduce effects on landfills and allow recycling of materials, waste was separated on-site
(Figure 10). About 46% of waste (by weight) from demolition and new construction was diverted
from landfill.

Figure 10 – The Vulcan County Waste Authority agreed to take sorted recyclable waste
at no charge to the project.

Recycled Content
More than 15% (by value) of the content of construction materials was recycled. For
instance, the metal cladding includes nearly 100% recycled material.

Regional Materials
More than 30% (by value) of the content of construction materials was sourced from within
800 km of the site. For instance, cement is produced in the local region and the other concrete
material, such as sand and gravel are local. This reduces greenhouse gas emissions from
transport of materials.

Rapidly Renewable Materials

Rapidly renewable materials are defined as those that can be harvested within 10 years or
planting. Use of such material reduces natural resource demands and their production typically
has less severe environmental effects than synthetic materials. For example, marmoleum

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flooring (Figure 11) is considered more environmentally friendly than vinyl composite tile (VCT).
Marmoleum is made of linseed oil, wood flour and pine resins. One of the main components of
VCT is polyvinyl chloride. Dioxin is a byproduct of manufacturing polyvinyl chloride.

Figure 11 – Vulcan Prairieview Elementary School corridor showing marmoleum

flooring.

Durable Building
The walls, windows and roof were designed to withstand degradation by natural forces. For
example, the wall system design is based on the “rain screen” principle. This means that the
exterior layer (metal or masonry) acts as an “umbrella” to break the force of wind-driven
precipitation. The space behind the exterior layer prevents moisture that penetrates that layer
from reaching the interior of the building.

Green Strategies
• Job Site Recycling
o Set up labeled bins to keep recyclable materials separate
• Recycling by Occupants
o Provide a recycling storage area that allows students and staff to storage recyclables for
collection.

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LEED® Project Case Study

Vulcan Prairieview Elementary School

Indoor Environmental Quality

Minimum Air Quality

The school outdoor air flow rates meet recognized industry standards. The school and
grounds are nonsmoking areas.

CO2 Monitoring
People give off CO2 when they breathe, which elevates indoor levels above outdoor levels of
about 380 part per million. Keeping indoor levels below about 900 parts per million is
considered good practice. The school is equipped with CO2 sensors and air flow control
systems that can regulate air flows within the school to maintain CO2 levels within the preferred
limit.

Ventilation Effectiveness
The school has a “displacement ventilation” air supply system (see Figure 9) to increase
ventilation effectiveness beyond that of conventional overhead air distribution systems.
Ventilation effectiveness is the ratio of CO2 in air exhausted from a space to that in the
“breathing zone” (the lower part of the space where the occupants are). By definition,
ventilation systems with overhead diffusers (air “mixing” systems) are limited to ventilation
effectiveness of 1 or less. The “Green Guide,” published by the American Society of Heating,
Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers, recognizes displacement ventilation systems as
having a ventilation effectiveness of 1.2 or greater.

Indoor Air Quality Management During Construction

Construction generates dust that can accumulate in the air supply system unless it is
protected during construction. A plan was developed prior to construction and activities were
monitored during construction with the intent to ensure good air quality when the building was
occupied. For example, Figure 12 shows the protective covers on the air supply outlets in a
typical classroom during construction. Efforts were also made to store absorptive materials
(e.g., insulation) in dry locations between delivery and installation.

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Figure 12 – Vulcan Prairieview Elementary School ventilation openings covered to

exclude dust during construction.

Low-emitting Materials
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are components of many building materials, such as
paint. VOCs contribute to poor indoor air quality. Paints and carpet, in particular, were selected
for low VOC content.

Indoor Chemical and Pollutant Source Control

Air quality may also be improved by venting chemical storage areas (e.g., cleaning
products) directly outdoors and reducing the tracking of particulates into the school. Figure 13
shows . The school air supply system is also equipped with high efficiency (technically referred
to as MERV 13) filters to reduce circulation of particles.

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Figure 13 – Vulcan Prairieview Elementary School entry grate to remove dirt from
footwear.

Thermal Comfort
The building is designed to meet the recognized industry standard for thermal comfort. The
triple-glazed windows and heated and cooled floor systems help to keep interior surfaces
comfortable, even during extreme weather. A computer control systems monitors temperatures
throughout the school and regulates system operation to maintain temperatures.

Daylight and Views

The windows in the school were designed to both provide views and increase daylight levels
while avoiding high heat gains and losses (Figure 14). Widows are smaller on the south side
because of the exposure to hot summer sun on that side of the building.

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Figure 14 – Vulcan Prairieview Elementary School classroom windows. The high

windows are most effective in allowing daylight to reach the rear of the
space. The lower window provides a view of the nearby outdoor space.

The building is designed to meet the recognized industry standard for thermal comfort. The
triple-glazed windows and heated and cooled floor systems help to keep interior surfaces
comfortable, even during extreme weather. A computer control systems monitors temperatures
throughout the school and regulates system operation to maintain temperatures.

Green Strategies

• Entry of Pollutants
o Exterior entry grates to promote removal of dirt before entering building
o Avoid carpet and other hard-to-clean floor surfaces near entry
• Effective Ventilation
o Displacement ventilation – high effectiveness of 1.2 according the Green Guide published
by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers
• Thermal Comfort
2 o
o High performance triple-glazed windows (overall U-value of 1.76 W/m C)
• Visual Comfort and The Building Envelope

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o Provide combination of view (low) and daylighting (high) windows

• Ventilation During Construction
o Ensure good ventilation during construction operations – dedicated externally-vented
temporary heating system, avoid internal combustion sources
• Building Commissioning for IEQ
o Use a comprehensive commissioning process to ensure that design intent is realized
• Facility Policies for IEQ
o Non-smoking policy for the building

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LEED® Project Case Study

Vulcan Prairieview Elementary School

Innovation in Design
The LEED® environmental rating framework allows applications to be credited for up to four
measures that they propose, subject to review and approval by the Green Building Council. It
also allows credit for including a LEED® accredited professional on the design team.

Exemplary Performance – Water Efficiency

The water calculation shows a reduction of 62%. Surpassing 40% water use reduction can
be an innovation credit for high performance in water efficiency for indoor use. Most water use
is for toilet and urinal flushing. The dual flush toilets and waterless urinals provide the high
efficiency.

Exemplary Performance – Regional Materials

The regional material calculation shows a reduction of 31%. Surpassing 30% regional
materials can be an innovation credit for high performance in reducing negative material
transport impacts.

Green Building Education

A major goal of the LEED® program is to disseminate information about green building
practices. This can be enhanced by using LEED® projects as teaching tools. This project
addresses this goal by 1) providing a web-based case study (this narrative) and 2) providing
signs in the building to highlight the green features to occupants and visitors..

Demonstration of Thermal Displacement Ventilation and Radiant Thermal Control

While displacement ventilation has been used in Scandinavia for about 50 years, and is
incorporated in about 25% of school building designs, it is new to North America. For example
the California Energy Commission funded a USD630,000 to study displacement ventilation in
two full-scale classrooms (http://www.energy.ca.gov/pier/buildings/projects/500-03-003-0-1-
1_2.html). The California study was completed in June, 2006, and represents more than 10% of
the cost of Vulcan Prairieview Elementary School. The Vulcan goes significantly beyond the
California project by demonstrating the integration of displacement ventilation throughout an
entire building. This required resolution of design at a whole building level.
Beyond this, the school has a radiant slab system for thermal control. As far as the design
team has been able to determine, this is the first building in North America to combine these
systems.

LEED® Accredited Professional

The partner in charge of the project was a LEED® accredited professional.

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LEED® Project Case Study

Vulcan Prairieview Elementary School

Images

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LEED® Project Case Study

Vulcan Prairieview Elementary School

Awards

…………….

Ratings (applied for)

Canada Green Building Council LEED NC-1.0 2004; achievement level: Gold (41 points)

• Sustainable Sites, 9 of 14 possible points

o SS Prerequisite 1, Erosion & Sedimentation Control
o SS Credit 1, Site Selection
o SS Credit 3, Redevelopment of Contaminated Site
o SS Credit 4.2, Alternative Transportation, Bicycle Storage & Changing Rooms
o SS Credit 4.4, Alternative Transportation, Parking Capacity
o SS Credit 5.1, Reduced Site Disturbance, Protect or Restore Open Space
o SS Credit 5.2, Reduced Site Disturbance, Development Footprint
o SS Credit 6.1, Stormwater Management, Rate and Quantity
o SS Credit 6.2, Stormwater Management, Treatment
o SS Credit 8, Light Pollution Reduction

• Water Efficiency, 4 of 5 possible points

o WE Credit 1.1, Water Efficient Landscaping, Reduce by 50%
o WE Credit 1.2, Water Efficient Landscaping, No Potable Water Use or No
Irrigation
o WE Credit 3.1, Water Use Reduction, 20% Reduction
o WE Credit 3.2, Water Use Reduction, 30% Reduction

• Energy and Atmosphere, 10 of 17 possible points

o EA Prerequisite 1, Fundamental Building Systems Commissioning
o EA Prerequisite 2, Minimum Energy Performance
o EA Prerequisite 3, CFC Reduction in HVAC&R Equipment
o EA Credit 1.1a, Optimize Energy Performance, 24% New 15% Existing
o EA Credit 1.1b, Optimize Energy Performance, 29% New 20% Existing
o EA Credit 1.2a, Optimize Energy Performance, 33% New 24% Existing
o EA Credit 1.2b, Optimize Energy Performance, 38% New 29% Existing
o EA Credit 1.3a, Optimize Energy Performance, 42% New 33% Existing
o EA Credit 1.3b, Optimize Energy Performance, 47% New 38% Existing
o EA Credit 1.4a, Optimize Energy Performance, 51% New 42% Existing
o EA Credit 3, Best Practice Commissioning
o EA Credit 4, Ozone Protection
o EA Credit 5, Measurement & Verification

• Materials and Resources, 5 of 14 possible points

o MR Prerequisite 1, Storage & Collection of Recyclables

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o MR Credit 4.1, Recycled Content

o MR Credit 4.2, Recycled Content
o MR Credit 5.1, Local/Regional Materials, 10% Manufactured & Harvested Locally
o MR Credit 5.2, Local/Regional Materials, 20% Manufactured & Harvested Locally
o MR Credit 8, Durable Envelope

• Indoor Environmental Quality, 8 of 15 possible points

o EQ Prerequisite 1, Minimum IAQ Performance
o EQ Prerequisite 2, Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control
o EQ Credit 2, Ventilation Effectiveness
o EQ Credit 3.1, Construction IAQ Management Plan, During Construction
o EQ Credit 4.2, Low-Emitting Materials, Paints
o EQ Credit 4.3, Low-Emitting Materials, Carpet
o EQ Credit 5, Indoor Chemical & Pollutant Source Control
o EQ Credit 7.2, Thermal Comfort, Compliance
o EQ Credit 7.2, Thermal Comfort, Permanent Monitoring System

• Innovation and Design Process, 5 of 5 possible points

o ID Credit 1.1, Innovation in Design: Exemplary Performance – Water Efficiency
o ID Credit 1.2, Innovation in Design: Exemplary Performance – Regional Materials
o ID Credit 1.3, Innovation in Design – Green Building Education
o ID Credit 1.4, Innovation in Design – Demonstration of Displacement Ventilation
Combined with Radiant Slab Thermal Control
o ID Credit 2, LEED® Accredited Professional

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LEED Project Case Study

Vulcan Prairieview Elementary School

Lessons Learned
It was hoped that the extra cost of the radiant slab piping and insulation would be offset by
cost savings with a smaller air supply system. It was very difficult to obtain costs in advance,
because estimators and contractors generally base costing on costs from previous projects.
When building an innovative systems, these costs may be less accurate than when replicating
existing technology. The overall project cost determined after construction was about 5% higher
than for conventional construction. Given Alberta’s superheated economy, many conventional
projects are experiencing similar or higher cost premiums. However, the architect would like to
reduce the first cost premium. Among the approaches being adopted for a subsequent design
are:
1. limit radiant heating to the perimeter of the floor slab to reduce the amount of
underslab insulation that is required, and
2. use a dedicated two speed single zone air handler with overhead air distribution for
the gym to reduce the complexity and cost of the air distribution system.
In order to remain within the heating and cooling capabilities of the radiant slab and
displacement ventilation systems, triple-glazing was used except for the library window wall.
The architect would have preferred aluminum window frames, but cost limitations dictated that
metal clad wood windows be used.
Instantaneous water heaters were combined with infrared-sensing auto-shutoff faucets. In
some areas, the pipe distance from the heater t the faucet is such as that the faucet shuts off
before warm water reaches the faucet.

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