Page 62 - Designing for Zero Carbon - Case Studies of All-Electric Buildings

CASE STUDY NO. 2
MAKERS QUARTER BLOCK D OFFICE BUILDING
(Opposite page) Rendering of the interior design for the Re- ception area of an upper floor tenant space, (Courtesy of idGROUP)
Post Occupancy: Observations and Conclusions
Generally, the client and developer for this project reports that the low-energy design strategies for the project, particularly the natural ventilation strategy, were cost-effective and achieved the objective of attracting the desired type of tenants to the Makers Quarter neighborhood of the city. The LEED-Platinum certification and the maximum sizing of the solar photovoltaic array also established the market reputation for the future projects of this neighborhood.
There were the usual challenges to the development of the Block D office building specifically, such as the limited size of the site and optimizing the amount of leasable space within that small footprint. The small amount of floor area required for the energy-efficient systems compared to conventional heating and cooling systems was an advantage in this regard.
The decision to develop the project as an all-electric one was partly a cost-saving choice as well as a marketing one. The appeal of a “zero-carbon” space proved to be substantial with the early tenants of the building. (In fact, the architectural design firm for the project, BNIM, decided to locate their local office in the new building.)
Post Occupancy: Natural Ventilation
The functional use of the balconies on the west side of the building, made easy by the large areas of the operable garage doors, proved to be popular with the tenants now occupying the spaces. These open areas are fully functional as expanded office space while providing comfortable con- ditions for most of the year without the intervention of mechanical heating or cooling. When the garage doors are closed, the control system for the windows and panels operates to create the required fresh air flow through the tenant office space.
Post Occupancy: VRF System
The challenge created by any rooftop mechanical equipment was the potential conflict with nec- essary arrangement of the solar photovoltaic arrays. The VRF system proved to have less such impact because of its smaller space requirement, but there was still an issue with roof area. The solution to build above the equipment while using bifacial solar panels proved to be effective.
Post Occupancy: Commissioning
The commissioning of the BMS and all the linked systems—automatic vertical blinds, operable windows and panels, lights, occupancy and motion detectors, VRF system zones, etc.—proved to be a challenge as expected. The commissioning was successfully completed on schedule, however, and the building systems are operating as designed.
Post Occupancy: Embodied Carbon Assessment
The client and design team did not carry out an embodied carbon assessment as is customary for buildings designed today. The consensus among the members of the project team is that this would now be included in the design studies.
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Designing for Zero Carbon: Volume 1