UBCO residence earns environmental certification
UBC Okanagan’s new Skeena Residence is the first student residence building in Canada to receive passive house certification.
Passive House buildings use 90 per cent less energy consumption than conventional buildings, the university said in a news release on Thursday.
While energy usage is low, the building is bright, university officials say.
“The six-storey building houses 220 students and it’s important that they feel comfortable and at home while they live there,” says Shannon Dunn, UBCO’s director of campus operations, which runs the buildings. “We deliberately chose bright and vibrant colours and included plenty of open spaces with large triple-glaze windows to ensure a positive and inspirational environment.”
Dunn says the building features thick insulation, an airtight and high-efficiency building envelope and heat recovery ventilation system, which make for a remarkably comfortable space — despite requiring only one-third the amount of energy of a typical residence building.
“Whether in the depths of winter or the blistering
Okanagan summer, students often note the building temperature is incredibly stable and they hardly ever need to touch the thermostat,” she added. “That thermal stability means that the heat and air conditioning are needed only sparingly.
Even during the summer 2021 heat dome, Dunn says the Skeena Residence only rose by one degree and the chillers had no issues keeping up.
UBC Okanagan School of Engineering is seizing the opportunity to study the long-term impacts and benefits of a passive house building on campus. An array of sensors was integrated into its design and construction to establish the residence as a living lab.
Provincial officials praised the building as well. “This building allows hundreds of new students to experience living on-campus in a sustainable way,” said Anne Kang, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training.
The $24.98-million new student housing facility received $18.74 million from the province. The university contributed $6.24 million.
Passive House certification is an internationally recognized high-performance building standard developed in Germany.