Say hello to the future of sustainable education at the Joyce Centre for Partnership and Innovation in Canada! 🌐🌿
Since opening its doors in 2018, JCPI has not just been a building; it’s the first institutional building certified in both Design and Performance categories under the CAGBC | Canada Green Building Council’s Zero Carbon Building Program. This 96,000 square-foot facility, a joint venture by mcCallumSather and B+H Architects, is redefining what it means to be a knowledge center for carbon-neutral technologies and operations.
The design generates 100 percent of the energy needed to power itself through a year. The high-performance building envelope integrates passive design strategies which significantly reduce the building’s heating and cooling loads. Solar photovoltaic panel arrays stretch along the building, producing a whopping 721,000 kWh of clean, renewable electricity annually. The 28 geothermal wells, on-site stormwater harvesting, sensor-controlled LED lighting, high-efficiency plumbing fixtures, and a variable refrigerant heat pump system all contribute to an energy model of 73 ekWh/m2 – a remarkable feat compared to the typical 230-300 ekWh/m2 for institutional buildings.
JCPI is also a living classroom where students engage with every aspect of the building. From the solar thermal array on the roof to the sub-basement water room, students have hands-on access to learn, operate, monitor, and maintain a zero-carbon building. Real-time data empowers students to adapt their behavior and contribute to the building’s efficient operation.
This building isn’t just for students; it’s a hub for industry partners eager to adopt zero-carbon technologies. Collaborating with students and faculty on applied research projects, industry partners focus on the generation, distribution, and storage of renewable energies. JCPI is truly a collaborative space shaping the future of sustainable design and operations.
Joanne McCallum, CEO of mcCallumSather sums it up nicely: “There is a sea of change underway. We’re starting to understand that we, as individuals, are accountable for our energy use. This building will make you aware of the energy you are using and force you to change your habits. You will not be able to plug in your laptop for hours on end. It’s an overdue change, and we think the future of how buildings will be designed and operated.”
JCPI is a catalyst for change, a hero in sustainable education, and a glimpse into the future of conscious construction. Major props to the #buildingheroes involved!
📸: Ema Peter