Following eight years of design, development, and construction, Safdie Architects is nearing completion on its latest project in China: Raffles City Chongqing, a vibrant complex which combines office, residential, hotel, retail, and recreational facilities across a 22.7 acre site, embedded within the densely developed Yuzhong district.
A phased opening of Raffles City Chongqing commenced in September 2019 with the unveiling of a 220,000 sq.m., five-story retail galleria and continues into early 2020, culminating with the opening of The Crystal, a 300m-long horizontal skyscraper perched at 250m and stretching across four of the development’s eight towers.
Project features
The Crystal Spanning across four accessible towers, at a length of 280 meters, the Crystal also connects to two of the development’s taller towers via linking bridges. Considered a ‘horizontal skyscraper,’ the Crystal houses 15,000 sq.m. of facilities including gardens, numerous dining options, bar and event space, a residential clubhouse, infinity pool, and hotel lobby.
Enclosed by a glass and steel structure termed a concertina—a serrated profile with an elliptical cross section—The Crystal offers visitors access to natural light, extensive views, and garden settings throughout the year. Metal panels on the west-facing concertina surfaces and glass on the east-facing surfaces afford the guests and visitors with natural light in the morning and shade from the sun in the afternoon.
Retail Galleria and Roof Park The retail galleria is organized in five stories, topped by an expansive public park that overlooks historic Chaotianmen Square. The three main retail gallerias align with, and are a conceptual continuation of, the principal north-south streets of the city.
The public park sits adjacent to each of the residential tower’s private gardens, creating a network of green and open space across the development that overlooks the Jialing and Yangtze Rivers.
Towers The Raffles City Chongqing development is composed of eight towers in total, with six southern towers rising to 250m, and two northern towers extending upwards to 350m.
When architect Nick Troubetzkoy came to St Lucia Island on assignment, he
had no idea of the labour of love before him. Or the challenge of creating a
green masterpiece on a virgin cliff face for that matter.
However,
what struck him most was the peacefulness around him, and the laid back
approach to life of the handful of people living there. He resolved to create
his ultimate masterpiece right there in the rainforest. He wanted to encapsulate
that green beauty in 25 luxury suites, each with one entire wall open to
nature.
Caribbean St. Lucia Jade Mountain
Club entrance, Pitons in view
With one
sweep of creative genius this brought the view into each retreat, while doing
away with air-conditioning because it couldn’t work. Instead, Nick Troubetzkoy placed
a pool on the rim of each balcony he made of local materials, and with
uninterruptable views of Jade Mountain across the water.
The entire
resort is an extravaganza of water in ponds and streams and waterfalls that
naturally cool the air. Every drop comes from reservoirs fed by island runoff,
and passes through a filtration plant as it flows. The only sound is the gentle
tinkling of the water. Nick Troubetzkoy explains:
“What I’ve really wanted to do with Jade
Mountain is re-evaluate and redesign the basic concept of a holiday hotel
experience. I wanted to create individualized spatial environments that would
enable guests to forget about the furniture or the fact that they’re in a hotel
room.
In essence, to forget about everything but
experiencing the psychology of the space on an emotional almost spiritual
level. When you combine the water with the air in this way, I believe you
unlock a profound potential for an almost magical level of enjoyment and celebration
– a magic that may well be the ultimate achievement at Jade Mountain.”
Nick
Troubetzkoy developed an affinity for the local people as he planned his great
masterpiece on St Lucia Island in the Caribbean. Truly sustainable architecture
must improve the quality of their life too, he reasoned:
It was my ambition from the beginning to create
an environment that fully captured the island’s beauty. Whether or not I’ve
been successful in that effort is up to others to decide of course, but on
balance I believe that we have made this part of the island a better place
since those early days.
And so he
set himself the target to create an organic vision of his dream of personalized
guest space, which inspires an almost spiritual emotion. He had no mechanistic
plan created on CAD back at the office in the city. Instead, he improvised as
he went along to create a dramatic ambience in each sanctuary he built.
He
increased the vision of a deserted island by replacing corridors with long,
suspended air bridges that were the only way to reach a sanctuary and the
magnificent vista beyond. However,
perhaps the greatest attraction is the private bathing pool. Indeed, pure
organic water becomes an extension of living here.
Sanctuary
pools are raised eighteen inches above the floor to bring them to the level of
the bather, who can lounge on the two-foot-wide coping without having to kneel
down. They can run their fingers through the water without actually getting
wet, or immerse themselves intimately in liquid warmed by the sun.
Everywhere
you look in Jade Mountain there seems to be water with iricandescent glass
tiles reflecting through. This unlocks a profound potential to get grips with
the true magic of the island the Amerindian people called Iouanalao,
meaning land of the iguanas.
Construction
obeyed in an organic vision after building a structural deck to support the
architect’s flights of fancy at succeeding levels. Here is no modular,
rectangular structure. Sculpted reinforced concrete follows vision cast directly
onto wooden formwork.
Here are
few sharp angles either, causing Jade Mountain to appear to flow out of nature.
Tens of thousands of cubic metres of concrete were prepared individually in
small mixers, because concrete-delivery trucks could not access the site.
Instead, they used chutes and wheelbarrows for continuous pours.
A small
army of St Lucia artisanal workers achieved this remarkable miracle of love
through thousands of hours of back-breaking physical labour. Jade Mountain
literally grew out of the ground, says Nick Troubetzkoy. One plank, one nail
and one shovel’s worth of sand, cement, gravel and concrete at a time.
If Jade
Mountain appears to rise fresh out of the earth, that’s perhaps because first
priority was sourcing local materials for responsible finishes. The sand,
gravel, and rose-gray, hand-split stone cladding was sourced from the site.
Much of the
remainder is from other Caribbean islands, including blush-colored coral
plaster finishes from Barbados, arrays of coral tiles from Dominican Republic,
and various tropical hardwoods from Guyana.
Artisans worked
the timber by hand to extract the subtle colours and textures on doors and
other fittings. St Lucia benefited as they discovered their talent and learned
new skills for future projects. Every indigenous plant in this symphony of
sanctuaries grew in the nursery on site. All surplus material was donated to
the locals for their homes.
Obtaining
United States Green Building Council LEED certification in 2016 was almost an
afterthought, although perhaps it was one of the greatest achievements as it
confirmed the project benefited people, planet and profit.
Travelite followed
up the next year with gold certification for socioeconomic and environmental aspects,
and reaffirmed its recognition in 2018. Jade Mountain and Nick Troubetzkoy’s sister
resort Anse Chastanet are still the only recipients on
St Lucia Island of this award.
Travelite
was particularly impressed by passive lighting and ventilation in the
sanctuaries, and the way the external facade captures water for koi ponds and
vegetable gardens. They also appreciated the way the natural coral tiles on
roof tops and walkways reflect solar heat.
Moreover,
they also praised attention to detail during construction. Materials and plants
were both sourced locally wherever possible, while an indoor air quality plan,
and low-emissive paints and adhesives protected workers who were transported to
site using electric transport.
However, Nick
Troubetzkoy’s greatest triumph was the lasting gift he gave the island beyond
the resort boundaries. The workforce did not only receive surplus construction
materials free for use on their own properties. The project was also
instrumental in the coral reefs of St Lucia being
declared a marine reserve.
Most of all, I prize the spirit of ongoing
creation that has for me always been the heart of this beautiful place. If we
captured a portion of the island’s beauty and quality of life in our work here
and can share it with visitors, then I think we’ve done something of real
value.
During the next World Expo in Dubai in 2020, Belgium will show the world its technological progress to connect minds and create the future. The pavilion, a green ark spanning several levels, is a real jewel of architecture and engineering. The public tender has just been awarded for the design, construction, scenography, maintenance and decommission. It was won by the BEMOB-2020 group. It includes the Belgian contractors BESIX and Vanhout, the design firms ASSAR ARCHITECTS and VINCENT CALLEBAUT ARCHITECTURES and the scenographers of Krafthaus. It will showcase the techniques, applications, products and materials, which are Belgian or of Belgian origin on both the interior and the exterior of the pavilion. This building/garden will not just be green on the outside. The preservation of the environment is at the heart of its design and of our concerns, with natural light and ventilation, renewable energies and the smart use of water.
The pavilion will have an exhibition trail, shops selling Belgian souvenirs, places to taste our culinary specialities (including fries, of course) and a business centre, as well as a gastronomic brasserie with a terrace. These are all excellent opportunities for our economic players to show themselves to the world. There is definitely a certain cachet involved in organising a reception in the Belgian pavilion or selling products at our different points of sale, for example. The pavilion, in the heart of the mobility district, will present our latest technological innovations for bringing people, goods and ideas together. The exhibition premises will offer all kinds of interactive discoveries in the Belgium of the future. The pavilion is already popular with the business world before it even sees the light of day (the structural work is due to be completed by the end of the year). Many businesses are co-financing it or are contributing to its construction. Contributions by other persons and companies, from SME’s to multinationals, are still welcome!
Text by BelExpo, Belgian Commission General for International Exhibitions
Nick and Karolin Troubetzkoy, owners of Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet, St Lucia, are delighted to announce the hotels’ have been re-certified for the internationally renowned Travelife Gold Certification for Hotels and Accommodations. The sister resorts are the only Gold Certified properties on the island.
Travelife, the sustainable tourism certification system, has re-assessed Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet’s performance in responsibly managing their socio-economic and environmental impacts. The resorts first achieved certification in 2017 and have worked hard to maintain the title.
Mountain and Anse Chastanet’s performance in responsibly managing their socio-economic and environmental impacts. The resorts first achieved certification in 2017 and have worked hard to maintain the title.
To gain a Travelife Gold certification, Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet were assessed against 88 sustainability criteria that take into account the following environmental issues and positive social impacts.
These include:
Protecting the environment, through minimising the amount of energy, waste and water used
Respecting and treating employees fairly
Respecting the local community, including its residents and the safeguarding of children
Protecting the local culture, heritage and wildlife of the destination
Supporting the local economy and its businesses
Nick and Karolin Troubetzkoy said of the accolade: “We are absolutely delighted to have achieved Travelife Gold Certification once again, as environmental efforts have always been at the heart of our resorts. It is incredibly important to us that we continue to commit to sustainability and to supporting the local community year-on-year”.
Jade Mountain Resort, St Lucia
Environmental concerns, sustainability and community efforts are at the epicentre of Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet, with daily practices set up to conserve water and energy and increase recycling efforts.
These include but are not restricted to the following:
The design of Jade Mountain reinforces the connection to the natural environment with passive ventilation of the rooms and natural day-lighting. Heating and cooling of the sanctuaries (rooms) is based entirely on the natural rhythms and cycles of the world around us. Not being dependent on artificial cooling or lighting of the rooms decreases the use of precious energy resources and minimizes the carbon footprint of the resort.
The exterior plaza of Jade Mountain was designed to capture all the rainwater in Koi ponds and planting areas. The plants are then harvested for use in the resort’s restaurants.
A natural coral tile was used for exterior walkways and roof areas. It is highly reflective and effectively diminishes any “heat island” effect in the local micro- climate.
Potable water for the resorts is produced by collecting it in a reservoir that was originally constructed and used by the British and French to power the water wheels that crushed sugar cane. The reservoir was repaired after decades of not being used and now collects over 1.5M gallons of water annually that is gravity-fed to a state-of-the-art water purification system.
Only local, indigenous plants were used in the landscaping, which minimizes the need for watering and protects a precious resource.
The resorts were the catalyst behind the coral reefs of St Lucia being declared a marine reserve to protect this valuable resource.
The resorts provide alternative transportation for its employees. On a daily basis, shuttles are scheduled hourly to transport workers from the resort to the local community, keeping carbon emissions to a minimum.
During the construction of Jade Mountain, any left-over construction materials were distributed to the local work force for use on their own property.
Construction materials that were used primarily came from the island, reducing the use of fossil fuels for transportation and the resultant pollution. For example, the wood used was harvested from a managed forest.
During construction, the workers were protected through the implementation of an Indoor Air Quality plan that minimised worker’s exposure to harmful air-borne compounds.
Low emitting materials (paints, adhesives, etc.) were used throughout the resorts, which effectively eliminated volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) that are detrimental to a person’s health.
Guests are given the opportunity to learn about the resorts’ sustainability programmes and actively participate through environmental activities such as reef cleaning and tree planting.
The new city will host, on a land area 557 ha,
130.000 inhabitants, giving back to nature a large area where it would have
been built a shopping district. 400 hectares of green spaces with 7.500.000
plants (of 400 different species chosen carefully by Laura Gatti, botanist and landscape architect)
260.000 of which will be trees, 2.3 trees per inhabitant, and the rest composed
of shrubs and bushes. Thanks to the new public parks and private gardens,
thanks to the green roofs and to the green facades, the areas actually occupied
will be given back by nature through a perfect balance between the amount of
green areas and building footprint. The Smart Forest City will absorb 116.000
tons of carbon dioxide with 5.800 tons of CO2 stocked per year.
Smart Forest City – Cancun is the first Forest City of
the new millennium, an open and international city whose development is focused
on technological innovation and environmental quality. A center for advanced
research that could hosts all worldwide university departments, international
organizations and companies that deal with very important sustainability issues and thefuture of the planet.
New research and development departments are dedicated to welcome researchers
and young students from Mexico and from the best academies and universities
from all over the world.
Thanks to the contribution of the German
office Transsolar, Smart Forest City –
Cancun is conceived to be completely food and energy
self-sufficient. Surrounded by a ring of solar panels and of agricultural
fields irrigated by a water channel connected with a underwater maritime pipe,
the City will be deeply characterized by full circular economy.
In particular, water is a key element in the project: it is gathered at the
entrance of the City in a huge basin, where there is also a desalination tower,
and it is distributed by a system of navigable canals in the whole settlement
up to the agricultural fields belt that surrounds the urban area. A series of
water gardens are designed to fight floods as a model for resilient landscapes.
This new City is conceived to have a vanguard
mobility system: MIC (Mobility in Chain) has
proposed an articulated transportation system that allows residents and
visitors to leave their vehicles at the edges of the city and rely uniquely on
internal electric and semi-automatic mobility.
The urban project of Smart Forest City – Cancun is designed according
to Non-Determistic Urbanism. Given the big invariants of
urban structure – related to energy infrastructure, mobility and green, to the
presence of development and research poles and to the right of each inhabitant
to have at its disposal all services at a correct pedestrian and cycling
distance – the City grants a great flexibility in the distribution of all
different architectural typologies that can be articulated in the five big
sectors that the Masterplan defines.
Stefano Boeri Architetti signs the project of the three green
architectures designed for the new capital (the new administrative city) under
construction in the south east area of Cairo.
The three “green cubes” – which
represent the prototype of an architecture designed to be varied in functional
destinations and replicated throughout the entire metropolis – measure 30
meters both in height and in width and house 350 trees and over 14,000 shrubs and evergreens belonging
to 100 different species ,
one third of those living in the entire city of Cairo.
In total, the green area will exceed 3600
square meters, an area equivalent to the building plan.
It is expected that the three new vertical woods,
which will be self-sufficient in terms of energy, will be able to absorb about
7 tons of carbon dioxide in a year and produce 8 tons of oxygen.
The three experimental buildings – a hotel and two residential
buildings – will be built by the Egyptian manufacturer MISR Italia Properties
in a central area of the new capital.
In presenting the three green cubes, which
were designed by Stefano Boeri Architetti with the designer Shimaa Shalash as
local partner and the collaboration of the landscape agronomist Laura Gatti,
Stefano Boeri and Francesca Cesa Bianchi, partner and director of the SBA
project, presented the vision of “Greener Cairo”, which envisages six
strategies of demineralization of the Egyptian metropolis. In addition to
the grafting of green buildings and vertical woods, the ecological conversion
of Cairo includes a major campaign to make the thousands of flat roofs in the
city green, the “vegetalization” of the facades and the construction
of a system of green corridors that will cross Cairo and they will be reunited
by a large orbital forest.
According to Stefano Boeri and Francesca Cesa Bianchi: ” Cairo can become the first metropolis of North Africa
to face the great challenge of climate change and ecological conversion.”
Sinot Yacht Architecture and Design’s 112m Hydrogen-Powered Superyacht Concept Makes Waves At The Monaco Yacht Show
Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design presented yet another groundbreaking concept at this year’s edition of the Monaco Yacht Show with AQUA, a 112-meter fully operational, on liquid hydrogen and fuel cell technology powered concept Superyacht. Sinot shows once more to be able to fuse groundbreaking technology with cutting-edge design.
True Superyacht Hydrogen, which has been labelled as the fuel of the future for the last
decades, finally found its way to the world of Superyachts. The designers at Sinot
Yacht Architecture & Design created in collaboration with Lateral Naval
Architects, the design for the first 112m LOA superyacht based on liquid
hydrogen and fuel cell technology. Now a fully operational 112m concept
Superyacht with a speed of 17 knots and a range of 3750 nautical miles is
realized, placing AQUA solidly among Superyacht peers in terms of size,
performance and usability. Simultaneously meeting and exceeding current
superyacht standards, AQUA optimizes hull, energy and space efficiency while
providing a maximal superyacht experience at the highest comfort level for
discerning owners.
Mindset Designer Sander Sinot explains how he and his team managed to integrate the
hydrogen-electric system capable of catering for all onboard energy needs
without having to compromise on esthetics, comfort or usability: “With every project, I
challenge my team and myself to surpass ourselves. For development of AQUA we
took inspiration from the lifestyle of a discerning, forward-looking owner, the fluid
versatility of water and cutting-edge technology to combine this in a 112m
superyacht with truly innovative features.” Sinot soon realized they had
set themselves an extraordinary goal, so started working on an extraordinary
design: “Our challenge was to implement fully operational liquid hydrogen
and fuel cells in a true superyacht that is not only groundbreaking in
technology, but also in design and esthetics.”
Nature and technology AQUA
is fueled by hydrogen, a unique concept which represents a significant
progression towards achieving a new balance between nature and technology. The
system is based on the use of liquified hydrogen, stored at -253°C in two
28-ton vacuum isolated tanks. The liquified hydrogen is converted into
electrical energy by proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, with water
being the only by-product. All parameters in terms of output, system layout,
range and physical dimensions where translated to a complete hydrogen /
electric based system. The generated electrical energy is transmitted to
AQUA’s switchboards, where it is distributed to provide power for propulsion,
auxiliary systems and hotel services. Large batteries buffer the generated
electricity to ensure power demands are always met. And thanks to the electric
propulsion AQUA is a very quiet superyacht, with very little noise or
vibrations. After five months of extensive development, the team of designers
and naval
architects came
up with a design with physical dimensions and operational characteristics that
even strengthen the superyacht experience. Sander Sinot: “Reliability and
safety are essential in our world. That’s is why we emphasize that we
implemented proven technology in a new appliance. Imagine AQUA at open sea,
moving water with water?! At 17knots with a range of 3750 nautical miles, which
places AQUA solidly in the forefront of its Superyacht peers!”
Privacy and Space Entering AQUA is entering a world of privacy and
space. The spectacular, extremely spacious and beam-wide owner’s pavilion,
occupying the front half of the upper deck, offers an abundance of privacy. The
pavilion is arranged in a vast open-plan area of interlinked spaces, divided by
finely crafted wooden screens providing intimacy and subdued lighting. Both at
the starboard and port sides, floor-to-ceiling band windows supply an amazing
impression of openness and freedom. The ceiling, at a height that varies from
an ample 280cm to an impressive 380cm at the large central skylight, is
supported by an intricately crafted wooden structure. The bedroom section is
located at the yacht’s axis and offers an endless sightline all the way
up to the AQUA room at the bow. The owner’s pavilion is completed with a
large bathroom, dressing room and an intimate private spa section. The AQUA
room, located at the bow, at the far end of the owner’s pavilion, offers a top-of-the-world
feeling and endless views from the best position on board. Located on AQUA’s beach deck, close to the waterline,
the expansive and naturally outfitted VIP state rooms stand out by virtue of
their spacious design and highly elaborate furniture. The VIP cabin and other
state rooms are focused on openness, luxury and comfort, providing a maximum
sense of freedom in a highly detailed minimalist Japanese beach-style setting. The indoor health & wellness center is a water-world of
serenity, where the reflecting waves of the water feature complement the
onboard environment with their soft, vibrating motion. With an exclusive hydro
massage room, a yoga space and workout floor and a massive, gym-wide hatch
which opens to reveal the ocean’s surface at water level, creating the
perception of exercising and relaxing on an island in the sea.
Situated at AQUA’s core, the spectacular circular staircase is one of the
yacht’s defining features, winding down from the top deck to the lower deck. A
true spectacle manifests itself at the lowest level, facing aft, where two vast
liquified hydrogen tanks reveal their hexagonal textured surface structure
behind a giant façade of strengthened glass.
Curved The flowing exterior lines of AQUA are inspired
by ocean swells – the surge of energy induced by winds and currents, boosted by
the gravitational forces that control the ocean’s tides. The curved top deck
culminates in a sensational bow with integrated front bow observatory, the AQUA
room, as part of the Owners pavilion. The hull is a sculpted overall double
curved volume, intersected by the glass band windows, which subdivide
approaching the aft stepping down to the water. The raised front profile with a
strong forward direction in the design, provides ample space for accommodating
all Owner’s, guests and technical facilities. AQUA is configured with a
five-deck set up, utilizing forward interior space through the high sheer line
which subtly descends from bow to aft. The yacht has been designed to provide
those on board with the closest possible proximity to the water. The aft deck
features a unique and innovative series of platforms cascading down towards the
sea, while a large swim platform allows all AQUA passengers to enjoy the
optimal experience of accessing the water at sea level.
Technical feasibility Many concepts Sinot Yacht Architecture &
Design has presented over the years are in different stages of realization.
AQUA is designed for owners who want to take yachting to a next level, with a
pioneering design that clearly prefigures the superyachts of tomorrow. AQUA: a
new way of yachting.
It should come as no surprise that Chelten Homes
would want to cement a reputation as certified net-zero builders.
Anyone familiar with the Waterdown, Ontario, company would be the first to tell
you that going that extra mile is a trait Chelten Homes has long embraced. And the current net-zero designation of a
home at 218 Ascot Place in Burlington is no exception.
“The project at 218 Ascot Place in Burlington has been an exciting one
for Chelten Homes on many fronts,” says Marcel Leclerc, president of Chelten
Homes. “Our impetus for building this home started with our desire to be certified
as net-zero builders. We believe there are better ways to build a home
that provide the homeowner with the benefits of increased climate control
within the home and lower operating costs, while at the same time reducing the
strain on the environment and our natural resources.
“With a net-zero home, we all win and we want to be at the
forefront of this building practice; and this project gave us the experience we
needed.”
Previously, Chelten Homes made a name for
itself by espousing walkable communities, utilizing construction materials from
local craftspeople and optimizing livable space.
With 218 Ascot Place, Chelten Homes raises the bar even more.
“We enjoy being pushed and expanding our
experience as builders so we asked the architect [for 218 Ascot Place] to pick
a style of home we had not done before,” Leclerc says. “She came up with an
impressive West Coast Modern design, which challenged us to think differently,
source new and interesting materials, and build differently. We are very
excited with this project and the end result and look forward to being able to
refine and grow with the next project.”
To be clear, 218 Ascot Place is a net-zero
home, meaning it’s air-tight, well-insulated and energy-efficient and will
produce as much renewable energy as consumed, leaving the occupants with a net-zero
energy bill and a carbon-free home.
For example, the first hydro bill for the home, provided by Burlington Hydro,
shows s sizeable energy credit. The
energy consumption was 192 kWH and the home generated 842 KWH of energy. It
should be noted that the first month included running the home with four
occupants, daily use of air conditioning … plus pool maintenance. The custom
solar PV system, by the way, is forecast to provide a lifetime savings on electricity
of $127,030, according to Bluewater Energy from Guelph, Ontario.
More
specifically, here is a list of features that contribute to the overall
energy-saving package:
218
Ascot Place in Burlington is a smart home. Everything
can be controlled and monitored remotely;
Windows are triple glazed fibrerglass;
The exterior walls have two-inch R10 rigid foam insulation with
continuous thermal break, the interior of those wall cavities are R20 – a total
wall R30 value. In addition, two-inch spray foam was applied under the basement
slab with continuous thermal break, which prevents heat loss and air leakage –
a home’s most inefficient areas;
Exterior rim joist cavities were treated with R22 spray foam to
eliminate a major source of heat loss;
R12 spray foam was applied in the attic with R50 loose fill for
maximum energy efficiency;
The air tightness was further enhanced by the AeroBarrier envelope
sealing technology;
Hubbell energy-saving receptacle boxes (complete with airtight
gaskets) were installed throughout;
There is a complete in-home ozone water treatment and filtration
system, which eliminates impurities left over from municipally-treated water,
including viruses, bacteria and treatment chemicals.
All
in all, Chelten Homes believes the net-zero offerings will continue to
complement the competitive advantages the company has over others in the
construction industry.
“Chelten is family in many ways,” says Leclerc. “Each employee acts like a
leader and is encouraged to be an innovator in everything we do.
“They
look upon every task as how will it impact other members of the Chelten family,
how it will benefit a project and, ultimately, how will the customer benefit.
We like to under promise and over deliver.”
That dedication is often supported even more as many Chelten Homes’ team members live close to the communities/neighbourhoods the company plans and develops. “So that means we develop a personal connection to each and every project,” says Leclerc. “We practice what we preach on a daily basis. We are never satisfied with a job well done.”
+VG Architects set
lofty green goals and they consistently back them up with on-target results. The
company, with offices throughout Ontario in Toronto, Brantford and Ottawa,
makes no bones about it when it comes to establishing a new standard for all
buildings – the intent is to bring green initiatives and sustainability
practices to the mainstream. They accomplish that in a variety of ways,
seeking to broaden their impact … and not just with specialty buildings or
clients who have ample budgets to pursue LEED certification. “Since municipal
clients are held accountable for taxpayers’ hard-earned money, they’re often
conservative in their approach to innovative ideas, including green initiatives
that they may not have had much experience with,” says Nicole Konrad, director
of marketing in the +VG Toronto office. “When money’s tight, relying on tried and
tested methods can seem like the most sensible route to take.
“+VG champions
sustainable practices by educating our clients, who can then educate the
public. In many cases, green initiatives actually produce cost savings over the
life of the project. I think municipal clients
can also find the different energy efficiency rating systems (such as LEED or
Passive House) intimidating. We’re
showing them that it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. It’s better to do something than nothing at
all.”
Saying that, often
there are projects that are mostly ‘all-in’ with what +VG proposes. A case in
point is the King Township Municipal Centre, located just north of Toronto in
King City.
Completed in
February, the project incorporates many green initiatives such as geothermal
mechanical systems and enhanced sustainable site strategies and is anticipated
to meet either LEED silver or gold level certification. King Township had
outgrown the previous facility and +VG pointed out that the Sixties-era school
building had many physical constraints which would limit an efficient adaptive
reuse. As well, the client was told, any
selective demolition would be extremely costly. As a result, a detailed cost
benefit analysis was conducted and it revealed that a replacement building
would only present an increase in cost of four percent, so +VG moved ahead with
a new building on the site. The upshot is that the building has created a new
identity and focus for the community, and is perceived by citizens as
cost-effective and pleasing. It should also be noted that the final project
was delivered on-time and on-budget.
Thomas Wilson, the
project manager and +VG partner, says a defining characteristic with King
Township is the presence of the provincially-protected Green Belt natural
preserve. With that in mind, +VG was able to reflect the symbolic importance of
that reality with the design for the new municipal building. The site, Wilson
says, is bounded by natural woodland and wetland preserves. He points out that
the +VG design enhances these preserves. Some of the features include:
Twenty percent of the site designated as woodland restoration;
Stormwater management enhancements, such as permeable pavers that reduce
water quantity and greatly improve water quality, flowing to the adjacent
wetlands;
A series of new nature trails around the site;
Educational signage describing key aspects of the natural surroundings;
And mitigation measures such as bat boxes that support indigenous
wildlife and reduce the impact of human development.
“It was also
important for this project to lead by example when it came to township values
and planning policies related to sustainability,” Wilson says. To that end,
Wilson said the building included the following components as part of the
design:
Ground source heat pump system for heating and cooling to reduce energy
costs and provide zero greenhouse gas emissions;
High-performance building envelope, including high-performance glazing;
Heat recovery ventilators and variable speed pumps;
And high-efficiency LED lighting systems utilizing time-of-day controls,
daylight sensors and occupancy sensors.
Two other +VG
projects – Kingston East Community Centre and Township of McNab/Braeside
Municipal Offices – provide yet another glimpse into the company’s green
approach. In Kingston, in addition to enhancing the surrounding area, the
community centre will contribute to the city’s goal of reducing carbon
emissions to become a leader in sustainability and environmental stewardship.
When completed, it will also serve as a learning tool for the surrounding
community to understand the importance of building high-performance,
energy-efficient public buildings and their impact on reducing greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions.
In McNab/Braeside,
less than 100 kilometres west of Ottawa, the new town hall will be constructed
using engineered timber products to pay homage to the rich history of forestry
and logging in the area and to reduce to overall embodied energy in the
building materials used for construction.
Other green features include a ground source thermal field,
energy-efficient building systems and a future solar array.
“+VG Ottawa specializes
in the coordination of energy-efficiency/GHG reduction studies to assist our
clients through the design development stage of their projects,” says Daniel
Wojcik, an architect with +VG Ottawa.
“Working closely with mechanical, electrical and sustainability
consultants we are able to empower our clients into making informed decisions
to reduce resource consumption and GHG output while understanding the capital
and life cycle costs to achieve their objectives.”
Chatsworth Fine Homes has always been known for providing painstaking attention to detail.
What should also be highlighted, however, is that the Oakville-based boutique builder has many years of experience utilizing energy-saving techniques – with one property, in fact, receiving the first net-zero ready designation in the Metro Toronto area.
“We have supported green building for a long time,” says Fil Capuano, Chatsworth’s president. “We feature a strong background in engineering and we see where so many outmoded building practices are still in use today that do not address client concerns of comfort, financial and social responsibility. We have to have an eye on what is in everyone’s mind – climate change. “We have very sophisticated and well-educated clients who have a grasp on what is available today … and they want only the best when building a new home.”
The designated home at 1013 Westdale Road in Oakville – the recipient of the net-zero ready classification – is the latest example of Chatsworth’s embrace of both sustainable building and framing a practical way forward to address climate change concerns.
“The home demonstrates that you can have a fabulous luxury home that doesn’t compromise aesthetics,” says Capuano. “The big news in our market, really, is that we can build a luxury home with no compromises that consumes just over one third of the energy of an equivalent home built to OBC (Ontario Building Code) standards.”
But, as Capuano stresses, Chatsworth is definitely not “new to this.”
Nearly 20 years ago, the Chatsworth team built Chelster Hall in Oakville, a magnificent mansion on the shores of Lake Ontario. One of the largest private residences in Canada, the sprawling property sits on 10 acres with 47,000 square feet of living space – about the same size as the White House in Washington, D.C. Chatsworth utilized insulated concrete forms (ICF) throughout the build, and Chelster Hall was the recipient of a North America-wide ICF award in 2008. Fast-forward to 2015 and 2017, and you’d see that Chatsworth remained at the forefront of high-performance building, presented with Best Custom Home awards from the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD). The 2017 honour was for a home at 129 Burgundy Drive in Oakville; which BILD noted included many environmentally-sustainable features.
“Again, with
that project, with utilized ICF from footing to roof,” says Capuano. “It was
built to R2000* standards, had triple glass windows with a U value of 1.1, air
tightness of 1.4 ACH50, seven kW of solar, plus a 3 1/2 -inch interior furring
wall, providing total wall insulation of approximately R-40.”
That home, completed in 2016, had many of the same traits as net-zero, as
Chatsworth continued to incorporate environmentally-friendly systems. As noted, standout sustainable features included
a super-insulated envelope, four energy recovery ventilators, the rooftop solar
PV system, low-flow plumbing, rainwater collection for irrigation, occupancy
sensors, intelligent controls, and LED lighting. The tight envelope,
understandably, drastically cuts back on the heating and cooling loads.
The upshot is that everything is balanced by
smart engineering and advanced controls to optimize heating and cooling
efficiency. With no system oversizing permitted, the gas bill for the home is
less than half what it would be for the size of the building.
“The green buzz is everywhere,” says Capuano. “But
to deliver on net-zero you must have third party assurance that the performance
of the home measures up to the net-zero program’s strict guidelines.
“Many people think that building a larger home with high-quality finishes and
luxury options may be wasteful. But we’ve
proven that the net-zero ready program delivers a home that consumes almost 60
per cent less than its code-compliant counterpart and is a major step forward –
luxury with a view to economy and social responsibility.
“You can
have your cake and eat it, too!”
(*129 Burgundy Drive in Oakville was
enrolled in R2000 program and qualified, except for a fireplace that wasn’t EPA-rated
at the time.)Web / chatsworthfinehomes.com
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