Zero Footprint - ReSkinningAwards, 2010 PDF

2010
www.zerofootprintprize.org
1 Please visit us at www.zerofootprintprize.org
It’s clear we have
a problem.
We are pouring
greenhouse gases
into the atmosphere
with potentially
devastating
consequences.
Scientists calculate that we need to stabilize Forty percent of total energy consumption and
the concentration of carbon dioxide in the greenhouse gas emissions in the United States
atmosphere at no more than 350 parts per can be attributed to operating buildings –
million (ppm) to prevent runaway global heating them, cooling them, lighting them
warming. We are already at 390 ppm, and providing hot water. The emissions are
and adding to this at roughly 2 ppm a year. most intense in cities. Buildings are responsible
In other words, we not only have to halt for almost 80 percent of New York’s carbon
the increase of global carbon emissions, footprint. For Hong Kong, the figure is over
we have to turn the process around, and 70 percent, and for London, 52 percent.
fast. We have to reduce global carbon To put this in perspective, SUVs account for
emissions by 80 percent or more. just 3 percent of emissions in North America.
It’s also clear that there is a lot we can do. If we are to successfully tackle global warming,
When we look at the major sources of it’s clear we have to do something about the
carbon emissions and where the efforts carbon footprint of our buildings. Over 90
are currently directed, there is one area percent of buildings in most cities are old,
where we have barely scratched the surface: and most of them will still exist in 2050. It is
our buildings. this aging, energy inefficient residential and
office stock that we need to tackle.
The main problem is a lack of insulation. Too

many older buildings have little or no thermal
break between the outside weather and the
inside living space. They get hot in summer
and leak heat in winter.
So the bad news is that we need to refurbish

entire cities. The good news is that if we do,
Tackling the Carbon Footprint we will gain far more than just climate change
of our Buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
benefits.
The Economics of Re-Skinning . 5
The Re-Skinning Awards . . . . . . . . 6
The Jurors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Finalists and Winners . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
WINNER PROFILES
355 Eleventh Street . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Sparkasse Vorderpfalz . . . . . . . . . . 13
Eichhorster Weg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Now House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
University of
Technology Tower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
FINALIST PROFILES
Hespeler Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Evergreen Brick Works . . . . . . . . . 23
Tomamu Towers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Docks en Seine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Nova Scotia Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
University of
Ulster, Belfast Campus . . . . . . . . . 31
100 Park Avenue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
222 Jarvis Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
West Park Court . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Lennox Addington Hall . . . . . . . . 39
2 © Zerofootprint, 2010 Zerofootprint™ is a trademark owned by 0footprint Inc and is used under licence. All rights reserved.
MORE THAN RETROFITTING
Tearing down all the old inefficient buildings But retrofitting alone will not bring the
and replacing them with new high-performance reduction in carbon footprint we need.
ones is not affordable or practical. For a start, The biggest cause of energy inefficiency
it would cause enormous environmental with older buildings is their lack of insulation.
damage. Already, one third of all waste in Without a thermal break between the interior
North America is building waste. If London and the outside world, older buildings just
alone were to demolish just its high-rise towers capture heat in the summer and leak it away
it would generate around 40 million tonnes in the winter. Retrofitting older buildings will
of building rubble. Rebuilding would also not be successful without new ways to design
consume resources at an almost unimaginable and insulate their external envelopes. What
level, including vast amounts of cement these buildings need in effect is a new ‘skin’.
whose manufacture is one of the most carbon
Re-skinning is more than just adding a layer
intensive of all industries. Importantly, it
of cladding to the outside of a tower block to
would also take decades, if not centuries
freshen up its looks or protect its deteriorating
to accomplish – far longer than we have
exterior. In addition to adding an essential layer
to turn things around.
of insulation, a new skin can hide added piping,
There are now well established techniques of cabling and other services, making retrofitting
improving buildings, such as upgrading heating internal systems quicker and cheaper. A well-
and ventilation systems, fitting low energy designed re-skinning project can also alter
lights, draught-proofing and so on. These kinds the face of a building, making it easier on the
of retrofitting programs are under way around eye while also making it a more comfortable,
the globe in cities like Johannesburg, Mexico energy efficient and flexible place to live or work.
City and Mumbai. A project in Washington
Re-skinning is about rethinking the state-of-
is investing US $175 million in retrofitting
the-art in retrofitting. It is about looking at
400 government and private buildings with
the building as a whole and tackling the major
the aim of saving US $36.5 million in energy
cause of the problem head on. It is about
costs per year. In the United States, President
creating a proper thermal barrier so that all of
Obama has committed his administration to
the internal improvements that we make, in
improving the energy efficiency of all federal
terms of lighting, heating and so on, can have
government buildings.
their full impact.
Re-Skinning
Off energy grid
Solar Panels
Green Roofs
Smart Systems
+
Footprint reduced
Solar Hot Water
Wind Turbines + = +
Hydrogen Cells Reduces need for power generation
Ground Water Heating & Cooling

Mechanical Systems
+
Preserves housing stock in cities
Social Amenities

CHANGING THE
CULTURE OF USE
Re-skinning and retrofitting is the first step and sustainably. In addition, the occupants
towards improving building energy efficiency. need to be educated on how to achieve the
The second is changing the culture of their use. best performance with the building, and given
the information they need to do so. This entails
Standards such as Leadership in Energy and
giving them immediate as well as longer-term
Environmental Design (LEED) in the US and
feedback. This might mean information on
Passivhaus in Germany have set benchmarks
temperature or air quality, which can indicate
for what can be achieved in the construction or
when windows should be opened or closed.
refurbishment of buildings. This is essential for
Or it might mean monthly data on how their
raising the bar and encouraging best practice.
building is performing in comparison with
But these standards take no account of the similar buildings to provide a benchmark and
behaviour of the occupants once the projects a basis for assessing performance.
are completed. It can undermine the whole
Smart building systems have a major role
effort if energy efficient light bulbs are fitted
to play here. Occupancy and carbon dioxide
and then left on all night. Or if windows that
sensors can monitor how people are using
allow for passive cooling are shut and an
rooms so an automated building management
energy-intensive air-conditioner is turned on
system can turn lights and ventilation systems
instead. Or if taps are left running needlessly.
on and off accordingly. Other sensors can
Recently, a New York skyscraper was built to measure ambient light and temperature,
the LEED Gold standard – in other words, its allowing the building management system
designers went to great lengths to make the to optimize both energy use and the comfort
building as energy efficient and environmentally of the occupants. Mechanisms can allow
friendly as possible. But when an energy individuals to optimize their personal conditions
efficiency expert walked by the building in the by adjusting blinds, lighting or windows.
early hours of the morning a little while after it
Regular measurement and comparison with
was completed he saw that it was lit up like a
peer buildings is essential to ensure that
Christmas tree. Despite all of the good
performance gains are ongoing and the
intentions, the building was an energy hog.
culture of efficient use is embedded among the
Unfortunately, this was not an isolated case, and
occupants. Some experts have even suggested
a number of LEED buildings have been found
that official ratings such as LEED should be
to perform no better than comparable buildings
given only after a building has proven its energy
with no rating.
efficiency over one or two years, and the ratings
The problem is that standards such as LEED should be subject to periodic review.
only predict how a building might perform, and
don’t measure how it actually performs. And
this is down to its culture of use. If we are to
cut the emissions from buildings, old or new, by
any significant amount we have to change the
way people inside them behave. Conforming
to a standard like LEED will ensure that the
occupants have all the tools and mechanisms
they need to operate the building efficiently
THE ECONOMICS
OF RE-SKINNING
If we analyze the costs of re-skinning and look p For a fixed level of government funding – for
at the payback – cutting carbon emissions also example $100 million – applied to insuring
means cutting energy bills – it quickly becomes rather than capitalizing retrofitting projects,
apparent that we can cut emissions dramatically we could get up to $10 billion worth of
in a payback period that is economically retrofits based on a 1 percent default
attractive. So why aren’t we doing it? The rate in the cash flow payments.
answer is in the economics. The number of
p The financial markets, rather than the
existing buildings is vast, and the cost of
government, would become the vehicle
retrofitting them all is enormous. Individual
to fund the intensive retrofitting program
building owners lack the capital resources
that is required to achieve a meaningful
needed to do it. Asking government to foot
and timely impact.
the entire bill through grants and subsidies
is like asking them to print money for years. For example, taking this approach, the US $25
It is also beyond their means, especially during billion that United States President Obama has
an economic recession. The following table dedicated to retrofitting, could be leveraged
shows energy statistics associated only with to between $1 and $2.5 trillion worth of actual
US commercial buildings. retrofitting. Twenty five billion dollars does not
make a significant dent in the retrofitting needs
US COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS, NEW AND EXISTING ORDER OF MAGNITUDE of a major country, but $2.5 trillion will.
Annual new construction cost US $300 billion It is important to note that this investment will
Annual energy cost in buildings US $200 billion not only prevent massive amounts of carbon
from entering the atmosphere and improve the
Annual energy cost per square foot (average) US $3/SF
environment of our cities, but it will also provide
Cost of substantial, green retrofit to save 40% energy US $10 to US $30/SF
jobs in a new green economy. The economic
% of national energy consumed and C02 and social opportunities are enormous. Here are
20%
emitted in the US by commercial buildings
some benefits that large-scale investment in re-
% of national C02 emissions in the US that need
80%
to be removed in the next 5 to 40 years skinning and retrofitting programs could bring:
Approximate amount in square feet
67 billion SF p research and development of new materials,
of US commercial space
Approximate cost of retrofitting existing, ± 60 billion SF x processes and manufacturing technologies
energy-inefficient commercial space ±$20 to $1.2 trillion related to building retrofits;
But here is a clue to how it could be done. If the p infrastructure investment including large-
cash flows from the benefits of the retrofitting scale energy-savings projects like district
(i.e. the reduction in energy costs) were to energy systems, solar arrays, geothermal, etc.;
be credit enhanced, then the benefits could
p the creation of millions of jobs globally
be packaged and sold to the financial markets
to retrofit millions of buildings that are
in a multitude of high quality financial products.
candidates for this type of renewal; and
For example, instead of funding the retrofits
directly, the government insures the benefits p education and job training for a new
that result from the savings in energy costs. generation of workers who will be required
By backing the cash flows, the government to support this expanding industrial sector.
would create a market in financial products
that would provide the funding for the retrofits.
In this way we get two major advantages.

RECOGNIZING BEST PRACTICE THE RE-SKINNING AWARDS
Zerofootprint has introduced the Zerofootprint What do re-skinned buildings look like?
Prize and the annual Zerofootprint Re-Skinning What techniques and materials do they use?
Awards with the aim of stimulating major How do they improve their communities?
advances in the design and technology
The 2010 award candidates represent a cross-
for retrofitting and re-skinning buildings.
section of the latest approaches to re-skinning
Retrofitting is the upgrading or addition of
and retrofitting buildings. They range from a
internal building systems and materials, while
small post-war bungalow, to futuristic solutions
re-skinning is the replacement or addition of
based on new materials and technologies.
the external envelope, all for the purposes
All entrants were asked to submit projects
of improving the energy efficiency, comfort
that satisfied the following six criteria:
and sustainability of older buildings. Upgrading
the existing inventory of high carbon footprint 1. EFFICIENCY – the finished building had
and water-wasting buildings will give them new to be energy efficient.
life, and will revitalize our aging cities. 2. AESTHETICS – the design had to enhance
the existing building and its neighbourhood.
Zerofootprint is offering the Zerofootprint
3. ECONOMY – the project had to pay for itself
Prize to the design team who can take an
over a period of no more than 20 years.
older concrete high-rise structure and, using
4. REPRODUCIBLE – the re-skinning and
re-skinning along with other retrofitting
retrofitting technologies had to be scalable
technologies, reduce its carbon, water and
internationally.
energy footprint to net zero while also
5. INTELLIGENT – where possible, the
maintaining the highest architectural design
buildings had to embed new ‘smart’
standards. To secure the Zerofootprint Prize
energy systems.
a candidate building will be required to have
6. GOOD NEIGHBOURS – the project had
a net zero footprint for one year. Buildings
to benefit the community.
from any country are eligible.
Of these, reproducibility is the most important.
Zerofootprint, in collaboration with the UN
This is an unusual criterion for an architectural
HABITAT and contributing to the World Urban
prize that usually reward uniqueness. However,
Campaign, also offers the annual Re-skinning
the scale of our building problem is enormous
Awards to showcase the most successful,
and we won’t solve it unless we come up with
holistic retrofitting projects of the year. New
practical, cost-effective and scalable solutions.
for 2011, we have partnered with the John H.
Building types are often similar across cities
Daniels School of Architecture, Landscape, and
and across regions, with architectural fashions,
Design, University of Toronto. The awards
including materials and building techniques,
provide practitioners and policy makers with
adopted very widely. We need common
a global snapshot of state-of-the-art retrofitting
solutions that can be reproduced globally,
and re-skinning projects. The aim is to promote
where economies of scale reduce costs and
the best innovation from these single projects
where training and skills are readily transferable.
to encourage a wave of building refurbishment
across the globe that will save a massive
amount of carbon and revitalize our cities
at the same time.
THE JURORS
Winners of the 2010 Re-Skinning Awards
were selected by an international jury of
nine leading environmentalists, engineers,
architects, designers and academics. Each
brought a unique perspective to the review
process, helping to guarantee that exceptional
projects were selected for the awards. To save
energy and keep the competition’s carbon
footprint to a minimum, the jurors reviewed
entries online through a dedicated website.
THOMAS AUER ANDREW BOWERBANK GEORGE BAIRD

• Masters in Process Engineering, • B Ed; BA Industrial Design (Hon.) • MA (Hon.), Harvard; B Arch (Hon.),
University of Stuttgart • President of the EC3 Initiative for University of Toronto
• Partner and Managing Director a low-carbon economy • Dean, Faculty of Architecture,
of Transsolar GmbH building • Executive Director of the World Landscape, and Design, and
energy design consultancy Green Building Council, 2007-09 Professor of Architecture,
• Visiting lecturer at Yale School • EnerQuality 2007 Leader of University of Toronto
of Architecture the Year • Partner, Baird Sampson Neuert
Architects
• Ontario Association of Architects’
da Vinci Medal, 2000
STEFAN BEHNISCH FIONA COUSINS JUDITH DIMAIO, AIA

• BA in Philosophy, Hochschule der • B MA (Hon.), MSt, CEng, MCIBSE, PE • BA in Art, Bennington College;
Jesuiten, Munich; Architecture • Principal in the New York office B Arch, Cornell University;
Diploma, University of Karlsruhe; of ARUP, and leader of the M Arch, Graduate School of
BDA; CIMA; Economics, Ludwig sustainability team Design, Harvard; Colin Rowe
Maximillians University • ASHRAE NY Woman of the resident, 2009
• Principal Partner Behnisch Studio Year, 2007 • Dean, School of Architecture
East, Inc. architecture firm • Member of the Urban Green & Design, NYIT
• Interiors & Sources Magazine, Building Council, New York • Rome prize in Architecture, 1978
USA, Environmental Champion • Resident, American Academy,
Award, 2004 Rome
• Visiting professor at Yale School
of Architecture, 2005-2006
RICK HUIJBREGTS EDWARD MAZRIA WILLIAM MCDONOUGH

• Masters (Real Estate Development • B Arch, Pratt Institute • BA, Dartmouth College; MFA;
and Project Management), Delft • Author of the ‘bible’ of solar M Arch, Yale University
University; PhD Harvard design, The Passive Solar • Architect, designer, author and
• Director of Real Estate Solutions Energy Book winner of three US presidential
for Emerging Markets, • Developed the 2030 Challenge awards
Cisco Canada to reduce global GHG emissions • Time magazine 1999 ‘Hero for
• Executive Director, Center for and fossil-fuel consumption the Planet’ and 2007 ‘Hero of
Design Informatics at Harvard • National Wildlife Federation’s the Environment’
Design School, 2001-2004 National Conservation • Co-author of Cradle to Cradle:
Achievement Award, 2008 Remaking the Way We Make
Things, 2002

THE FINALISTS AND WINNERS
The following fifteen finalists represent a cross-
section of re-skinning and energy retrofitting
projects from around the globe. The winners
of the five categories were announced
on March 24, 2010, in Rio de Janeiro as
part of World Urban Forum 5.
THE FINALISTS
HESPELER LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER, BELFAST CAMPUS

Small/Medium Commercial Large Commercial
Date Constructed: 2007 Date Constructed: 2008-2010
Developer / Owner: Cambridge Libraries & Galleries Developer / Owner: University of Ulster
Architect / Engineer: Kongats Architect, Lam & Assoc., Architect / Engineer: TODD Architects, BDP Engineers,
MTE Consultants DEGW Space Consultants
Location: Cambridge, Canada Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland
EVERGREEN BRICK WORKS 100 PARK AVENUE

Small/Medium Commercial Large Commercial
Date Constructed: 2009-2010 Date Constructed: 2006-2009
Developer / Owner: Evergreen Developer / Owner: SL Green Realty
Architect / Engineer: Du Toit Alsop Hillier, Architect / Engineer: MOED de ARMAS & SHANNON
Diamond + Schmitt Architects, Architects, Robert Derector
Stantec, Halsall, AECOM Associates (RDA) Consulting
Location: Toronto, Canada Engineers
Location: New York, U.S.A.
TOMAMU TOWERS
Large Residential 222 JARVIS STREET
Date Constructed: 2006-2008 Large Commercial
Developer / Owner: Hoshino Resort Tomamu Date Constructed: 2010
Architect / Engineer: Klein Dytham architects, Meiho Developer / Owner: Ontario Realty Corporation
Facility Works Ltd., Asahi Danke Co., Architect / Engineer: WZMH Architects, Enermodal
Ltd & Horex Inc., DuRock Engineering
Location: Tomamu, Japan Location: Toronto, Canada
DOCKS EN SEINE WEST PARK COURT

Large Commercial Large Residential
Date Constructed: 2008-2009 Date Constructed: 2007
Developer / Owner: Caisse des Dépôts Developer / Owner: West Park Court Housing
Architect / Engineer: Jakob + MacFarlane Architects, Architect / Engineer: Perfido Weiskopf Wagstaff + Goettel
RFR Engineers Architects, Donald Schock, P.E.
Location: Paris, France Location: Pittsburgh, U.S.A.
NOVA SCOTIA POWER LENNOX ADDINGTON HALL

Large Commercial Large Residential
Date Constructed: 2010 Date Constructed: 2010
Developer / Owner: Nova Scotia Power Developer / Owner: University of Guelph
Architect / Engineer: WZMH Architects, Enermodal Architect / Engineer: Walter Agius Architect (1969),
Engineering, M&R Electrical Larkin Architect, Halcrow Yolles,
and Mech. Peter Di Lullo Eng., Engineered
Location: Halifax, Canada Assemblies
Location: Guelph, Canada
THE WINNERS
355 ELEVENTH STREET

WINNER: Small/Medium Commercial and Overall Winner
Date Constructed: 2009
Developer / Owner: Matarozzi / Pelsinger
Architect / Engineer: Aidlin Darling Architects,
Simain & Associates, CB Engineers
Location: San Francisco, U.S.A.
SPARKASSE VORDERPFALZ
WINNER: Large Commercial
Date Constructed: 2008-2009
Developer / Owner: Sparkasse Vorderpfalz
Architect / Engineer: Egon Weiß (1974), Thiemo Ebbert –
imagine envelope Architects (2009)
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany
EICHHORSTER WEG
WINNER: Large Residential
Developer / Owner: GESOBAU AG (State of Berlin)
Architect / Engineer: Oswald Mathias Ungers (1964),
DAHM Architekten + Ingenieure
Location: Berlin, Germany
NOW HOUSE
WINNER: Small Residential
Developer / Owner: Now House Project
Architect / Engineer: Work Worth Doing & Lorraine Gauthier
Location: Toronto, Canada
UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY TOWER

WINNER: Future of Re-Skinning
Date Constructed: Proposal
Developer / Owner: University of Technology, Sydney
Architect / Engineer: Laboratory for Visionary Architecture
Location: Sydney, Australia

Winners and Finalists
355 ELEVENTH STREET
Winner: Small/Medium Commercial
Overall Winner
Date Constructed 2009
Developer / Owner Matarozzi / Pelsinger

Aidlin Darling Architects,
Architect / Engineer
Simain & Associates, CB Engineers
Location San Francisco, U.S.A.
355 Eleventh Street, San Francisco, was built in 1912 as a warehouse for a local brewery. By 2008,
the building had become derelict and an eyesore, but was protected from demolition because
of its historical significance. When green building contractor Matarozzi/Pelsinger bought the
building to develop as its new headquarters, they aimed to make it a showcase for its commitment
to sustainability and its proficiency in modern building techniques. Given the generic utilitarian
design and construction of the original warehouse – corrugated sheet metal nailed to a timber
frame – a successful refurbishment would be applicable to tens of thousands of similar old buildings
in cities around the world.
The designers, Aidlin Darling Architects, faced a challenge in reconciling the new owner’s
requirements of ample light and air with the City’s planning constraints that stipulated no new
windows and insisted that any replacement of the outer corrugated sheeting had to be ‘in kind’
to maintain the industrial character of the building. Their solution was to fit the building with a new
facade perforated with fields of small holes that allow light and air to pass through while screening
out direct sunlight. Behind this new skin, they set opening windows to allow controlled cross-
ventilation of the interior. The gap between the outer facade and the inner construction acts as
an insulating buffer. A green roof is planted with drought-resistant native or adapted plant species
for filtering storm water, insulating the building and decreasing the urban heat-island effect.
p
355 ELEVENTH STREET
Winner: Small/Medium Commercial
Overall Winner
355 Eleventh’s new skin not only prevents solar gain and provides passive cooling of the interior
while meeting listed building planning constraints, it also gives the building a facelift, transforming
it from a mundane run-down structure to an aesthetically attractive modern building. Because of its
natural ventilation and lighting and thermal buffer, among some other green features, the building
is extremely energy efficient and has received Gold-level LEED certification. The re-skinning
methods used on 355 Eleventh are both low-tech and cost-effective, and could be replicated
on a global scale.
Simple smart energy systems include sensors fitted to lighting systems to dim or turn off lights when
there is sufficient natural light, and occupancy sensors turn off lighting altogether when no one is
detected in rooms or other spaces. Otherwise, the building relies on passive lighting and cooling.
Cooling depends on manual operation of the windows, and there is no monitoring or information
feedback on how well the occupants are utilizing the cooling systems. Community benefits of
the project are the preservation of a building of historical significance and an improvement to
the aesthetics of the neighbourhood.
Winner: Large Commercial
Date Constructed 2008-2009
Developer / Owner Sparkasse Vorderpfalz

Egon Weiß (1974), Thiemo Ebbert
– imagine envelope Architects (2009)
Location Ludwigshafen, Germany
Sparkasse Vorderpfalz is a German regional bank with its headquarters in Ludwigshafen on the
River Rhine. The building, constructed in 1974 and comprising a three-storey base and nine-storey
office tower, is located on the most prominent square in the city centre and is a feature of the city’s
skyline. By 2006, problems of weather penetration and poor insulation, as well as an outmoded
appearance, led the bank to initiate a refurbishment of the building’s facade and its heating and
cooling services. A condition of the project was that the retrofitting had to be carried out ‘without
staining the carpet’ – the building’s interior had been recently renovated, and the bank insisted
that the work should cause minimal disruption to its operations.
The architects’ solution was to take advantage of the existing service platforms on the outside
of the tower section of the building to fit a new skin of laminated glass mounted on a steel frame.
This created a weatherproof envelope and a cavity between the new facade and the original
exterior of the building within which the retrofitting work could proceed without interrupting the
building’s occupants. Venetian blinds are mounted inside the cavity to reduce solar gain, but at the
same time deflect some of the sunlight into the building to reduce the need for electric lighting.
The cavity is also used to mount a distributed system of small HVAC systems that allow for local
environmental control.
p
Winner: Large Commercial
The aluminum corner sections of the tower were removed, cleaned, recoated, insulated and
replaced. The base section has also been clad with an extra laminated glass skin, with additional
measures to ensure proper thermal insulation and weatherproofing.
The new skin has enabled the use of a number of smart building systems. In summer, the cavity
created by the new skin is opened at the top allowing the natural up draught to drag used air from
the building. In winter, the cavity is opened at the bottom so that air can be warmed by the sun
before entering the heating systems. Furthermore, the temperature in each section of the cavity on
the four sides of the building is constantly monitored, and warm air can be moved from one section
to another as required. In addition, the decentralized HVAC system means that fresh air is brought
in and conditioned only when and where it is needed, eliminating the need for transporting air
within the building. Occupants can control the temperature and lighting of their individual offices
and sensors switch equipment off when there is no one present.
The better thermal insulation provided by the new skin, the intelligent HVAC systems and the
daylight-deflecting sun blinds have led to an almost 65 percent improvement in the building’s
energy performance. Furthermore, the refurbishment has significantly improved the occupants’
control of their individual environments and their overall comfort inside the building. The energy
savings and improved maintenance means that the investment in the re-skinning should pay back
within 13 years. The refurbished building has been certified as a Green Building by the German
Energy Agency, one of only around 160 such certified buildings in Europe.
The original building’s design and materials are common to many buildings constructed in Europe
in the 1960s and 70s, and therefore the Sparkasse Vorderpfalz re-skinning process could be
reproduced on a wide scale. Perhaps the most significant aspect of the project in terms of
reproducibility is the fact that it was completed with minimal disruption for the occupants. The
expense and lost work time that conventional recladding methods cause is a major deterrent for
many organizations when they contemplate improving the energy efficiency of their buildings.
As a mutual institution serving local business and individuals and with municipal and social
responsibilities, the bank is closely tied to the community. In commissioning an innovative method
for re-skinning the building, the bank not only aimed to refresh the appearance of its headquarters
and solve the faults and inefficiencies of the old building, but to do it in a way that would create a
best practice example and spark other local renovation.
EICHHORSTER WEG
Winner: Large Residential
Developer / Owner GESOBAU AG (State of Berlin)

Oswald Mathias Ungers (1964),
DAHM Architekten + Ingenieure
Location Berlin, Germany
Eichhorster Weg is a 538-apartment complex in Berlin’s Märkisches Viertel district. Part of a

showpiece 1960s housing development, the apartments were aging and no longer met social
demands, nor modern energy efficiency requirements. In 2007, Eichhorster Weg’s builder and
owner, the Gesobau housing company owned by the State of Berlin, decided to refurbish the
apartments. Its aims were to reduce CO2 emissions from the buildings in line with the German
Energy Conservation Directive, halve primary energy consumption, create a more appropriate
set of living spaces and enhance the neighbourhood.
Key to improving energy efficiency was the re-skinning of the buildings with a composite insulation
system and the installation of double-glazed plastic windows. Further efficiencies were achieved
by refurbishing all internal heating systems, including the replacement of radiators and pipes, the
insulation of pipes and the installation of thermostat valves.
The energy efficiency gains from the re-skinning of the apartments in Eichhorster Weg and
elsewhere in the Märkisches Viertel development meant that the old natural gas district heating
system would have excess capacity. For this reason, and to reduce CO2 emissions from heating,
Gesobau is working with the local energy company Fernheizwerk Märkisches Viertel to replace
the old system with a combined heat and power, biomass-fed district heating plant. The plant will
p
EICHHORSTER WEG
Winner: Large Residential
use wood fuel from renewable sources, and will produce 5 MW to feed into the local power grid
in addition to the 30 MW output to serve Märkisches Viertel’s housing requirements.
The lower fuel costs from the energy efficiency measures has enabled Gesobau to increase the rents
of the apartments while increasing the net payments of the tenants only slightly. The rent increase
helps to pay for the investment in the refurbishment while giving tenants greatly improved living
conditions for a small increase in outgoings. Gesobau expects a payback on investment of 14 years.
An essential part of achieving the potential energy efficiencies is the instruction and training of
tenants in operating their refurbished apartments for optimum energy conservation using smart
technologies. Gesobau plans to equip up to 10,000 apartments in Märkisches Viertel with intelligent
electricity meters in the largest smart metering project in Germany. This will allow tenants to get a
detailed account of their consumption, and will also enable the electricity generator to optimize its
grid capacity. Tenants will be offered variable rates to encourage them to use appliances at times of
low demand rather than at peak hours. Changing the culture of use of buildings can be as important
as re-skinning and retrofitting measures in achieving real ongoing reductions in energy use.
The refurbishment of Eichhorster Weg and subsequent units in Märkisches Viertel was not intended
to be a state-of-the-art demonstration project, but rather a practical solution to the modernization
of 1960s apartment blocks that achieves significant energy efficiency, provides social benefit and is
economically viable. The re-skinning of Eichhorster Weg has achieved energy savings of 71 percent,
or 316 tonnes of CO2 annually. The project recognizes the potential of smart metering and the
importance of educating building occupants in behaviours that will deliver on this potential.
NOW HOUSE
Winner: Small Residential
Developer / Owner Now House Project
Architect / Engineer Work Worth Doing & Lorraine Gauthier
Location Toronto, Canada
Now House is a process for retrofitting older houses to turn them into net zero energy homes.
The first application was to a 60-year-old wartime house in Toronto, which is similar in layout
and footprint to a million other houses in Canada where the process could be replicated.
Now House focuses on conservation and utilization of existing property. The design is simple,
and is based on maximizing the envelope, and keeping what isn’t broken or problematic – only
those things that provide a significant gain are replaced. Insulation is added to the envelope
wherever necessary to ensure high thermal insulation. The same goes for double-glazed windows.
In all, the retrofit includes renewing or upgrading foundation walls, basement floor, roof, exterior
walls, windows, electrical systems, lighting, HVAC, ventilation and water heating.
Because the envelope improvements increase the air tightness of the house, a heat recovery
ventilator was installed to draw fresh air from outside and distribute it throughout the home.
This also rids the home of cooking odours and moisture from showers, and mitigates offgasing
from new appliances. A heat recovery unit was also installed for grey water. No other smart
building systems were used.
Now House is designed to be net zero energy – to produce enough energy from its own sources
to offset the amount purchased from the utility provider measured over the course of a year. The
Toronto house is predicted to reduce electricity costs 60 percent and save 5.4 tonnes of greenhouse
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NOW HOUSE
Winner: Small Residential
gases annually. It will generate electricity from its solar photovoltaic panels for internal use and to
feed back into the grid. It will be monitored for 12 months to check that it achieves these results.
The Now House demonstration project proves the concept of a near-zero energy retrofit. However,
at a cost of $85,000 using current technologies, payback is well over 20 years. But as the new
technologies become more cost effective, achieving net zero energy will become more affordable.
This could have a wide social benefit as the process is aimed at low-cost housing.
Already, the Toronto house has acted as the prototype for the retrofitting of five similar houses
in Windsor, Ontario, that are owned by a social housing agency.
Winner: Future of Re-Skinning
Date Constructed Proposal
Developer / Owner University of Technology, Sydney
Architect / Engineer Laboratory for Visionary Architecture
Location Sydney, Australia
University of Technology tower on Broadway, Sydney, houses classrooms and administrative offices
and forms a key part of the UTS campus. Built in 1979 and a beacon for the university, nevertheless
it is widely denigrated as ugly, outdated and energy-inefficient. However, while the overall UTS
campus is undergoing a transformation with major refurbishing and new buildings scheduled for
completion by 2020, the tower is not included in the plan. Laboratory for Visionary Architecture
(LAVA) has proposed an innovative new skin that would provide a cost-effective means to rejuvenate
the building’s aesthetics and simultaneously improve its overall environmental performance.
While the proposal aims to transform the identity of the brutalist-style high-rise, the main goal is to
reduce its carbon footprint. Currently, the overall energy use of the tower generates approximately
15,000 tonnes of CO2 each year, of which 35 percent is from HVAC systems. Problems include solar
gain, an absence of passive air-conditioning and the need to artificially light the interior.
The proposed skin is a three-dimensional lightweight, high performance, composite mesh textile.
Surface tension will allow the membrane to stretch freely around walls and roof elements, achieving
maximum visual impact with minimal material effort. The skin will provide shading, reducing solar
gain. Solar thermal technology in the membrane will capture solar energy for water heating, which
can then be used for space heating, or passed through absorption chillers to provide solar cooling.
In addition, the translucent cocoon formed by the skin will create its own microclimate that will act
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Winner: Future of Re-Skinning
as a solar chimney, producing a natural stack-effect and passive cooling. An alternative simpler
perforated design of the skin would provide passive cooling through natural ventilation. With
the addition of some storage facilities, the membrane could provide free heating and cooling
all year round. Overall, the new skin will reduce HVAC use by an estimated 45 percent, saving
2,700 tonnes of CO2 a year.
The skin also has the potential to increase natural diffuse light by approximately five percent.
Embedded photovoltaic cells will generate electricity, and the membrane could also collect
rainwater. The skin could also act as an intelligent media surface for dynamic animation and the
communication of information.
The skin concept for the UTS tower could have wider applicability for re-purposing inefficient and
outdated buildings without the need to demolish or rebuild. The simple, cost effective and easily
constructed skin could transform the identity, sustainability and interior comfort of similar existing
urban structures in Sydney and elsewhere.
The proposal does not include internal smart building systems. The social benefits will be the
improved environment for the students and the transformation of a city eyesore into a visually
vibrant and iconic element of the Sydney skyline.
HESPELER LIBRARY
Finalist: Small/Medium Commercial
Developer / Owner Cambridge Libraries & Galleries

Kongats Architect, Lam & Assoc.,
MTE Consultants
Location Cambridge, Canada
Hespeler Library in Hespeler, Ontario, was originally built in 1922, funded like many libraries at
the time by the Carnegie Foundation. The owner, Cambridge Libraries & Galleries, wanted to
substantially expand the library facilities while preserving the historically significant building. At the
same time, it wanted to create a showcase building that would link with local redevelopment and
contribute to the town’s revitalization. This required turning a solid, early 20th Century building
into a welcoming modern library, while minimizing the building’s environmental footprint.
The solution developed by Kongats Architects was to selectively demolish earlier additions
and renovations to return the building to its original structure, and then entirely enclose it in
a large glass box. This functional approach treats the original building as a museum piece while
quadrupling the floorspace. The design also allowed the use of a number of energy efficient and
sustainable building strategies while improving its overall comfort and usability. It also created
a striking civic centrepiece for the town.
The glass box skin is made from two layers of ceramic frit glass that modulate in response to interior
activities and reduce solar heat gain. Drapes of a custom hand-woven fabric that makes reference
to Hespeler’s historic textile manufacturing past provide a third internal layer that filters sunlight.
The re-skinning has enabled additional energy efficiency measures such as windows on the upper
and lower levels operated by the building’s automation system to provide natural ventilation when
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HESPELER LIBRARY
interior temperatures exceed a minimum comfort level. The roof has a membrane to reflect heat,
and the original Carnegie building is used as a heat sink. Natural daylight is available to 90 percent
of the occupied interior spaces.
As a result of these measures, and although the floorspace increased by over 400 percent from
3,500 square feet to 14,200 square feet, the energy consumption of the library has increased by
only 33 percent – an overall energy efficiency improvement of 67 percent.
The refurbished Hespeler Library makes a significant contribution to its community as an

architectural landmark and in terms of its public facilities.
EVERGREEN BRICK WORKS
Developer / Owner Evergreen

Du Toit Alsop Hillier, Diamond + Schmitt
Architects, Stantec, Halsall, AECOM
Evergreen Brick Works is a restoration of Toronto’s Don Valley Brickworks by Evergreen, a national
organization that brings communities and nature together for their mutual benefit. The project
is transforming previously deteriorating historic industrial buildings into a centre for urban
sustainability. The sustainable building and site operations program is focused on reducing waste,
energy and water, as well as car use. The aim is for all of the techniques, materials and methods
to be reproducible, with most of the systems commercial and proven.
Part of the energy efficiency measures that the site will demonstrate are high performance building
envelopes, including insulated brick walls and high specification double-glazing with thermally-
broken aluminum window frames. As an added skin, densely leaved vegetation will be grown on the
walls for cooling in summer.
A building management system will email staff when they can open the windows. In addition, all
the thermostats in the building will have LED lights that will indicate when conditions are acceptable
to open the windows. Other smart building systems include harvesting of waste heat, night cooling
of building environments, and intelligent energy and lighting control systems, with ongoing
measurement and verification of energy performance. Such ongoing measurement and verification
is crucial for embedding the efficiency measures and behavioural change of the occupants.
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EVERGREEN BRICK WORKS
The Brick Works is seeking a LEED Platinum rating for a number of buildings in the complex.
The Brick Works scores highly on community benefit and smart building systems, but less so
on re-skinning innovation.
TOMAMU TOWERS
Finalist: Large Residential
Developer / Owner Hoshino Resort Tomamu

Klein Dytham architects, Meiho Facility Works
Ltd., Asahi Danke Co., Ltd & Horex Inc., DuRock
Location Tomamu, Japan
Tomamu Towers are twin 40-storey hotel towers in the Alpha Resort in the beautiful forest-
covered mountains of central Hokkaido. Built in the late 1980s in a period of rampant
development during Japan’s economic boom, the towers were not only garish and obtrusive,
but were energy inefficient and the facade required frequent and costly maintenance. The
external tile cladding suffered spalling, while condensation and dampness were problems
internally. The towers’ new owners, Hoshino Resorts, asked Klein Dytham architects (KDa)
to come up with a solution that would repair the towers’ damaged surfaces, save on future
repair costs, save on overall energy costs, improve comfort levels in the hotel guest rooms,
and create a friendlier image.
To reduce the visual impact, KDa developed a pixellated colour scheme that camouflaged
one tower for winter conditions, fading from black to white, and the other for summer, fading
from green to white. However, while KDa wanted to dissolve the buildings’ mass, it did not
want complete invisibility, and so inserted a sprinkling of red panels, like red baubles on
a Christmas tree.
The towers were reclad in a DuRock tile membrane in a project that was the first of its kind in
Japan. It required new skills and technologies, with the external insulation fitted by a specialist
Canadian company. Re-skinned, the towers consume about 30 percent less energy than they
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TOMAMU TOWERS
did prior to the retrofit. The costs of the re-skinning are expected to be paid back in 10 years
through savings in energy and maintenance costs.
The Tomamu Towers project focused on aesthetics, with improved energy efficiency and more
economic maintenance additional priorities. Smart energy systems are not part of the project.
DOCKS EN SEINE
Finalist: Large Commercial
Developer / Owner Caisse des Dépôts

Jakob + MacFarlane Architects, RFR
Engineers
Location Paris, France
Docks en Seine is a long concrete structure on the River Seine that was built in 1907 as an industrial
warehouse. Although innovative in its time as the first reinforced concrete building in Paris, the
original building had no protective envelope and no strategies for cooling, preventing heat loss or
managing water or waste. In 2005, the City of Paris launched a competition to create a new building
to house a new cultural program on the site. The winners, architects Jakob + MacFarlane, opted to
retain the existing structure, adding what they call a ‘plug-over’ – a prominent external skin whose
design was inspired by the flow of the Seine and the pedestrian promenades along its banks.
The skin is comprised of a series of high-performance double-glazed glass facets in a steel

frame, with the facets maximized in size to reduce thermal loss through the frame. To facilitate
the penetration of daylight at the lower levels where solar gain is not a problem, the glass is
transparent. At the higher levels more exposed to the sun, the glass is fritted and coated, and
blinds are fitted within the building.
The plug-over is deliberately open on two sides to encourage natural ventilation and to avoid
heat build-up due to greenhouse effects within the tube. As a result, the space is comfortable
even in high summer, with the new skin also providing a year-round rain screen and acoustic
shield. The roof terrace is oak wood decking, with grassed areas offering further insulation.
The new skin both protects the existing structure and forms a new layer that contains most
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DOCKS EN SEINE
of the public walkways, as well as creating a new top floor. Inside, the exposure of the
existing concrete structure in the exhibition space allows it to act as a thermal cooling sink
for internal heat loads.
The building meets the High Environmental Quality guidelines of the French Certivea sustainability
standards organization. Energy efficiency is 25 percent higher than the original design requirements.
However, Docks en Seine makes little use of smart building systems.
By preserving the original fabric of the building while transforming its appearance and energy
efficiency, Docks en Seine demonstrates a design approach and techniques that could be
employed for the conversion and retrofitting of existing buildings that might otherwise be
demolished. Building waste makes up a substantial portion of all waste currently going to landfill.
Docks en Seine’s owner, Caisse des Dépôts, is a publicly-owned investment organization with
a mission to promote sustainable development in France. The refurbishment of Docks en Seine
is a social project that through its iconic design, as well as its facilities and program of activities,
aims to promote awareness and understanding of the impact of design on the individual, the
environment and society.
NOVA SCOTIA POWER
Developer / Owner Nova Scotia Power

WZMH Architects, Enermodal Engineering,
M&R Electrical and Mech.
Location Halifax, Canada
Nova Scotia Power corporate headquarters is a former power generation plant on the waterfront
of Halifax harbour. In commissioning the refurbishment of the building to provide new offices,
the company specified that the work and final building should demonstrate its environmental
responsibility and energy conservation leadership. The project retains and adapts the original
concrete-clad steel structure and incorporates a number of sustainability and energy efficiency
measures, including a new skin for thermal insulation.
The refurbishment design by WZMH Architects includes a new skin for the entire building. Part
of the skin takes the form of large high-performance double-glazed window units with thermally
broken frames inserted into openings cut in the existing walls. These carefully sited windows will
provide 75 percent of the interior spaces with natural light. The remaining shell wall is having an
extra layer of cladding with insulation attached. A new roof also adds insulation and is made from
a high albedo white material.
Energy efficiency measures include the use of existing piping to carry seawater from the Halifax
harbour for cooling and heating. The building will be the first major use of efficient ‘chilled beam’
technology in Canada, using seawater rather than air to transport cooling. All rooms will have
daylight and occupancy sensors to control lighting and CO2 sensors that will adjust ventilation
to suit the number of occupants. Fans and pumps will include variable speeds for non-peak use,
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NOVA SCOTIA POWER
and there will be heat recovery on the ventilation system. Where there is demolition, most
of the materials are being reused or recycled, including steel and concrete.
The retrofitting project vastly improves the aesthetics of what was a large obtrusive disused
industrial building, and contributes to the redevelopment of downtown Halifax. There are
a number of public facilities integrated within the building, including a conference centre,
atrium and food facility. The building will house Nova Scotia Power’s staff more efficiently
in 18 percent less space and will lower the company’s overall environmental footprint,
and give it a showpiece headquarters.
Because of the change of use of the building there is no direct comparison for energy savings.
However, when compared with a standard Canadian office block of the same size, the architects
estimate that the re-skinned building will have half the energy costs. It also expects that the
building will pay back its investment in energy efficiency measures in just over eight years.
The building is a LEED Platinum candidate – one of the first in Canada.
UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER, BELFAST CAMPUS
Developer / Owner University of Ulster

TODD Architects, BDP Engineers,
DEGW Space Consultants
Location Belfast, Northern Ireland
University of Ulster, Belfast Campus is in the heart of the city and houses the university’s art
and design departments. A redevelopment project aims to provide a new and vibrant working
environment for 2,000 students – double the number the building previously accommodated.
A condition of the redevelopment was that it would not disrupt the university’s activities. TODD
Architects’ solution has been to extend the existing 1960s concrete framed building upwards
and outwards, providing space for the students to be relocated from sections of the old building,
which could then be refurbished. A new skin, including a new roof, has been wrapped over the
existing building, enabling refurbishment to take place from within.
The Belfast Campus was a typical example of a concrete and steel-framed, single pane, window-
wall building of the 1960s and 70s found everywhere and especially in Europe. They are generally
not energy efficient, and the University of Ulster redevelopment project provides an example of how
to transform such buildings functionally and aesthetically with minimal disruption of the occupants.
Re-skinning involved over-cladding the existing window-wall with a new intelligent facade, which
also increased the usable floor space of the building. The old facade was then dismantled from the
inside ensuring a weather-tight build. The refurbishment of the building’s existing concrete slabs
and frame created major logistical hurdles, but saved considerable embodied energy and CO2
compared with using new materials.
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UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER BELFAST CAMPUS
The university has installed two combined heat and power units that meet the energy needs of the
campus, one with an estimated payback of 4.2 years and £60,000 savings in energy costs compared
with conventional energy supplies, and the other with a 12.5-year payback (chosen because of its
very high CO2 savings). These two units generate 48 percent less CO2 than an equivalent gas boiler
and grid electricity supply.
The new skin provides a passive ventilating facade. Inside the building, exposed concrete slabs are
used to store heat or provide night cooling. Heat reclamation is used at the top of the first atrium.
Smart building systems include heat and CO2 sensors in all rooms linked to a building maintenance
computer that controls natural ventilation and cooling. The design provides daylight to all areas and
sensors automatically adjust the levels of any artificial lighting. Waste heat is recovered and re-used
from the top of the atria. Rainwater is harvested to provide all toilet and urinal flushing.
The passive ventilating facade includes the option to plug in local fancoil units, which will allow
the building to be adapted to future changes in occupancy, layout and use. It is the architects’
view that buildings that are able to adapt will in the long run prove to be the most sustainable.
The new campus is an important part of the redevelopment of central Belfast and the revitalization
of the city’s cultural life, and provides a striking visual landmark.
100 PARK AVENUE
Developer / Owner SL Green Realty
Moed de Armas & Shannon Architects,

Architect / Engineer Robert Derector Associates (RDA)
Consulting Engineers
Location New York, U.S.A.
100 Park, built in 1949, was the first glass and steel tower on Park Avenue, New York. However,
by 2006, the 36-storey office block was looking dated and its once state-of-the-art building
systems were becoming obsolete. An ambitious capital improvement program included
re-skinning the facades, upgrading the HVAC systems and adding green roofs. The building
remained fully occupied throughout the refurbishment process, which has resulted in
29 percent energy savings per year.
Moed de Armas and Shannon Architects’ program entailed removing the existing retail storefronts
and replacing them with new tempered glass storefronts. The north and south facades were
overclad with closed system, coated aluminum, composite metal panels, and the original windows
replaced with new insulated glass and coated aluminum windows. The Park Avenue facade
was clad with an insulated glass and anodized aluminum curtain wall over the existing aluminum
spandrels, brick pilasters and single-pane windows. The windows were then removed from
the interior, allowing tenants to remain in the building throughout the refurbishment.
The old lobby received limited natural light due to the Park Avenue Viaduct running directly in front
of the building at the first-storey level. To reduce artificial lighting costs and make a more inviting
space, a double-height lobby with a glass transom at the second level was created. A new efficient
HVAC system now serves the area.
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100 PARK AVENUE
The north and south sides of the building now feature 14 green roof spaces, which use a low-
maintenance, low water-consumption Xeroflor mat system. Low-flow plumbing fixtures are being
installed through the building, which will save approximately 1 million gallons of water a year.
A centralized building automation system monitors and controls all mechanical and lighting systems,
allowing precise temperature control on each floor and enabling systems to be more efficiently
sized for their actual demand load. The building’s security systems are also integrated into the
building automation system.
The capital outlay for the re-skinning and new HVAC system was approximately $15.8 million.
With annual savings of $1.1 million in energy costs, payback for the retrofit and equipment will be
14 years. The project has increased the building’s Energy Star Score, making it eligible for Energy
Star Certification by the Environmental Protection Agency, and helping it to achieve LEED-EB
(Existing Buildings) Silver Certification.
The re-skinning techniques and technologies used on 100 Park are reproducible on similar tower
office blocks. The main community benefit of the project is the building’s improved appearance,
with the flatness of the glass emphasizing the tower’s surface as opposed to its volume.
222 JARVIS STREET
Developer / Owner Ontario Realty Corporation
Architect / Engineer WZMH Architects, Enermodal Engineering
222 Jarvis Street in Toronto is a nine-storey office building with an inverted pyramid design. Built
in 1971, it is a unique example of 20th Century brutalist architecture and has been described as
‘monument-like in appearance with a heavy brooding mass’. Recognizing the strength of the core
structure and the building’s iconic status in the city, the Ontario government purchased 222 Jarvis
in 2007. Its refurbishment is a flagship project for sustainable reconstruction of downtown Toronto
office buildings, and of the Government’s program to reduce its carbon footprint by a third.
Prior to the refurbishment, 222 Jarvis performed poorly on all energy and environmental fronts,
with energy costs of over $1 million a year. Key to improving the building’s energy performance
is the cladding of the concrete walls with an insulating skin and the insertion of a layer of insulation
above the parking level ceiling. The original single-glazed tinted windows are being replaced with
double-glazed clear windows. In addition, all heating, ventilation, lighting and plumbing systems
are being upgraded.
A large green roof of native and adaptive local plants and moss is being added, with the rest of
the roof covered with highly reflective white pavers to reduce albedo. The roof will collect rainwater
that will be used for toilet and urinal flushing, thereby also diverting storm water from the city’s
drains. All plumbing features are being replaced with low flow options, and the overall water use
reduction is estimated to be 11,000 cubic metres a year.
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222 JARVIS STREET
The original lobby is being expanded in width and length, with a four-storey glass atrium at the
entrance. The central escalator well is having its brick walls replaced with glass and a skylight added
to the top, all of which will allow for greatly increased penetration of daylight and better circulation
of air. The HVAC system is being upgraded to a high efficiency system. Smart building systems
include daylight and occupancy sensors connected to an intelligent lighting system, and CO2
sensors that will control ventilation. Staff will be able to control the lighting of their individual
workspaces through their PCs.
Other measures to reduce the building’s carbon footprint include the installation of solar
photovoltaic panels on the roof to supplement the electricity supply, and the addition of a large
bicycle lock-up and showers to encourage staff to cycle or run to work. The lower level warehouse
space is being converted into a meeting and videoconferencing area, which will help staff avoid
travel. The project has a policy of avoiding waste and using recycled and reused materials and
local or low-impact transport materials, wherever possible.
The finished building will achieve LEED Gold status with platinum certification attributes and
will save 4,930 tonnes of CO2 a year. The energy efficiency improvements will save an estimated
$737,067 a year. The capital costs of the refurbishing are $7.5 million. Therefore, the payback
will be 10 years. The Ontario government expects further payback from increased productivity
from staff due to the enhanced working environment.
The refurbishment of 222 Jarvis is a highly visible project that aims to provide leadership in
green retrofits and demonstrate that older buildings can be upgraded to the quality and
efficiency of new buildings.
WEST PARK COURT
Developer / Owner West Park Court Housing

Perfido Weiskopf Wagstaff + Goettel
Architects, Donald Schock, P.E.
Location Pittsburgh, U.S.A.
West Park Court is a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sponsored
high-rise apartment building for senior citizens in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The building occupies
a prominent position on a corner site in the historic Mexican War Streets neighbourhood, directly
opposite a city park and within view of the National Aviary. Constructed in 1979, it was originally
clad with a fragile stucco material called EIFS, which is common on HUD and other buildings of this
vintage. HUD now discourages the use of EIFS, which have proved to be expensive to maintain,
and prone to cracks and leaks that often lead to the formation of mould.
West Park Court Housing, the non-profit owner of the building, wanted to refurbish the
deteriorating exterior of the building, and at the same time improve its energy efficiency and
the living conditions of the residents. Perfido Weiskopf Wagstaff + Goettel (PWWG) Architects
proposed a scheme to reclad West Park with an aluminum Pressure Equalized Rainscreen (PER),
a chambered curtainwall with open joinery that includes vents that allow the wall to breathe,
thereby avoiding the pressure gradients that cause problems with EIFS. The design of PER
reduces maintenance requirements and gives a longer life to the cladding – at least 50 years
compared with 15-25 years for EIFS. The PER also minimizes the physical and thermal bridge
between the interior and exterior components of the wall, thereby improving insulation,
and the venting has a stack effect in the summer, increasing cooling.
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WEST PARK COURT
Other advantages of using the PER for the re-skinning project were that it was installed entirely from
the outside thereby avoiding disruption to residents, it has lower maintenance requirements and
used recyclable materials. PWWG forecasts that the refurbishment of West Park with its PER
skin will produce 15 percent energy savings.
The refurbishment included a new well-insulated high-albedo roof, restoration of balconies with
new glass panel railings for improved views for residents, and new garden spaces. The new skin has
given the building a more modern and elegant appearance, which is in keeping with its prominent
position in the neighbourhood. Apart from the design of the PER, the project made little use of
smart building systems.
Pressure Equalized Rainscreen technology has a number of advantages, including being simple
to construct and fit, and could be applicable to many re-skinning projects.
LENNOX ADDINGTON HALL
Developer / Owner University of Guelph
Walter Agius Architect (1969), Larkin

Architect / Engineer Architect, Halcrow Yolles, Peter Di Lullo Eng.,
Engineered Assemblies
Location Guelph, Canada
Lennox Addington Hall on the northern edge of the University of Guelph campus is a 10-storey
residence housing 600 students. Constructed in 1970 and typical of large building projects of the
era, the residence had limited thermal insulation and consumed an excessive amount of energy.
Furthermore, the veneer brick wall system displayed serious structural damage due to interior
water vapour and exterior water penetration, and was stained and unsightly.
The first task was to repair and make safe the brick veneer, and this was carried out over two
summers in 2007 and 2008. To address the building envelope issues of water penetration
and lack of insulation and air and vapour barriers, the University commissioned Larkin Architect
and Halcrow Yolles Engineers to re-clad the structure and to replace all the windows. The
University demanded a long-term sustainable solution, but one that could be implemented
during summer vacation time.
For insulation, Larkin Architect chose a soya-based polyurethane foam that provides an inherent
air and vapour barrier, and which could be quickly to applied over the existing surface with its
imperfections. For the cladding, Larkin Architect used an open jointed rain-screen system with
extruded terracotta ceramic tile, chosen because of its natural material and warm colour and
similarity to the red brick heritage buildings nearby. The remaining parts of the building were clad
with corrugated zinc and grey aluminum composite panels, the different cladding types defining
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LENNOX ADDINGTON HALL
the distinct elements of the large building complex. The work was begun in the summer of 2009,
and was completed in the summer of 2010.
The re-skinned Lennox Addington Hall is projected to reduce energy consumption by

47.1 percent and produce annual energy costs savings of $42,000. This will lead to a simple
payback on capital costs of 17 years. The approach taken with Lennox Addington Hall could be
used on the many similar buildings from the period – the initial repair work and subsequent re-
skinning resolving the structural problems and facade deterioration, as well as weatherproofing
and insulating the building.
The re-skinning project has greatly enhanced the aesthetics of the building, and is providing a
foundation for planned internal renovation, all of which will make for an enhanced environment
for the students. Smart building systems were not part of the project.
For more information:
Zerofootprint
+1.416.365.7557
+1.866.795.5146
info@zerofootprint.net
www.zerofootprintprize.org

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STEFAN BEHNISCH FIONA COUSINS JUDITH DIMAIO, AIA

RICK HUIJBREGTS EDWARD MAZRIA WILLIAM MCDONOUGH

7 Please visit us at www.zerofootprintprize.org

HESPELER LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER, BELFAST CAMPUS

EVERGREEN BRICK WORKS 100 PARK AVENUE

DOCKS EN SEINE WEST PARK COURT

NOVA SCOTIA POWER LENNOX ADDINGTON HALL

355 ELEVENTH STREET

UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY TOWER

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Date Constructed 2009

Developer / Owner Matarozzi / Pelsinger

Date Constructed 2008-2009

Developer / Owner Sparkasse Vorderpfalz

Date Constructed 2008-2009

Developer / Owner GESOBAU AG (State of Berlin)

Eichhorster Weg is a 538-apartment complex in Berlin’s Märkisches Viertel district. Part of a

Date Constructed 2008-2009

Developer / Owner Now House Project

Architect / Engineer Work Worth Doing & Lorraine Gauthier

Location Toronto, Canada

Date Constructed Proposal

Developer / Owner University of Technology, Sydney

Architect / Engineer Laboratory for Visionary Architecture

Location Sydney, Australia

Date Constructed 2007

Developer / Owner Cambridge Libraries & Galleries

The refurbished Hespeler Library makes a significant contribution to its community as an

Date Constructed 2009-2010

Developer / Owner Evergreen

Date Constructed 2006-2008

Developer / Owner Hoshino Resort Tomamu

Date Constructed 2008-2009

Developer / Owner Caisse des Dépôts

The skin is comprised of a series of high-performance double-glazed glass facets in a steel

Date Constructed 2010

Developer / Owner Nova Scotia Power

Date Constructed 2008-2010

Developer / Owner University of Ulster

Date Constructed 2006-2009

Developer / Owner SL Green Realty

Moed de Armas & Shannon Architects,

Location New York, U.S.A.

Date Constructed 2010

Developer / Owner Ontario Realty Corporation

Architect / Engineer WZMH Architects, Enermodal Engineering

Location Toronto, Canada

Date Constructed 2007

Developer / Owner West Park Court Housing

Date Constructed 2010

Developer / Owner University of Guelph

Walter Agius Architect (1969), Larkin

Location Guelph, Canada

The re-skinned Lennox Addington Hall is projected to reduce energy consumption by

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