Vancouver Fire Hall Achieves Zero Carbon First

Rendering courtesy HCMA

Source: CANADIAN ARCHITECT

The building will reduce operational carbon emissions by 99.7% compared to its predecessor.

Vancouver Fire Hall No. 17 has become the first fire hall in Canada to earn the Zero Carbon Building (ZCB) design certification, and the first project to be certified in BC.

Designed by HCMA, it’s one of 16 projects to pilot the Canada Green Building Council’s new ZCB Standard, which provides a process, performance targets, and tools to support low carbon buildings in response to the climate crisis. When complete, it will offer a 99.67% reduction in operational carbon emissions compared to the existing Fire Hall 17.

An example of the City of Vancouver’s leadership on climate action, the project is also pursuing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, Passive House certification, and Net Zero Energy as defined by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. To achieve these low carbon and low energy performance targets, design strategies include an optimized orientation to benefit from local climate conditions, an airtight envelope, efficient air and water heat recovery systems, and a low carbon mechanical system that utilizes a geo-exchange field with ground source heat pumps.

Rendering courtesy HCMA

“Vancouver Fire Hall 17 is a response to the urgency of the climate crisis,” says Darryl Condon, Managing Partner at HCMA. “It shows that even large, complex facilities can lead the way in reducing our industry’s carbon footprint, while still improving the public service they provide. It’s testament to the City of Vancouver’s forward-thinking vision, and an example of how effective we can be as an industry when we collaborate from the earliest stages of a project.”

Read full article here.