UBC-Okanagan Charles Fipke Centre for Innovative Research
Located in Kelowna, BC, this educational centre will house a mix of state-of-the-art wet and dry labs, a 300-seat lecture theatre, a classroom, and a large glass atrium that will serve as a multipurpose area.
The building structure is cast in place concrete for the main floors and structural steel for the entrances and atrium space. Locally cast pre-cast panels, brick, and curtain wall glazing systems where implemented for the exterior skin.
Since the University is aiming for a zero-carbon footprint by 2011, innovations for natural heating, cooling and ventilation were key in achieving a high sustainability status. Take, for instance, the geo-exchange system. It pumps groundwater from beneath the campus, using the water to heat or cool buildings, and then returns the water to the ground. Or the wind tower on top of the building that ensures students and staff will have 100 % fresh air all the time.
Design ideas such as these made the Charles Fipke Centre for Innovative Research the first laboratory building in Canada to earn five Green Globes (equivalent to LEED® platinum status). The prestigious awarding of five Green Globes is reserved for buildings serving as national and international leaders in energy and environmental performance, and follows an extensive audit of the building's design. The 'Green Globes' audit of the Fipke Centre project, also reflected outstanding performance in the areas of project management, energy resources, emissions and indoor environment.