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Pendant fixtures used in areas such as the lobby of Olympic Village buildings employ compact fluorescent lamps.
January 7, 2010
Olympic Village technologies showcased in online book
Posted by Nina Winham
For bchydro.com
In February, B.C. becomes host to the world's top athletes as the 2010 Winter Games begin. The event will last only a few weeks, but it will mark the end of an extraordinary race to the finish line for the businesses that have helped prepare for these high-profile events.
Among these are the many companies that took on the task of building Vancouver's Olympic Village (Millennium Water), a sustainable community on the shores of Southeast False Creek. The project's three and a half year, non-negotiable deadline posed an enormous challenge, but also led to innovation and creative new solutions. The experience was so out of the ordinary that many of the companies contributed to a story on the development in an online book called The Challenge Series.
With seven chapters covering everything from planning and environmental remediation (the site was contaminated post-industrial land) to construction and design, The Challenge Series explains the tools and technologies used in the Olympic Village development. It profiles people and companies involved, many of whom were venturing into the area of green building and sustainable community development for the first time.
"This was the experience of a lifetime," says Roger Bayley, a structural engineer and Millennium's Design Manager for the project. "We used an integrated design process so that we could get architects, engineers, landscape designers and contractors all solving problems together. Considering what we were trying to achieve, no other approach would have worked."
The Olympic Village includes 1.5 million square feet of developed space over about 11 city blocks. It has 1,100 homes, a community centre, several parks, a community plaza and small commercial district. All buildings were required to achieve LEED® Gold green building standards, and they employ a range of sustainability features, including green roofs, using rainwater to flush toilets, and maximizing indoor air quality and access to daylight.
Energy efficiency
Energy efficiency was a key goal throughout the design and development process. "The amount of energy required in each unit was first managed through employing passive design principles," says Bayley. "That means the angle of the sun, seasonal changes, and the comfort needs of residents were all factored into the design to help reduce the energy required for heating and cooling."
For example, some windows have shading and blinds, to ensure those rooms don't overheat during summer. Wall construction is designed to reduce the loss of heat, and improve the structure's longevity. Glazing is designed to reduce the loss of heat through windows. Says Bayley, "There is much you can do to improve energy efficiency if you plan for it right from the beginning of your design."
In addition, all Olympic Village buildings draw their energy for heating from a district energy system that recovers heat from sewage. "It's energy we usually waste – the hot water from cooking, showers, washers and dishwashers," says Bayley. "Instead, a neighbourhood energy utility recovers it and pipes it throughout the development."
Suites are warmed and cooled by a radiant ceiling system , far more efficient than the forced air systems typically found in North American homes. Heat energy is also captured from commercial spaces, parking garages and suites that are in cooling mode – and that energy is recycled into the system.
Energy efficiency was also improved by choosing ENERGY STAR appliances where possible, and energy-efficient lighting. An innovative feature is the inclusion of resource monitoring consoles in every suite, which track a resident's usage of heating and cooling energy, electricity, and hot and cold water, giving feedback on their conservation efforts. Another unusual technology is a system at the community centre that uses solar power to provide cooling.
With all its energy efficiency initiatives, the Olympic Village was the largest project ever to participate in BC Hydro's Power Smart New Construction Program, which estimated that the Village's conservation strategies will save enough electricity to power 1,040 homes per year.
George Crowhurst, BC Hydro's key account manager for the Olympic Village, says the project helps establish a baseline for future efforts. "This project will show our children what we did, that this was the innovative way to go at this time. Innovation for saving energy will only grow."
Overall, buildings at Vancouver's Olympic Village are estimated to be 30 to 70% more efficient than buildings of the same size and shape built to minimum codes. The developer, designers and builders wanted to provide even more insight into what is possible, however, so one building on the site is "net zero," meaning it produces as much energy as it uses.
"This is where all building must go in the future," says Bayley. "We hope what we've learned will help others continue to push the envelope. Certainly, the group of companies involved here are already on the path – we all learned a tremendous amount about sustainable building – and we're ready to continue to take on the challenge."
