PASSIVE HOUSE FACTORY

Description:

When BC Passive House asked that the design and construction of its new facility reflects its approach to sustainable home construction, the architect took the message to heart. This demonstration project is made with all-wood construction and exemplifies the client’s investment in prefabrication, energy efficiency and sustainable design. Used for the manufacturing of the client’s prefab Passive House panels, the 1,500-square-metre facility was conceived as a simple, light-filled wooden box. 

This wood-first approach for the building resulted in a savings of approximately 971 tonnes of carbon dioxide compared to a similar concrete building—or 306 tonnes of carbon dioxide compared to steel. 

The office and meeting spaces were designed to meet the rigorous Passive House Standard. Constructed using BC Passive House’s airtight, double-walled system and high-performance wood windows, the envelope was optimized to dramatically reduce the energy required for heating and cooling. The envelope’s efficiency enables the solar gain through the windows and the heat from the occupants to provide the majority of heating required for the office and meeting rooms. A high-efficiency heat recovery ventilation unit delivers a constant supply of fresh filtered air to the office, making for a healthy, oxygenated work environment. A biomass boiler burns the wood waste from the manufacturing process and distributes that warmth to the shop space through a radiant heat flooring system. 

The facility is the first of its kind in North America and will assist the company in its promotion of the Passive House Standard and sustainable, energy-efficient, wood-based construction. [1]

The BC Passive House (BCPH) factory is an ‘all wood’ construction demonstration project. The building was the vision of a company dedicated to the concept of truly sustainable construction methodologies, typified by the international Passive House Standard. The idea that industrial or vernacular building aesthetic is equally important as utilitarian function was the inspiration behind the BC Passive House Plant design. The architect used natural daylight and exposed wood finishes within the building to produce a warm, comfortable, and inspiring work environment.  Setup of the main building structure took place over 8 days and offers a great showcase for our range of capabilities. [2]

Awards

Governor General’s Medal in Architecture, 2016 

AIBC Innovation Award, 2015 

Architizer Project of the Day, 2015 

British Columbia Wood Design Award Environmental Performance, 2015 

North American Wood Design Awards Merit,  2014 

References

Architecture, Award, B.C., BC, British Columbia, Completed Projects, Functional, Multi Use, Permanent, Private, Winner