Photo courtesy WSP.
Category: Buidings
Award of Excellence Winner: WSP
The University of Ottawa (uOttawa) wanted to transform a formerly industrial brownfield site into the new home for its faculty of health sciences building. As the prime engineering consultant for the project, WSP revitalized the site and designed a high-performance building using sustainable materials.
The new facility, which will achieve Platinum certification from the Canada Green Building Council’s (CaGBC’s) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Building Design and Construction (BD+C) program, uses 57.2% less energy and produces 57.8% less greenhouse gases (GHGs) than typical institutional buildings, with a thermal energy demand intensity (TEDI) of 37.6 kWh/m2.
Optimizing strategy
For many years, uOttawa owned a 6.6-hectare parcel of land in downtown Ottawa, on the banks of the Rideau River, that was underdeveloped and contained contaminated soil, due to its history as an industrial rail line. To transform the site into a vibrant, sustainable community space, the university engaged WSP for a full suite of consulting engineering services to the builder, PCL Constructors Canada, and to design the 23,500-m2 health sciences building.
Parametric design tools were used to optimize the footprint and orientation of the building to minimize solar heat gain while maximizing access and views to natural light. This early analysis aided the space planning to ensure that the collaboration spaces benefited from a high degree of transparency and connectivity.
A life-cycle analysis was performed to help optimize the selection of cladding materials and concrete mix, so as to reduce the building’s embodied carbon footprint by 10% compared to a reference building. The timber used to construct the feature areas of the building was purchased from Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certified woodlands and sawmills in Ontario.
Advanced energy modelling software was also used for analysis and to develop a mechanical system strategy to meet the project’s ambitious energy goals. This software influenced the inclusion of a 55-kW rooftop solar-panel array.
One of the most important differentiators of this project was its advancement of structural engineering concepts. As an example, the structural connection between timber support, steel extension and concrete columns, previously undocumented in the industry, required detailed analysis of buckling behaviour by the technical team. Research and development (R&D) credits were used to field-test the stiffness and settlement performance of 12-m long cast-in-pace concrete slabs to ensure they were fit for purpose before their application.
Addressing site contamination
The project faced major challenges relating to the site, where contaminated soil from rail activities was left behind after the Second World War, which set WSP’s efforts apart from typical construction endeavours. During the early design stages, in fact, the project was at risk of being cancelled because it proved cost-prohibitive to remediate all of the contaminated soils on-site.
The structural engineering design team proposed an elegant, cost-effective solution, which involved supporting the building with bored concrete caissons and driven steel pipe piles. This approach reduced the amount of excavation required to build the foundation and, in turn, reduced disturbance to the contaminated soil.
Strategic volumes of contaminated soil closest to the surface were remediated. As contaminated soils were removed during the project, the site was transformed into a healthier space. The building’s ‘Level 1’ floor was elevated 1.5 m above the existing on-site grade.
While this design solution did not remediate all low-lying contaminated soils on the project site, it was effective at providing a healthy growing layer for trees and landscaping, while also respecting the owner’s budget.
The facility was built on previously contaminated land on the banks of the Rideau River. Photo courtesy WSP.
Environmental stewardship
The project exemplified a holistic approach to environmental stewardship. The design team used an integrated process to explore opportunities for improvements, e.g. analyzing the building envelope using BC Hydro’s thermal bridging methodology. This process was critical to achieve the overall TEDI of 37.6 kWh/m2 making the facility one of the most energy-efficient research-focused institutional buildings in Canada.
Sustainable materials played crucial roles in reducing the project’s environmental footprint. Materials with low embodied carbon and high recycled content were prioritized, such as the FSC-certified wood and recycled steel. Low-flow plumbing fixtures were installed throughout the building, resulting in a 42% reduction in the use of potable water, compared to baseline standards.
Environmental impacts during construction were managed in a variety of ways, with comprehensive construction waste management, indoor air quality (IAQ), erosion, sediment and control plans developed, implemented and enforced throughout the work. More than 90% of all demolition and construction waste was diverted from landfills and sent to recycling facilities.
Functioning within constraints
The owner’s project goals focused on sustainability, functionality, adherence to budget and timeline constraints. These goals were met through a comprehensive approach that prioritized collaboration, innovation and efficiency.
Functionality was addressed by designing flexible and adaptable spaces that would cater to the diverse needs of students, faculty and researchers. The design team sought to create a future-ready building that could serve the university’s needs not only today, but also tomorrow.
In terms of the timeline, the university wanted the building to be ready for the fall 2023 semester. The design-build contract was only executed in July 2021, but the project reached substantial completion by June 2023, i.e. it was completed in less than two years. Such speed of construction, nearly unheard of in the industry, was achieved through rigorous design planning and proactive risk mitigation strategies.
While there were some procurement delays and cost escalations, the team remained committed to delivering the project within the established budget. The construction value was initially $116,500,000 and the final cost was $118,379,900, with the variance due to owner-requested changes that increased the overall contract value by 1.6%—and maintained the owner’s overall budget, including contingency.
University of Ottawa Faculty of Health Sciences, Ottawa
Award-winning firm (prime consultant): WSP, Ottawa (Ammar Salameh, P.Eng.; Tom LeRoy, P.Eng.; David Badaoui, P.Eng.; Jonathan Osborne, P.Eng.; Josh Brouillard, P.Eng.; Jen Chaijan, P.Eng.; Scott Funnell, P.Eng.; Ross Taylor, PSP; Ishaque Jafferjee, P.Eng.; Alison Lumby, OALA; Alain Brierley, Tech.; Scott Armstrong, CET; Nadia De Santi, MCIP; Kana Ganesh, P.Eng.).
Owner: University of Ottawa.
Other key players: PCL Constructors Canada (client), Architecture49 (lead architect), Isotherm Commissioning (commissioning agent), Paterson Group (geotechnical), Tempeff (air handlers), Cook (fans), Haakon (air handlers), Viessmann (boilers), Bell & Gossett (pumps), HTS Ottawa (mechanical manufacturer representative), Eaton (electrical equipment), BDA (lighting).
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