You may have walked by the construction on the KLO campus... But did you know under those tarps and fences is a fantastic sustainable building in progress?
The Centre for Learning is an exciting and innovative building being constructed on the KLO Road campus in Kelowna. The 70,000 square foot building will be located in the heart of the KLO Road campus and demonstrate the College’s commitment to be a student focused and learner centered institution.
Did you know that our Centre for Learning will be the first LEED GOLD certified building in Kelowna? That is something we can really be proud of!
The goal of the Centre for Learning is to be living, breathing building that showcases the best sustainability practices and environmental stewardship possible by the College. You can watch the construction webcam here.
Design Highlights
- Theis project uses LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) principles and is targeted for LEED’s Gold certification.
- A portion of the building’s electrical energy will be supplied by renewable resources.
- The building’s heating and ventilation system will be supported through the College’s geothermal system that uses the waste heat from the adjacent Sewage Treatment Plan.
- The College will utilize environmentally friendly and non-toxic cleaning chemicals, continuing Okanagan College’s practice of green housekeeping.
Energy & Resource Consumption
- Energy, Electrical, Acoustical and Mechanical Engineers were an integral part of the Building Development Team to ensure that energy and resource management was maximized
- Energy performance of the building is targeting a performance of better than 30% of the ASHRAE 90.1 standard
- Building orientation and landscaping were developed to optimize energy performance of the building
- The building was designed to be five storeys to minimize the footprint of the building on the campus and maximize remaining green space
- The building is on a site that had been used as a landfill
- Extensive building system commissioning ensures electrical and mechanical systems are installed and calibrated for optimal performance
Environmental Loadings
- Waste management plan implemented to recycle/salvage 75% of construction waste
- Central recycling area with easy access to the building loading dock
- Low-flow toilets, waterless urinals, and sensor-controlled faucets account for a water use reduction of approximately 30% over baseline conditions
Indoor Environmental Quality
- Materials with low embodied energy, off gassing of toxins and VOC levels are used throughout the building
- Natural ventilation supplied by operable windows and the use of the skylight as a central air chimney.
- Building will continue Okanagan College’s practice of 'green’ housekeeping, adopting a program that utilizes environmentally friendly and non-toxic cleaning chemicals
- Strategic location of glazing to maximize daylight and views for all occupants
Learn more about this amazing building.
