UNews - The building

U of L buildings achieve LEED status

trevor.kenney — Thu, 24 May 2012 22:24:39 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is taking a leadership approach in southern Alberta, setting a LEED standard in the design and construction of its new campus buildings.

Beginning with the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness and continuing with the construction of the Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building (AWESB) and Markin Hall, the U of L is showing that it takes its role in sustainability and environmental responsibility seriously.

"Each building was designed to meet LEED certification, an internationally recognized standard used to judge the environmental performance of buildings," says Brian Sullivan, director, Project Management Office, Facilities. "Beginning with the 1st Choice Savings Centre, we felt it was essential to incorporate specific design elements that would decrease the building's environmental imprint and enhance its sustainability. As we continued along with the construction of the Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building and then Markin Hall, we worked to further improve upon on these techniques."

The Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building was built with sustainabilty concepts in mind.

LEED refers to Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design and uses 70 criteria to gauge the ability of a project to meet rigorous environmental standards established by the Canada Green Building Council in five major categories. They include sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources and indoor environmental quality.

Each project must apply for LEED status and, after being judged, is rated on a point scale. Each of the 1st Choice Savings Centre, AWESB and Markin Hall have been granted LEED Silver status.

"It takes a major commitment to design and construct a building that will stand up to the rigours of the LEED criteria," says Sullivan. "The fact that we've now achieved LEED Silver status on two buildings, with one more in the works speaks to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's desire to push sustainability principles forward. That also shows in non-LEED certified projects where we are still using LEED standards to drive design."

Following is a look at some of the environmental features incorporated into each building.

1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness

• A clerestory window system that brings daylight into the gymnasium to supplement the lighting system

• A low profile project, part of the building is buried in the ground, maximizing the natural insulating characteristics of the earth to reduce utility demand on building systems and reduce the exposure of the building envelope to the elements

• Washrooms and showers throughout the building use dual flush toilets, waterless urinals, controlled flow shower heads and electronic faucets

• Approximately 60 per cent of the building's electricity is purchased from local wind power sources

• The benches in the locker facilities were recycled from the original gymnasium bleacher seats

• The maple flooring in the gymnasium was recycled from the original gymnasium

• Construction included the use of recycled concrete, giving the building 20 per cent recycled content

Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building

• A Living Wall of plants that act as a natural filter and aid in cleansing the air

• An outdoor pond that forms part of a stormwater management strategy, collecting water and circulating it through the westerly wetland, thereby reducing erosion and sedimentation problems in the Oldman River

• Roof water following rainstorms and winter melting is collected and stored in a cistern and recycled into the local irrigation system

• The building employs a heat recovery system in the exhaust air system to reclaim some of the heat that is being exhausted from the building, using it to preheat the incoming supply air

• The building was constructed with a white, highly reflective, energy star rated roof (as were the 1st Choice Savings Centre and Markin Hall) designed to reflect the heat of the sun's rays and reduce the heat island effect, something that is detrimental to animal habitat, wildlife and animal migration

• Created primarily out of steel, a material with a high content of recycled materials, the building consists of 21 per cent recycled content

Markin Hall

• Minimized window-to-wall ratio (40 per cent) to balance thermal control and daylight penetration

• Efficient heat recovery ventilation units that provide 90 per cent latent and sensible heat recovery

• The first radiant cooling application in Alberta

• An energy-conserving building envelope that allows for a smaller and more efficient mechanical system. Together, the building design and mechanical system achieve a predicted 56 per cent energy savings compared to a conventional building

• Other incorporated features include triple-glazed windows, green Label Plus carpeting and polished concrete flooring, low-VOC paints, waterless urinals and low-flow toilets and faucets

This story first appeared in the December 2011 issue of the Legend. If you'd like to see the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

U of L buildings achieve LEED status

trevor.kenney — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 22:13:18 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is taking a leadership approach in southern Alberta, setting a LEED standard in the design and construction of its new campus buildings.

The Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building was built with sustainabilty concepts in mind.

Each project must apply for LEED status and, after being judged, is rated on a point scale. Each of the 1st Choice Savings Centre, AWESB and Markin Hall have been granted LEED Silver status.

Following is a look at some of the environmental features incorporated into each building.

1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness

· A clerestory window system that brings daylight into the gymnasium to supplement the lighting system

· A low profile project, part of the building is buried in the ground, maximizing the natural insulating characteristics of the earth to reduce utility demand on building systems and reduce the exposure of the building envelope to the elements

· Washrooms and showers throughout the building use dual flush toilets, waterless urinals, controlled flow shower heads and electronic faucets

· Approximately 60 per cent of the building's electricity is purchased from local wind power sources

· The benches in the locker facilities were recycled from the original gymnasium bleacher seats

· The maple flooring in the gymnasium was recycled from the original gymnasium

· Construction included the use of recycled concrete, giving the building 20 per cent recycled content

Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building

· A Living Wall of plants that act as a natural filter and aid in cleansing the air

· An outdoor pond that forms part of a stormwater management strategy, collecting water and circulating it through the westerly wetland, thereby reducing erosion and sedimentation problems in the Oldman River

· Roof water following rainstorms and winter melting is collected and stored in a cistern and recycled into the local irrigation system

· The building employs a heat recovery system in the exhaust air system to reclaim some of the heat that is being exhausted from the building, using it to preheat the incoming supply air

· The building was constructed with a white, highly reflective, energy star rated roof (as were the 1st Choice Savings Centre and Markin Hall) designed to reflect the heat of the sun's rays and reduce the heat island effect, something that is detrimental to animal habitat, wildlife and animal migration

· Created primarily out of steel, a material with a high content of recycled materials, the building consists of 21 per cent recycled content

Markin Hall

· Minimized window-to-wall ratio (40 per cent) to balance thermal control and daylight penetration

· Efficient heat recovery ventilation units that provide 90 per cent latent and sensible heat recovery

· The first radiant cooling application in Alberta

· An energy-conserving building envelope that allows for a smaller and more efficient mechanical system. Together, the building design and mechanical system achieve a predicted 56 per cent energy savings compared to a conventional building

· Other incorporated features include triple-glazed windows, green Label Plus carpeting and polished concrete flooring, low-VOC paints, waterless urinals and low-flow toilets and faucets

This story first appeared in the December 2011 issue of the Legend. If you'd like to see the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Markin Hall makes its mark

trevor.kenney — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 18:19:31 +0000

"The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community is thrilled to be celebrating the opening of Markin Hall," says U of L President Dr. Mike Mahon. "Markin Hall is a wonderful addition to campus and will provide outstanding opportunities for students, faculty and staff for years to come."

Markin Hall was a main priority in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Legacy of Leadership campaign, which concluded in December of 2007. The campaign was the most ambitious in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's 40-year history and raised more than $35 million for students and infrastructure. When combined with government funding, the campaign resulted in a $113 million investment in the U of L.

In 2005, Dr. Allan Markin (LLD '06) made a generous contribution to the Legacy of Leadership campaign. His visionary gift was combined with early private funding and support from the Government of Alberta, national corporations, U of L friends and alumni. Construction of Markin Hall began in 2008.

Now complete, the building is home to the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Faculty of Management.

"By improving facilities on campus, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is investing in its students," says ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students' Union President Taz Kassam. "Markin Hall provides a hands-on and interactive learning environment for U of L students and ensures we have the best resources and infrastructure to support our education."

In addition to providing some much needed space for both undergraduate and graduate students, Markin Hall includes dedicated research areas for faculty members and their research teams, a purpose-built Addictions Counselling Lab, a Simulation Health Centre with wireless high-fidelity patient simulators and Western Canada's first finance trading room.

"This is the most modern and forward-looking facility in Western Canada for studying business and management," says Faculty of Management Dean Dr. Robert Ellis. "As well as classrooms with state-of-the-art capabilities, Markin Hall has 18 rooms where groups and individuals can study and work on projects together."

In Markin Hall's collaborative environment, the U of L will address Alberta's most crucial issues and continue to invest in energetic, effective and strategic leaders in the fields of health care and management.

"Markin Hall provides an opportunity for continued collaboration between the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Faculty of Management, including the development of a new combined degree in Public Health and Management. We look forward to many opportunities to develop innovative program and research collaborations in the coming years," says Dr. Chris Hosgood, dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences.

By improving teaching, learning and research facilities, Markin Hall helps the U of L meet the needs of a shifting economy and a changing province.

Inside Markin Hall

Markin Hall, home to the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Faculty of Management, provides space for an additional 450 students. The state-of-the-art facility improves teaching, learning and research facilities at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, helping meet the changing needs of the next generation of health-care and management professionals.

Nursing students are excited to have the opportunity to work in the new Simulation Health Centre.

• Markin Hall is a $65-million project.

• Markin Hall covers 10,400 square metres on four floors and houses approximately 230 faculty, staff and graduate students.

• The building provides space for more than 420 health sciences students and 1,600 management students.

• Markin Hall includes $1.6 million of audio-visual equipment.

• Markin Hall is certified silver by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.

• The building includes two video-conference rooms used to offer courses via video in Calgary and Edmonton. These classrooms double as case rooms for the Faculty of Management, offering closely tiered seating for 50 students, with adjacent breakout rooms for smaller group work.

• In addition to the Simulation Health Centre, the Addictions Counselling Lab and the Markin Hall Finance Trading Room, which all provide hands-on experience, there are four experimental research labs used by the Faculty of Management to conduct behavioural research such as focus groups.

For a look at the full issue of SAM in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Markin Hall on display

trevor.kenney — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 17:54:43 +0000

For a look at photos from the Markin Hall opening ceremony, check out the
U of L's Flickr gallery on the event.

After years of planning, looking at blueprints and imagining the opportunities offered by Markin Hall, the building is complete and U of L students, faculty and staff are reaping the benefits.

In 2005, Dr. Allan Markin (LLD '06), made a generous contribution to the Legacy of Leadership campaign. His

Students in the Faculty of Health Sciences get hands-on experience in the new Nursing Skills Lab.

visionary gift was combined with early private funding and support from national corporations, U of L friends and alumni, and the Government of Alberta and construction of Markin Hall began in 2008.

Now complete, the building is home to the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Faculty of Management.

In addition to providing some much needed physical space, Markin Hall includes dedicated research areas for faculty members and their research teams, a purpose-built Addictions Counselling Lab, a Simulation Health Centre with wireless high-fidelity patient simulators and Western Canada's first finance trading room.

"This is the most modern and forward-looking facility in Western Canada for studying business and management," says Faculty of Management dean, Dr. Robert Ellis. "As well as classrooms with state-of-the-art capabilities, Markin Hall has 18 rooms where groups and individuals can study and work on projects together."

In Markin Hall's collaborative environment, the U of L will address our province's most crucial issues and

The real-time capability of the Finance Trading Room is a great benefit to Management students.

continue to invest in energetic, effective and strategic leaders in the fields of health-care and management.

By improving teaching, learning and research facilities, Markin Hall helps the U of L meet the needs of a shifting economy and a changing province.

Building Details

Markin Hall is home to the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Faculty of Management at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and provides space for an additional 450 students. The state-of-the-art facility improves teaching, learning and research facilities at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, helping meet the changing needs of the next generation of health-care and management professionals.

· Markin Hall is a $65 million project
· Markin Hall covers 10,400 square metres on four floors and houses approximately 230 faculty, staff and graduate students
· The building provides space for more than 420 health sciences students and 1,600 management students
· Markin Hall includes $1.6 million worth of audio-visual equipment
· Markin Hall is certified silver by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards
· The building includes two video-conference rooms used to offer courses via video in Calgary and Edmonton
· These classrooms double as case rooms for the Faculty of Management, offering closely-tiered, seating for 50 students, with adjacent breakout rooms for smaller group work
· In addition to the Simulation Health Centre, the Additions Counselling Lab and the Trading Room, which all provide hands-on experience, there are four experimental research labs used by the Faculty of Management to conduct behavioural research such as focus groups

UNews - The building

U of L buildings achieve LEED status

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U of L buildings achieve LEED status

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Markin Hall makes its mark

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Markin Hall on display

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