High LEED ambitions at the UBC Arts Students Centre in Vancouver
At the end of 2021 this multi-purpose facility opened for the art students at UBC, Vancouver. The Centre is a student-driven initiative designed by Leckie Studio Architecture + Design and it was built with sustainability in mind. One of the initiatives in this content is intelligent controlled windows in all areas used for daily natural ventilation and night cooling. The areas also contain mechanical ventilation making the ventilation concept an energy efficient mixed-mode solution. The buildings ventilation design was spearheaded by Integral Group Vancouver, who applied the innovative approach to the buildings automated natural ventilation system.
Visit a reference projectSolution
Hybrid Ventilation , Fire Life Safety integration
Location
Vancouver, Canada
Sector
Education
Project Type
New build
Natural ventilation in a LEED Gold-targeting building
The Centre is spread over three levels with a total net area of approximately 1025 m² / 11033 ft² and includes functions such as café, gallery, meeting rooms and common areas for socializing. The building was designed with the intent to archive a LEED gold certification. For this sustainable building, WindowMaster has supplied and commissioned an NV Embedded® natural ventilation system which will be used for indoor climate control when the BMS has deemed natural ventilation suitable. The building is divided into approximately 20 climate zones and the natural ventilation principles are a mixture of single-sided ventilation, cross ventilation and stack ventilation depending on the building geometry. The building maximizes the use of natural ventilation as far as possible to reduce energy consumption.
Intelligent window control integrated to BMS
Approximately 100 window actuators are used in this project to secure comfort day ventilation. Velux has supplied 8 units of motorized skylights and the rest of the building incorporates automated awning and casement façade windows. WindowMaster has delivered all the actuators for the façade windows which include MotorLink® technology, and WindowMaster controls the eight units of motorized VELUX skylights. WindowMaster’s products are fully integrated into the Delta controls building management system provided by ESC Automation, which also supplies the outdoor weather and room data (indoor temperature and CO2 levels) to WindowMaster NV Embedded® system. This data is used by the NV Embedded® system for continuously intelligent control of the skylights and façade windows. The solution also includes keypads for manual override which provides the occupants with a more personalized control. After 30 minutes, the control system reverts back to automatic control. Through the integration of the WCC Plus panel with the Master fire life safety system, a signal can be provided confirming if the automated windows are opened or closed.
Intelligent control of windows: MotorLink®
MotorLink® is a communication technology that enables 2-way control and feedback between window actuators and the Building Management System via the MotorController. All WindowMaster control systems are MotorLink® capable with many of our actuators. Click below to learn more and see related products.
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UL certified window actuators ensure safety indoors
All products from WindowMaster used at the UBC Arts Students Centre are UL 325 certified and act as sub-components in the master fire life safety system. 16 of the window actuators are WMU 831, which uses natural driving forces for the efficient exhaust of smoke and heat and are an integrated part of the fire alarm system in the building. The products communicate through power supplies with MotorLink® – an intelligent patented digital communication from WindowMaster that allows the actuators and control panels to communicate vital information.
