July 13, 2023
Montreal, Quebec, July 13, 2023 – We are thrilled to announce that Collège Sainte-Anne, a remarkable project by Atelier Pierre Thibault and Architecture49, has received Zero Carbon Building certification through the Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC) and subsequently has been awarded the Zero Carbon Design Award at the 2023 CAGBC Awards in the Green Building Excellence Category. The CAGBC Awards recognize exceptional projects, teams, and individuals who have made significant contributions to the advancement of Canada's green building sector.
Thomas Mueller, President and CEO of CAGBC, expressed his admiration for the award recipients, stating, "As we embark on our third decade, the CAGBC Awards highlight how green building has sparked innovation across the industry, from coast to coast. By celebrating leadership and promoting progressive thinking and practices, we acknowledge the remarkable progress we have achieved together. The dedication and ingenuity demonstrated by this year's winners are essential in propelling the industry forward on a larger scale."
The Collège Sainte-Anne campus project, located in Dorval, Quebec, is an exemplary embodiment of sustainable design principles. This initiative involved the construction of two new pavilions, which have received certification under the CAGBC Zero Carbon Building – Design Standard. In addition, an existing elementary pavilion underwent a complete renovation as part of the project.
Sustainability was the cornerstone of this transformative endeavor, as Collège Sainte-Anne brought together a team of building professionals, construction managers, and educators to form a task force committed to minimizing energy consumption and reducing embodied carbon, all while adhering to budgetary constraints. Energy modeling played a pivotal role throughout the integrated design process, allowing for the optimization of the buildings' overall performance by implementing high-performance envelopes and passive heating features.
The preschool and primary school pavilion achieved impressive zero carbon highlights. It boasts a remarkable 42.3% reduction in energy consumption compared to the CNEB 2017 reference building. With an EDI (Thermal Reduction Demand Intensity) of 32.6 kWh/m2/year, it surpasses the CaGBC Zero Carbon Building (ZCB) design v2 certification requirement of 34. Furthermore, the project resulted in a reduction of 370 tonnes of CO2e compared to a reference building built in the traditional way.
The new secondary school also excelled in its zero carbon performance. It achieved an impressive EDI of 33 kWh/m2/year for envelope performance, comfortably below the 34 required for BCZ design v1 certification. With a total building energy intensity of 46.7 kWh/m2 or 0.168 GJ/m2/year, the installed systems utilizing only electricity, such as heat pumps, contribute to a total reduction of CO2 emissions, ensuring a significant positive environmental impact.
This accolade not only recognizes Collège Sainte-Anne's outstanding efforts in environmental stewardship but also showcases the institution's commitment to pioneering sustainable solutions in the education sector. By creating an environment that embodies ecological consciousness, Collège Sainte-Anne is nurturing the next generation of eco-conscious leaders.