Leading by example
U of C’s MacKimmie Complex sets new standard By Melanie Franner The $290-million MacKimmie project may have been part of the University of Calgary’s 10-year capital plan, but rendering it into a shining example of sustainability is a more recent evolution of the program.
A beacon of possibility “Guided by our Institutional Sustainability Strategy,” says Boris Dragicevic, associate vice president of facilities development at the University of Calgary. “We would normally be looking at LEED Gold minimum for this project, but the Canada Green Building Council was looking for organizations willing to participate on its net-zero carbon program, so we jumped at the opportunity.” The MacKimmie project is one of 16 across the country designed to test Canada Green Building Council’s (CaGBC) new Zero Carbon Building Standard. The new standard is the first green building program to make carbon emissions the key indicator for building performance. It calls for a highly energy-efficient building that produces on site, or procures, carbon-free renewable energy to offset the annual carbon emissions associated with building operations. “The MacKimmie Tower will be a landmark piece for the University of Calgary campus,” says Beau Brown, senior project manager, Stuart Olson. “This is an advanced building that uses sophisticated technology to streamline day-to-day operation. It is poised to be one of the first net-zero carbon buildings in the country, and as such, is leading the way for Alberta and Canada.”
Achieving new heights Construction on the MacKimmie project, which includes the existing tower, block, and link, began in 2016 with work on the Tower. “We got seed money in 2016 to start the design,” says Dragicevic. “We started demolition work on the tower in 2017 and completed the re-construction by 2019. Work on the adjoining MacKimmie
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Calgary Construction Association