Facade Engineering by Reimagine

Facade Engineering

Reimagine ETALby PANELS OVER EXISTING CONCRETE CLADDING REIMAGINE.CA

ed existing concrete panels are first reinsulated with polyure-

AT REIMAGINE, WE HAVE OVER 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN CREATING BEAUTIFUL, HEALTHY AND SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS. Facade Engineering is an integrated, in-house area of expertise that solidifies Reimagine as leaders in the field of retrofitted buildings.

“Glass is the primary target for a retrofit. It represents the largest amount of energy transfer and it’s the best opportunity to get more bang for your buck, both in energy use and occupant comfort. One simply needs to find a solution that addresses the glass but doesn’t ignore the rest of the envelope.”

– Mike Turner, P. Eng , Facade Engineer

REIMAGINE ARCHITECTS LTD. | FACADE ENGINEERING BY REIMAGINE •

“There would be a high cost to remove all of the precast [of WSP Place], so we only removed what we needed to. In the end, we found the right balance.”

– Rita Melo, M. Arch, Project Leader

WSP PLACE, , EDMONTON, AB, BEFORE & AFTER

• Case Study: WSP Place 54% ENERGY REDUCTION

The design team calculated a 54 percent reduction in the amount of energy required to heat and cool WSP Place.

WSP PLACE , EDMONTON, AB, REIMAGINE MID-CONSTRUCTION, DECEMBER 2016

HIGH-PERFORMANCE GLAZING

A design analysis mapped out the strategic, partial removal of the tower’s precast concrete panels. These panels were replaced with new, highperformance curtainwall, filling the interior with natural light. The panels that remain were sprayed with polyurethane insulation, and clad in composite metal panels, improving to the thermal performance of the wall.

Figuring out how to align the building’s glass to the tower’s newly re-insulated concrete panels was a technical challenge for the facade engineering team. The extra layers of insulation meant the glass would need to be moved “out” – and there would not only be more glass than before, but thicker glass, too. The facade engineering team’s analysis ensured that the existing cladding was able to support the weight of the new glazing and cladding systems. The new windows are triple-glazed and have multiple low-E coatings fine-tuned to control heat transfer through the glass.

UNINTERRUPTED OPERATION In order to accommodate the work on the building perimeter, tenants just moved their desks to make room for the false wall erected during the window replacement process. Some work was done overnight, during non-office hours.

Keeping the building fully occupied and maintaining revenue during construction boosted the business case for retrofitting the building.

Beauty is more than skin deep, when it comes to retrofitting buildings.

THERMAL IMAGING AND ENERGY

MODELLING We use energy modelling to project building performance, allowing us to optimize the energy use of our projects.

We utilize thermal imaging and modelling to highlight problem spots in existing buildings. This gives us a roadmap that guides existing buildings to a sustainable future and helps our facade engineering team to develop an effective reinsulation strategy.

LEED CERTIFICATION When the building owner asked for the “Gold Standard” in green building certification, we chose to pursue LEED Gold certification - the ultimate feather in a retrofitted building’s cap!

REIMAGINE ARCHITECTS LTD. | FACADE ENGINEERING BY REIMAGINE •

WELL-INSULATED OPAQUE WALLS

MINIMIZED MECHANICAL Our energy modelling team simulated building performance and found significant capital cost savings. For instance, the reinsulated envelope allowed for the radiant panels at the perimeter to be just half the capacity of the previous perimeter radiation system, requiring fewer and smaller boilers.

“It takes coordination and logistics to understand how the tenants operate, their different priorities and schedules.

We’re really glad that no tenant had to move out.”

– Rita Melo, Project Leader

Edmonton 10225 100 Avenue Edmonton, Alberta T5J 0A1 Canada +1 780.429.3977 ENERGY SQUARE PROPOSAL, EDMONTON, AB

Calgary REIMAGINE ARCHITECTS LTD. | FACADE ENGINEERING BY REIMAGINE •

200 - 1550 5th Street SW Calgary, Alberta T2R 1K3 Canada +1 403.460.4177

Bucharest Bulevardul Hristo Botev, 1st Floor, Unit 1 Bucuresti 3rd District, Romania 030237 +40 722.394.316

Vancouver 6070 Granville St. Vancouver, British Columbia V6M 3E1 Canada +604.404.7899