Prior to the Olympic games, many of Canada’s athletes get their first high-level competition experience at the Canada Games. And for many towns and cities, hosting the event includes the benefit of the construction of new facilities. Such was the case with the Canada Games Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, which was designed by DSRA Envision Architecture for the 2011 Games. The 176,000 square foot facility houses an eight lane training pool, a leisure pool, a field house with three basketball courts, a six-lane running track and a fitness center, as well as cafes and social spaces. The Centre was designed to a LEED Silver standard and uses 200 solar thermal collectors for heating water, and 36 solar duct modules for pre-heating intake air. Heather MacAulay, LEED AP, CanSIA Board of Directors, described the project as ”forward thinking,” and said “The entire facility is designed with an emphasis on energy efficiency and to promote a healthy indoor environment.”
Although traditional sandwich walls were originally specified, Vicwest’s FASSADE Insulated Metal Wall System was selected for the exterior walls after construction began. With approaching cold temperatures, EllisDon chose FASSADE to seal the building while taking advantage of the superior thermal efficiency IMP offers. This solution demonstrated FASSADE’s adaptability towards a pre-engineered building environment, while additionally lowering building energy costs and reducing the overall carbon footprint.
FASSADE also decreased installation time and lowered project labor costs. FASSADE’s high-performance core functions as an alternative to conventional air and moisture barrier systems, allowing buildings to be quickly enclosed to maximize air and water tightness, while enabling the design to support horizontal and vertical cladding systems. Vicwest’s system is engineered to comply with the stringent R-value and energy bridging requirements of ASHRAE 90.1 and Ontario SB-10, which allowed the Canada Games Centre to meet its ambitious energy requirements. The architects envisioned a contrast between rippling corrugated metal panels and the smooth glass of large windows, and achieved this by pairing FASSADE with Vicwest’s 7/8” corrugated cladding.
By choosing FASSADE, the facility’s designers have ensured a lower municipal operating budget by incorporating sustainable energy systems, and have provided visitors with a comfortable, attractive and healthy facility. While the Canada Games Centre’s initial purpose was for a particular event, the design and construction has allowed it to serve as an important recreational facility.
