The University of Calgary’s Energy Environment and Experiential Learning (EEEL) building recently achieved LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) platinum certification.
“The building incorporated many architectural and engineering strategies to increase energy efficiency,” says Jim Goodwin, principal at Dialog and project architect for EEEL. “The LEED platinum certification is certainly a great recognition and credit to all the hard work of the project team.”
Designed by Dialog and Perkins+Will, and featuring mechanical engineering innovations from the Dialog engineering team, EEEL is one of the largest LEED platinum certified laboratory buildings in North America.
“The design of EEEL centres around a grand ‘social stair’ and five-storey atrium, which brings an enormous amount of daylight into the building,” says Peter Busby, a principal at Perkins+Will and design architect for the project. “This not only plays into the energy efficiency of the building but also creates an inviting space that the students have embraced.”
EEEL is a student centric building designed to provide opportunities for hands-on and experiential learning in both individual and collaborative settings. Situated on the north end of the University of Calgary campus, EEEL brings together multiple departments in the science and engineering faculties, promoting cross-pollination, integration and collaborative research. The building features a modular lab and classroom layouts that put science on display. The interior glass corridor walls allow students to view into the labs, classrooms and theatres to observe and develop curiosity about what is being taught.
“We are extremely proud of the EEEL building,” says University of Calgary’ vice-president, Bob Ellard. “The EEEL building showcases the university’s commitment to sustainability and we are very happy to receive LEED platinum status for the building.”
Administered by the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC), LEED is an internationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. LEED certification is based on performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development; water efficiency; energy efficiency; materials selection; and indoor environmental quality. There are four possible levels of certification: certified, silver, gold and platinum.
