Yamnuska Hall receives LEED Certification

The Yamnuska Hall Residence building is the latest addition to the University of Calgary's suite of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certified buildings. It earned its LEED Certified certification from the Canada Green Building Council in September and will open its doors at 4:30 p.m. today for a behind the scenes tour.

Completed in January 2011, Yamnuska Hall was constructed from responsibly sourced materials that were extracted and manufactured locally with 72% of construction waste diverted from the landfill.

To ensure the long term air quality and the health of occupant's only paints, coatings, adhesives, carpets and wood products with the lowest possible levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were used. The building was also purged with fresh air prior to occupancy to flush out airborne particulates and chemicals leftover after construction.

Today Yamnuska Hall houses nearly 600 upper year, international, and transfer students. Suites include two or three bedrooms with a shared kitchenette and bathroom. Every floor has event kitchens and lounges for students to gather in and seven retail spaces, including a Starbucks, are conveniently located within.

This is the first residence building on campus to be designed with interior storage for bicycles and residents enjoy convenient access to multiple transits routes on 24th Avenue.

Only dual-flush toilets and water efficient faucets and showers were installed, collectively cutting water use in half compared to a conventional building. Outside the building is water wise as well. Surrounding vegetation is naturally suited to the Calgary climate allowing the species to thrive on rainfall common to this area, lowering their reliance on irrigation systems.

Yamnuska Hall also uses 33% less energy compared to a conventional residence building. Features include Heat Recovery Wheels which capture heat from outgoing air and recirculate it with fresh air, occupancy and daylight sensors that turn lights off in empty spaces and areas with ample sunlight, and a narrow building design to allow natural light into most spaces.

The University of Calgary strives to become a North American leader in high-performance green buildings and one of the most energy efficient campuses in North America. Yamnuska Hall was designed and constructed by a team led by ITC Construction Group, with architectural design completed by NORR Architects Planners and DIALOG.

Lessons learned from this project will inform the construction of two more residence buildings scheduled for completion by 2016.