SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY SUSTAINABLE ENERGY ENGINEERING BUILDING, BRITISH COLUMBIA
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This precast box is elevated several metres from the ground, and appears to float thanks to a band of transparent glazing at its base. Together, the different areas of glazing increase visibility and connection, providing a sense of public realm to both the interior and the exterior of the building.
Kokalov continues: “The juxtaposition of the heavier precast elements versus the reflective glazing helps to animate the facade while symbolising the opposing forces commonly encountered in engineering; tension and compression, positive and negative.” Throughout the scheme, glass was used as a means of making the building seem more porous. Clear glass at ground level “allows for the interior public space to extend from the street and engage the neighbouring community,” says the architect.
ADF FEBRUARY 2020
The same materials were used on each of the elevations except for the cut-out on the south west corner. Here, insitu concrete was used as a cost-saving tactic. The architects expected the cut-out to eventually be filled in as the facility and university continue to expand and develop, so material specification wasn’t seen as pivotal.
Less is more
“Through careful sculpting of space, selection of muted and natural materials, and the introduction of natural light and views to the outside,” says Kokalov, “we tried to create spaces within the building that elevate and enhance the user experience.”
Kokalov remarks that the ratio of opaque solid wall to glazed wall is approximately 70 per cent to 30 per cent
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WORK SPACES
The upper floors are devoted to teaching functions, including laboratories, research areas and classrooms
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