18 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY SUSTAINABLE ENERGY ENGINEERING BUILDING, BRITISH COLUMBIA
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. 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.”
WORK SPACES
The upper floors are devoted to teaching functions, including laboratories, research areas and classrooms
from existing SFU buildings enabled the architects to establish dialogue between the two. For example, the main entrance was placed towards the south-east to clearly bridge old and new.
Circuit board
Inspired by the geometric pattern of electrical circuit boards, the facade’s design is clearly and symbolically linked to the technological themes that make up the pedagogical content taught within the building. White precast concrete sandwich panels alternate with reflective glazing which is framed by white precast fins outlining the entire facade.
PROJECT FACTFILE
Architect: Revery Architecture Client: Simon Fraser University No. of students: 515 (approx) No. of staff: 60 Gross floor area: 14,445 m2 Sustainability: LEED Gold
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
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Kokalov remarks that the ratio of opaque solid wall to glazed wall is approximately 70 per cent to 30 per cent respectively, making it a relatively lightly glazed building. “Having said that,” Kokalov qualifies, the visual dominance of translucent material “is due to the strategic placement of the glass that it gives that perception.” He continues, “It is very successful in this regard – it gives an open feeling to people which meets SFU’s philosophy of a ‘community engaging a school’.”
The architects faced some difficulties in achieving their desired exterior aesthetic, most notably in the construction phase. The precast panels and curtain wall infill panels were made independently, rather than being prefabricated together, and all of the mounting brackets were located on the slab edge. The main challenges, according to Kokalov, came from the installation sequence, the achievable tolerances, and the glass fabrication lead time.
The orientation of the precast and glazing systems is not entirely vertical. Instead, they weave left and right as they climb the building. This required the gap between the two systems to be increased in order to accommodate both horizontal and vertical movement due to expansion and contraction originating from temperature fluctuations. “Simply caulking the joint was not an option because of the load transfer between the system,” insists Kokalov.
ADF FEBRUARY 2021
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