Case Studies – Page 3

May 3, 2021

Video & Playbook: Planning Airtight Buildings

May 2021: Planning Airtight Buildings From ZEBx’s Net-Zero Energy-Ready Playbook Series Why Build Airtight Buildings? Building airtightness reduces energy consumption by minimizing heat loss via air leakage through the building enclosure. For this reason, many North American building codes have […]

April 22, 2021

Video & Playbook: Ventilation Strategies for High-Performance Multi-Unit Residential Buildings

April 2021: Ventilation Strategies for High-Performance Multi-Unit Residential Buildings From ZEBx’s Net-Zero Energy-Ready Playbook Series High-performance multi-unit residential buildings (MURB) are becoming the norm in British Columbia. This shift in the building industry is the result of the increasing energy-related […]

February 16, 2021

Case Study: Skeena Residence

When the University of British Columbia decided to add another student residence to their Okanagan campus in 2017, the UBC Board of Governors (with input from UBC Properties Trust) decided to pursue Passive House certification for the project to affirm […]

February 2, 2021

Case Study: Peatt Commons West

Peatt Commons West is the second phase of a purpose-built rental development by Peatt Commons Inc. in Langford, British Columbia. While its original design targeted some improvement in energy performance, the developer of Peatt Commons West decided to pursue Step 4 of […]

October 5, 2020

Batik Apartments: A Low-Carbon Central Domestic Hot Water System

This case study describes the innovative solutions used in the central heat pump domestic hot water system of Batik Apartments, a mixed-use, mid-rise residential building in Seattle, Washington. The heat pump system reduces overall energy use and helps achieve near […]

October 5, 2020

Orion: Near-Zero Emissions Multi-Unit Residential Building

Orion is a multi-unit residential building in Pemberton, British Columbia. The project is expected to exceed the energy efficiency requirements set for its region and meet Step 4, the highest level of the BC Energy Step Code, while maintaining the […]

September 8, 2020

Fire Hall No.17: North America’s First Passive House Fire Hall

In 2018, the City of Vancouver began the design to replace Fire Hall No.17. with a new building. The new facility is the first fire hall in North America to pursue Passive House certification. The project is also pursuing LEED […]

August 18, 2020

City of Vancouver’s Gastown Zero Emissions Childcare Centre

As part of the Zero Emissions Building Plan, the City of Vancouver committed to designing all new City-owned buildings to the Passive House or an equivalent standard and eliminate the use of fossil fuels. In 2018, the City started the […]

July 7, 2020

Cooling Strategies for Lower Mainland Houses

This technical primer looks into the primary factors contributing to cooling loads and overheating in houses, and effective energy-efficient strategies for maintaining comfort in a warming climate and with increased extreme weather events such as wildfire smoke. The information applies […]

July 6, 2020

Low-Carbon Mechanical Systems

This technical primer provides an overview of the opportunities, challenges, and considerations for the use of heat pumps as a low-carbon solution for heating, cooling, and domestic hot water production for high-performance houses in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland. With building […]

June 1, 2020

FUTRHAUS: A HIGH-PERFORMANCE TOWNHOUSE

This project converted an existing 1974 stacked duplex house to three independent high-performance townhouse units. Located in Mount Pleasant, the project achieved passive house certification and addressed Vancouver’s need for increased densification while achieving energy and carbon performance targets in […]

July 4, 2019

The Heights: Multi-Unit Residential Passive House

At the time of construction, The Heights was one of the first multi-unit residential buildings in Vancouver seeking Passive House certification. At six storeys high, this building would be among the largest structures built to the Passive House standard in […]