b'PROJECT PROFILEPHOTOS COURTESY OF PUBLIC ARCHITECTURE & COMMUNICATIONUBC OKANAGANS SKEENA RESIDENCEThe first UBC building to use the Passive House standardBy Warren HeeleyT he University of British Columbia (UBC) is setting a newreducing greenhouse gases, states Robert Drew, Principal with standard for buildings at the university with a new studentPublic Architecture & Communications, the architecture firm for the residence on the Okanagan campus. The Skeena Resi- project. The other key companies for Skeena are RDH, the Passive dence is being built using the international Passive HouseHouse and building enclosure consultant, Sawchuk Developments, standard to be net-zero ready and an energy-efficientthe construction manager, and AME Group, the mechanical structure that operates without the use of fossil fuels. consultants.The building design includes an airtight building envelope and anTo date, the building structure and envelope are completed, as well energy-recovery ventilation system with the highest sustainableas placement of the windows with the exterior cladding currently performance based on its budget. The residence will house 220being installed. The residence should be completed by the end of students in a room design of two single bedrooms sharing aJuly 2020 and occupied for the fall term. bathroom. This non-traditional design will assist with the increasing demand for student housing and help reduce student traffic to andPassive House is considered the worlds leading standard in energy from the campus. efficient construction and focuses on quality, comfort and energy efficiency. Certified buildings must achieve excellent indoor air The Passive House standard is part of a broader effort by UBCquality, simplification of building operations, improved comfort to include higher efficiency building standards and be a leader inof occupants and little or no GHG emissions. They consume up 10 BCBEC ELEMENTSA BCBEC PUBLICATION'