Optimizing embodied carbon and energy efficiency in an Alberta office-to-residential conversion
Summary
The project involved converting a 1959 office building in Alberta into a residential space, focusing on minimizing embodied carbon emissions.
Adaptis conducted detailed assessments to preserve existing building elements, achieving a 68% reduction in embodied carbon, with an additional 12% savings through material recovery.
The optimized design met ZCB-Design v3 standards, resulting in an 80% total reduction in embodied carbon emissions while adhering to cost and sustainability goals.
Building Information
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Building Use: Conversion: Office to Multi-Unit Residential
Year Built: 1959
Number of Buildings: 1
This project involved the conversion and renovation of a 1959 office building in Alberta, spanning 162,000 square feet across 11 storeys. The goal was to save significant elements of the existing structure, avoiding a full demolition and new build. Adaptis was tasked with conducting a detailed parametric energy modeling and embodied carbon assessment to determine the optimal design criteria, balancing cost, energy, and carbon savings.
Challenge
The project was driven by the need to minimize embodied carbon emissions while adhering to the stringent Zero Carbon Building Design Standard V3 (ZCB-Design v3) requirements.
The challenges laid in preserving as much of the existing structure as possible while achieving the necessary energy and carbon savings, all within the constraints of a mid-20th-century building.
A full demolition and rebuild would result in significantly higher embodied carbon emissions and increased project costs.
Summary of Targets
The scope included quantifying the embodied carbon of the existing building and evaluating design variations to minimize emissions. The target was to achieve substantial reductions in embodied carbon while meeting ZCB-Design v3 standards, motivated by the client's commitment to sustainability and cost efficiency.
Results
The proposed design, in line with ZCB-Design v3, resulted in an estimated embodied carbon emission of 346 kgCO2e/m². By preserving the existing structure instead of opting for full demolition, the project achieved a 68% reduction in embodied carbon. Additionally, recovering materials from demolished elements further reduced emissions to 144 kgCO2e/m², resulting in an 80% total savings in embodied carbon.
Adaptis Advantage
Adaptis leveraged advanced parametric energy modeling and embodied carbon assessment to identify a design that significantly reduced emissions and costs. By preserving existing building elements and recovering materials from demolished sections, Adaptis delivered a solution that exceeded the client's sustainability targets while maintaining budgetary constraints.