Project Specs

Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Climate Zone: Cool-Temperate
Building Type: Commercial
Project Phase: Certified
Certification Type: Passive House Classic
Year of Construction: 2020
Treated Floor Area (m2): Two buildings at 465 m2 each

Project Description

The Gastown Parkade Childcare project consists of two single story childcare buildings located on top of an existing eight story parkade owned by the City in the downtown core. The buildings were designed to be Certified to the Passive House standard and use no fossil fuels to meet the City’s commitment to build all new City owned buildings to produce near zero emissions in operation.

The project will provide 74 much-needed childcare spaces in the downtown core, accommodating 24 infants/toddlers and 50 preschool-age children. The unusual parkade location was proposed to respond to a shortage of childcare facilities in the dense city center by re-purposing underutilized real estate space. The use of partially prefabricated panels simplified construction logistics and expedited the schedule.


Thermal Envelope

Exterior Wall: Prefabricated wood cassette panels made using I-joists, plywood, and OSB sheathing, with dense pack cellulose insulation. 54 cm (21 in) thickness, U 0.086 W/m2K (R66)
Basement Floor/Floor Slab: Prefabricated wood cassette panels made using I-joists, plywood, and OSB sheathing, with dense pack cellulose insulation. Floor assembly utilizes a split-insulated approach whereby the floor panel is insulated on the exterior with rigid insulation attached to the infusion-treated exterior-grade plywood, and with dense-pack cellulose inside the cassette panel frames. 59 cm (23 in) thickness, U 0.075 W/m2K (R75)
Roof: Prefabricated wood cassette panels made using I-joists, plywood, and OSB sheathing, with dense pack cellulose insulation. The roof assembly has an additional two layers of polyisocyanurate insulation below the rigid insulation. 74 cm (29.5 in) thickness, U 0.049 W/m2K (R116)
Window: Cascadia Fiberglass triple pane windows and doors, U 0.79 W/m2K, SHGC 0.5

Mechanical System

Ventilation: Each childcare has one Swegon RX Gold energy recovery ventilator (ERV) system with a rotary wheel heat exchanger to provide 86% efficiency
Heating/Cooling: Space heating and cooling is supplied via Aermec ANK air to water heat pumps with hydronic fan coil distribution systems in each building.
Domestic Hot Water: Each childcare has one AO Smith integrated air source heat pump utilizing waste heat from the laundry/mechanical/communication room.