Project Specs

Location: Hamilton, Ontario
Climate Zone: Cool-Temperate
Building Type: Multi-Unit Residential
Project Phase: Certified
Certification Type: EnerPHit Classic
Year of Construction: 2021
Gross Floor Area (m2): 7698 m2
Treated Floor Area (m2): 5353 m2
PHPP Verification: Download

Project Description

Built in 1967, Ken Soble Tower is the oldest high-rise in CityHousing Hamilton’s portfolio and has been in disrepair for several years. After considering options such as sale, conversion and redevelopment, CityHousing decided to retrofit the building, making significant improvements for less than the cost of a new code minimum construction while having a much smaller embodied carbon footprint. One of the first such retrofit projects in North America, the 18-story Ken Soble Tower is at time of certification the largest MURB EnerPHit-certified project in the world.
The project took an existing Social Housing building that was nearing end of life and retrofitted it to meet EnerPHit, with improved accessibility, daylight, thermal control and ventilation. Full reclad with exterior insulation, new plumbing and ducting were part of the work done.


Thermal Envelope

Exterior Wall: Interior -> Drywall, steel studs, 100 mm foil lined mineral wool batt,[existing wall: plaster + concrete blocks, air gap, brick], 152 mm rigid mineral wool.
U-value = 0.131 W/(m2K)
Basement Floor/Floor Slab: [Existing floor slab unchanged: 204 mm Concrete, Internal flooring]
U-value = 3.728 W/(m2K)
Roof: [Existing Ceiling: Plaster, Concrete], 400 mm XPS, Filter Fabric, Gravel Ballast
U-value = 0.09 W/(m2K)
Window: Frame:
Cascadia, Universal and Fixed Series
Fixed and operable fiberglass windows
U w-value = 1.09 W/(m2K)

Glazing:
Layers: 6mm – 12.0 mm – 6mm – 12.0 mm – 6mm
Gas fill: >90% Argon / <10% Air
G1: Cardinal 272 (#2) / 180 (#4) / i89 (#6): Ug-0.70 W/m2K
G2: Cardinal 180 (#2) / 180 (#4) / i89 (#6): Ug-0.72 W/m2K

U g-value = 0.7 W/(m2K)
g -value = 38 %

Mechanical System

Ventilation: Swegon, Zehnder, GOLD RX, ComfoAir
Multiple HRVs for building. 3 SWEGON units supply all residential areas. Zehnder ComfoAir units supply common rooms and office space. RenewAire Unit used for garbage chute heat recovery.
Heating/Cooling: LG VRF Heat Pumps heat and cool Residential HRV supply air. DAIKIN heat pumps heat / cool non-residential areas.
Additional heating coils at each apartment unit VAV box provide user control and bump up heat.
Domestic Hot Water: Condensing Lochinvar boilers, with insulated DHW storage. Drainwater heat recovery from all shower risers.