[GeekyBoyTO]

From Manitoba Hydro:

News Releases
DATE: 2005 07 11

Hydro Unveils Final Design for World-class Energy Efficient Downtown Headquarters
Cutting-edge design will reduce energy costs by 60 per cent


Manitoba Hydro today unveiled the final design for the corporation’s new, $188 million world-class energy efficient headquarters to meet Hydro’s current and future business needs while serving as a model for highly energy-efficient building design and operation.

“Along with being a model for energy efficiency and a source of pride for Manitobans, Manitoba Hydro’s new office building will be the next pillar in the revitalization of Winnipeg’s downtown, bringing approximately 2,000 people to the city’s downtown,†said Premier Gary Doer. “Along with Red River College’s Princess Avenue campus and the MTS Centre, this new building is a continuation of the positive momentum and growth that is underway in our city.â€

The 22-storey building will encompass approximately 690,000 square feet, including public, retail, commercial and Manitoba Hydro office space. It will include the areas required to achieve the building’s energy reduction target of 60 per cent – which would make it one of the most energy efficient buildings in the world.

The design incorporates a splayed twin office tower resting on a podium that varies from two to three storeys, effectively marrying a large building mass with street level scale.

Energy efficiencies include:

• a geothermal heat pump system (extracting heat from the ground in the winter, returning it to the ground in warmer temperatures),

• a living “green†roof with mosses, grasses and lichens,

• atriums to provide conditioned fresh air,

• a solar chimney to enhance fresh air ventilation,

• windows designed to maximize daylight and reduce artificial lighting,

• energy efficient lighting, pumps and drives, and

• a double external wall to reduce heating and cooling requirements in extreme temperatures.

The building’s form and orientation optimizes passive systems for ventilation, heating and cooling, contributing to the building’s world class energy efficiency and a healthy, productive workplace. The building will be connected to the downtown elevated walkway system and provides street level retail activity, as well as offering a landscaped public courtyard on its southern exposure along Graham Avenue.


“The design successfully meets our objectives,†stated Bob Brennan, Manitoba Hydro President and CEO. “It provides a healthy, productive and creative workplace for our employees and the building will be a world class model of energy efficiency and sustainability, while enhancing the urban environment and economy of downtown Winnipeg.â€

The new, state-of-the-art office building is being constructed in downtown Winnipeg on a site that fills an entire city block on the south side of Portage Avenue between Edmonton and Carlton streets and extending south to Graham Avenue. The new building, which was part of Manitoba Hydro’s agreement to purchase Winnipeg Hydro, will cost $188 million to construct. The development of the project will total $258 million, which also includes such costs as modernizing Hydro’s information technology and security systems, pedestrian bridge linkage, insurance, design work and capital interest.

The new headquarters will also save the corporation $15 million in annual operating costs. Included in this total is approximately $7 million in annual lease costs the corporation will save by amalgamating 12 leased Hydro offices into one location. The remainder of the savings will be realized through enhanced energy efficiencies, productivity improvements, co-location of employees and other design features.


“Manitoba Hydro will contribute greatly to the skyline of our emerging downtown,†said Mayor Sam Katz. “The heart of our city is undergoing a renaissance and I applaud the commitment that Manitoba Hydro has made in keeping our momentum moving forward.â€

Architectural images of the final design are available for viewing at www.hydro.mb.ca/design. Design Architects are Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg (KPMB) Architects, Toronto, Ontario, with Smith Carter Architects and Engineers Incorporated, Winnipeg, Manitoba, providing local expertise and design and production support as the Architect of Record.

Deconstruction of on-site structures is nearing completion, with reusable material from buildings on the site salvaged for recycling to minimize materials going to landfill for disposal. Construction is underway, beginning with foundation excavation. Completion is scheduled for 2007.

GB

 

[mark simpson]

forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?s=02f35b032c5b6ad16d4906e7c862abcd&threadid=64078&perpage=25&pagenumber=13

 

[urbanboyto]

---------------------
Deconstruction of on-site structures is nearing completion
--------------------

is that the same as "demolition of on site structures"?
or if you are recycling materials is that "deconstructing" them?

 

[wyliepoon]

canada.archiseek.com/news/2005/000213.html

 

[lovarkitec]

Doer said “Along with being a model for energy efficiency and a source of pride for Manitobans, Manitoba Hydro’s new office building will be the next pillar in the revitalization of Winnipeg’s downtown, bringing approximately 2,000 people to the city’s downtown,†said Premier Gary Doer. “Along with Red River College’s Princess Avenue campus and the MTS Centre, this new building is a continuation of the positive momentum and growth that is underway in our city.â€

Three new buildings in years! I used to live in Winnipeg and find it remarkable what ploitcicnas view as 'revitalization'. i left 15 years ago and three building have gone up??? compare that to Toronto - we are really in a league of our own here compared to most cities....

Lark

 

[green22]

I left Winnipeg for the last time in 1987, but visited for a couple of days last month.The new buildings built in Winnipeg's core in the last 25 years have done more to hurt the downtown than help it. The downtown area needs residents bad, but zoning discourages it. The city doesn't need more office or sports buildings which take up a solid block in this location.

One block away the awful MTS building was put in place of the beautiful Eatons building. To see how hostile these developments are, just try to walk around the MTS building. It is like tearing down the Bay and putting in the Air Canada Centre at Queen and Yonge. Street retail in the core is dead, and the malls close early. The Eaton Place mall was torn down a few years ago because there are too many malls in the area.

The main intersection Portage and Main is still barricaded against pedestrian crossing. Like downtown Regina many of downtown Winnipeg's buidings are surrounded by surface lots larger than the building. The core Area Initiative is still in control of core planning. The only positive signs are small rehabilitations that are too small to be interfered with by Winnipeg planners.

It would be hard to imagine today, but the Portage avenue of my youth was a major shopping street similar to Yonge street in its busier section (Bloor-Eaton Ctr). Planners did not like the look of the young people and the eclectic mix of stores which they felt gave the city a poor image. In an attempt to add a spruce up the area Winnipeg planners invested money in tearing down independent retail areas and putting in malls, elevated walkways and barriers to some pedestrian street crossings. They were half successful; the youth and strange characters pretty much abandoned the street, but so did every one else.

 

[spmarshall]

One block away the awful MTS building was put in place of the beautiful Eatons building. To see how hostile these developments are, just try to walk around the MTS building. It is like tearing down the Bay and putting in the Air Canada Centre at Queen and Yonge.

No kidding - the one thing I will never forgive Glen Murray for is the demolition of Eaton's. I was in Winnipeg for a few days in 2003 (and I'll be back in town for a few hours in August, where I plan to walk around downtown again), and the hockey arena should have gone on a site off Portage - there's planty of half-blocks with surface lots, with few buildings on site. The idea of having a hockey arena off the main street by a block or two is that you maintain a continual steetfront, especially as a building like that will be dead space most of the time, but keep it close to attract patrons going to and from buses and parking garages.

The Eaton's building could have made a nice loft and/or mixed use complex. What a shame.

Below is a map I did quickly. In yellow lines are the surface lots around Portage. The Red is the Manitoba Hydro site, in blue the old Eaton's store, now MTS Centre. I also added the general area for Asper's Museum of Human Rights - though it is more likely slightly off the map to the right from where I have the text (not all The Forks - generally a very nice development for Winnipeg - are visible) and the Main/Portage intersection and the Bay Store, still active, at Portage and Memorial.

Having said that, I think the Manitoba Hydro building is a nice development, architecturally, at least.

 

[lovarkitec]

nice to see some fellow ex-winnipeggers on the site.....i actually find the msitakes being made there just impossible to understand. the sprawl and traffic are becomiong ridiculous and there is no core. even the much beloved forks - besides being nice to look at and walk around - has terrible retail.

Lark

 

[Darkstar416]

I just checked and Winnipeg's NOT really made of cheese. :lol

 

[adma]

Pierogi filling?

 

[green22]

The idea of having a hockey arena off the main street by a block or two is that you maintain a continual steetfront, especially as a building like that will be dead space most of the time, but keep it close to attract patrons going to and from buses and parking garages.

There was some attempt to create a continuous streetwall and nice brick architecture on Portage avenue, but it is like putting lipstick on a walmart. The function is evident, the little retail they have is in mall fashion, but one restaurant with access to the street. On the sides and back of the building they did not even try to address the area.

The forks area was ok, except the abundance of surface parking. They opened up the forks to the station and left some of the old historical buildings. They now have 2 new pedestrian bridges, one across each river. The recycled train bridge is pretty cool to walk over (Assinaboine).

The brand new expensive bridge over the Red River is beautiful but is only a few metres from the wide sidewalks of the Provencher bridge, and actually meets it at the entrance to St. Boniface. Still it does cut out half a block of walking to get there from the park. The park and some renovation were the only bright spots I noticed in my 18 year absence. Kind of similar to the dissapointment in visiting Detroit last year after not lived there in 16 years. (more strip malls, less street retail, less people on the street)