OAA HQ east facade; Photo courtesy Ontario Association of Architects
The OAA?s Don Mills Headquarters was designed by Toronto architect Ruth Cawker, winner of a 1989 province-wide design competition. It had been built to the R2000 standard, which was better than the norm at the time.
This was validated by its initial airtightness test, and with a roof structure that anticipated the addition of solar panels at a later date.
Having steadily grown over the last 25 years, the building began requiring extensive maintenance. Its energy use was significantly above average for a new low-rise office of its kind due to its outdated mechanical system, which reheated cooled air?even in the summer.
After the Council carefully reviewed the options of revitalizing the current building or looking for a new one, it decided the costs and environmental impacts of moving would outweigh any advantages. More importantly, by replacing outdated systems with current energy-efficient systems, the OAA could achieve zero operating carbon use.
Given the current climate crisis, the OAA states that buildings need to last for longer than a few decades by adapting and improving with time.
The OAA Council approved the carbon neutral operating approach and directed the consultant team, lead by architect David Fujiwara, to proceed with design development and contract documents, based on achieving zero carbon performance.
Major work of the OAA?s Renew+Refresh renovation project is now completed, with the insta...