Cameco Operations Centre
Saskatoon, SK
The Cameco Corporation required a new office building to meet their growing need for space. The project team was challenged with designing a building that was modern, practical, comfortable and above all sustainable.
The mechanical design on the project was required to be innovative, but functional. Innovations used on the project, and in some cases never used before in Saskatchewan, included active chilled beam cooling and ventilation units, a double recovery wheel air handling unit and evacuated tube solar collectors. More traditional, but still leading edge technology used on the project included high-efficiency modulating condensing boilers, in-slab radiant heat, high performance controls and variable speed pumping throughout the building.
The high performance controls includes a ‘real time’ energy monitor that allows building occupants to see the energy being used in the facility; lights, plugs, heating, cooling as they change through the day.
Water conservation was another focus; low and ultra-low plumbing fixtures were used to reduce potable water demand in the facility.
Ultimately this building was modelled to use nearly 70% less energy than an equivalent building built to the Model National Energy Code for Buildings and over 55% less potable water than a standard building of this size.
The Cameco Operations Centre is one of the most efficient buildings that DWEL has designed.
The mechanical design won the following awards:
2009 Premier’s Design Award of Merit
2009 Consulting Engineers of Saskatchewan – Brian Eckel Award of Excellence
2010 ASHRAE Region XI Technology Award – New Commercial Building
2010 ASHRAE Region XI Ralph Robson Plaque, Best Overall Technology Award.
