Cutting-Edge Community Centres: Three Case Studies in Net Zero Recreation

Cutting-Edge Community Centres: Three Case Studies in Net Zero Recreation

This webinar is part of the RAIC 2024 Conference on Architecture, now available to stream!

Topics: Climate Justice and Resilience, Sustainability, Adaptation and Mitigation

Length: 1 hour | What's Included: Video, Quiz, and Certificate of Completion 

Community recreation buildings are critical social infrastructure. They are also likely to be a community’s most energy-intensive building. A variety of municipalities are seeking to achieve much higher levels of performance in their next generation of facilities, taking drastic steps to decrease emissions and energy use, increase resiliency, and enhance the well-being of the people and communities who use them. This level of performance has major impacts on the design, engineering, and operations, demanding technical knowledge and creative thinking from designers, owners, and operators.

This session explores three approaches to achieving Net Zero Energy and/or Net Zero Carbon through case studies of three new community facilities:

• Northeast Scarborough Community Centre (Toronto ON): Net Zero Carbon certified, Net Zero Energy target
• Carrville Community Centre, Library, and District Park (Vaughan, ON): Net Zero Carbon certified
• Embleton Community Centre (Brampton, ON): Net Zero Carbon target

By the completion of this session, participants will be able to:

• Identify key considerations when defining performance targets for a community centre / recreational building
• Discuss the challenges associated with achieving Net Zero Energy or Net Zero Carbon performance in a community centre / recreational typology
• Identify the impacts and trade-offs of typical Net Zero design strategies
• Recognize how designers, clients, and policy-makers can work together to pursue heightened performance goals

Subject Matter Expert:

Jon Loewen
OAA,MRAIC,LEED AP BD+C
Associate Principal, Perkins & Will

A design lead at Perkins&Will’s Ontario practice, Jon works on public buildings at many scales. Driven by a commitment to tackling complex problems with creativity and elegance, he believes great design cultivates inspirational and inclusive communities. With a focus on integrating high performance with high design, Jon has shaped some of the studio’s most innovative and highly sustainable projects.

Christina Grimes
OAA,LEED AP BD+C
Associate, Perkins & Will

An Architect and Associate at Perkins & Will, Christina is a team player who thrives in a collaborative design environment. Christina brings a wide range of experience on projects of various scales, with particular expertise in high-performance buildings for sports and recreation. A natural problem solver, she takes inspiration from the unique challenges that each project offers, embracing them as opportunities to strengthen community and support the well-being of residents.