The facility spans 60,000 square feet. It serves academic and industrial purposes comprising nine classrooms for theoretical instruction, and a spacious shop area. The centre imbibes various eco-friendly features such as a groundwater loop system to meet the partial heating and cooling needs of the building. It also provides natural heating with installation of SolarWall systems. The systems preheat outdoor air before it ventilates classrooms by storing the energy of the sun. Further, over 90% of regularly occupied areas of the facility offer direct outdoor views.
Manitoba, Saskatchewan or North Dakota account for 35% of the building materials. Over 25% of the materials used during the construction process of the structure comprise reclaimed content. Presence of drought-tolerant native plantings add to the facility’s sustainability by reducing maintenance needs, and controlling stormwater runoff.
The high-performance heating and cooling units of the centre reaps energy savings of 50% while reducing space heating by 72% and operating expenses by 54%.
