Spanning 1.1 million square feet, the office tower has been pre-certified for the second time at the Platinum level, having been certified for LEED Gold earlier in the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED for Core & Shell rating system.
Designed by Pickard Chilton, Eighth Avenue Place features twin towers offering panoramic views of the Rocky Mountains. The southeast tower is 49 storeys tall, with the northwest being 39 storeys. This diagonal, asymmetric arrangement increases the dynamism of the project, while maximising and preserving tower views of the mountains to the southwest. Floor-to-ceiling glass provides abundant natural daylight.
The building boasts Canada’s largest green roof encompassing 30,000 square feet. It also features a two-storey retail podium; an atrium winter garden; a 1,143-car, below-grade parking garage and a 40-storey future west tower.
Eighth Avenue Place has incorporated a host of sustainable elements to achieve the green honour. It is said to be the first building in Canada to use heating distribution techniques that decrease construction costs and operating costs while improving thermal comfort for occupants. The high performance glazing systems mitigate cold surface temperatures and enable the elimination of baseboard radiator systems in the tower.
The building has installed a state-of-the-art building management and control system to monitor and manage energy consumption and tenant comfort requests. About 40% reduction in water use has been achieved through features such as ultra low-flow urinals.
Other sustainable features and programs include provision of enclosed 300-stall bicycle parking with adjacent showers; diversion of about 50% landfill construction waste including that from the demolition of the previous buildings; use of low-emitting paints, adhesives and sealants; and use of environmentally-sensitive refrigerants.
Construction began in December 2007 and will be completed in mid-2011.
