Capital Planning

Environmental Guidelines Report

Executive Summary

In 1988, British Columbia university, college and institute facilities totalled 1,870,000 m². By 1993 they had increased by 18% to 2,207,106 m² and, depending on overall growth within the province, will increase anywhere between 35 and 55% by 2010.

British Columbia universities, colleges and institutes and the BC Ministry of Skills, Labour and Training are committed to environmentally responsible building design and operation. Representatives from the operations and development departments from these institutions have jointly formulated the following general objectives as an expression of this commitment:

Respect for Natural Systems: New university, college and institute facilities should be conscious of, and responsive to, the ecology of the site and of existing natural systems.

Energy Use: Institutions should strive to reduce overall quantities of energy used and to use sustainable energy sources as much as is technologically possible.

Resource Use: Institutions should approach facilities development and operation with the aim of using land, material and water resources in the most efficient and effective manner.

Health and Well-Being of Users: Institutions should ensure that indoor environments are healthy and comfortable.

Integration of Principles: Institutions should strive to effect a comprehensive and holistic environmentally sustainable approach to development and operation by consideration of all of the above issues.

This document presents a series of environmental design guidelines, goals and strategies to support the realization of the above objectives.

INTENT OF GUIDELINES

The guidelines are primarily directed at design teams engaged in new facilities for universities, colleges and institutes in British Columbia. They both reflect and communicate an expectation that all new building projects and major renovations will be designed to high environmental standards.

ISSUES COVERED IN GUIDELINES

The guidelines are organized in the following six sections:

Table of Contents

Summary Tables

Section One: Introduces the guidelines, emphasizing their objectives and scope.

Section Two: Emphasizes the changing context in BC universities, colleges and institutes which will affect the choice of environmental strategies in the design of new buildings.

Section Three: Energy Efficiency emphasizes the importance of energy in sustainable building strategies and identifies architectural and engineering design strategies to reduce building operating energy use.

Section Four: Resource Conservation presents strategies for land, materials and water resource conservation as well as strategies for reducing construction and human wastes.

Section Five: Occupant Health and Well-Being presents strategies to create healthy indoor environments covering thermal quality, indoor air quality, lighting and acoustic quality.

Section Six: Inter-relationships and Conflicts identifies key inter-relationships between the various environmental issues and design strategies covered in the previous sections.

SUMMARY OF STRATEGIES

The following tables summarize the Energy, Resource Conservation and Occupant Health and Well-Being design goals and strategies presented in the guidelines. They represent current and emerging notions of what constitutes good environmental building design practices. Where appropriate, distinction is drawn between advanced and more innovative goals and strategies.