North York, Ontario
Busby + Associates Architects / architectsAlliance

The York University Computer Science Building is a campus infill project designed to accommodate lecture facilities, computer laboratories, and office space while maintaining flexibility to respond to unpredictable future technology.

The computer labs are located along the north façade to capture efficiencies in energy consumption and communications systems.  With extensive one to two year commissioning the building is designed to operate at 50 % less than the Model National Energy Code.  An efficient envelope, the building shape, external shading, and an accessible thermal mass all contribute to the energy reductions achieved.  Natural ventilation strategies including operable windows, high level stack ventilation, and atrium ventilation, in order to maximize free cooling in spring and fall, and for night time flushing during the summer.  Occupied spaces all have accessible controls for operable windows and individual air diffusers and lighting.  Effort was made to ensured the selection of recycled, reused, regional, and low VOC materials and resources

The urban heat island effect is reduced by large trees and a planted roof designed to replace the loss of ground level vegetation and act as a holding tank to control runoff.  Permeable walkway surfaces are used to prevents stormwater runoff, and native vegetation landscaping creates habitat while reducing the need for irrigation.

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