Evergreen Brick Works – Toronto, Ontario

Background

Evergreen, a national charity dedicated to deepening  the connection between communities and nature,  has transformed the site of the former Don Valley Brick Works from an obsolete, deteriorating industrial facility into a vibrant environmental and cultural education centre.

The Evergreen Brick Works is a multi-use facility  featuring refurbished heritage structures, parklands and gardens, a year-round farmers’ market, children’s programs and the offices of several environmentally  oriented organizations.

The facility's showpiece, the Centre for Green Cities  (CGC), is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental  Design (LEED) Platinum certified office building  combining elements from one of the site’s original  buildings with a new structure that incorporates  energy-efficient materials, innovative architecture and other green building technologies. The five storey  CGC houses classrooms, offices and meeting  space, and utilizes an automated heating, cooling and  ventilation system to mimimize energy requirements  while providing a comfortable interior environment  throughout the year.

The Viessmann solution

In keeping with the project’s environmentally conscious  vision, facility designers selected energy  efficient and eco-friendly hydronic heating solutions  for the CGC's space heating and domestic hot water  (DHW) needs. Primary heating for the CGC and  neighbouring buildings in the complex is provided by  three Viessmann gas-fired boilers: one Vitocrossal  300 condensing boiler and two Vitorond 200 boilers  in a cascade sytem.

Installation details

Water for space heating is distributed though a  variety of specialized radiator designs and a modular,  in-floor radiant heating system. An array of six  Vitosol 200-F solar thermal collectors provides supplementary heating for up to 50% of the  building's DHW supply. A heat recovery system recirculates  heat that would otherwise be lost in cold weather.

The results

Evergreen Brick Works demonstrates how high-efficiency fossil fuel and renewable energy systems  can be integrated with green building technology to dramatically minimize CO2 emmissions, conserve  energy and reduce heating costs.

Since its inception, the project has won numerous  awards and received international recognition for  its achievements in promoting urban sustainability strategies, responsible energy use and innovative environmental solutions.

Project details