RC109 NovDec 2023 - Magazine - Page 12
INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS
OH CANADA!
A look at global
infrastructure projects
being worked on by
Canadian firms
BOSTON, U.S.
BOSTON UNIVERSITY CENTRE
FOR COMPUTING & DATA SCIENCES
B
BOSTON
UNIVERSITY (BU) announced the opening of
its Center for Computing & Data Sciences (CCDS) in
June 2023 alongside its LEED Platinum designation.
At 19 storeys tall and 345,000 sq. ft., the building is
one of the largest in the University’s history. Entuitive
provided structural engineering services and building
envelope consultation on the project, with envelope
and façade design contributing directly to realizing
BU’s sustainability goals.
Built to be sustainable by design, the structure sits
atop an extensive network of subterranean geothermal
wells to provide heating and cooling. It also has a
state-of-the-art façade to turn heads just as much
as the building’s awe-inspiring architecture, featuring
counter-clockwise cantilevered levels every three
floors. Also, BU’s CCDS is not connected to any gas
line and is 100 per cent fossil fuel free.
“From the early stages of design and planning,
façade considerations such as exterior shading, glazing
selection, and detailed thermal performance metrics
played a key role in the building’s overall performance,”
says Chris Van Dongen, associate, Building Envelope,
Entuitive. “As the building envelope consultants on the
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project, Entuitive’s collaboration on the façade design
directly contributed to reduction in mechanical system
requirements and energy demand.”
Some project specific services included:
Optimizing façade detailing for constructability and
performance, including the complex integration of
exterior shading elements into a unitized curtain wall
façade.
Evaluating glazing performance metrics to deliver
required thermal performance while optimizing
daylighting and solar heat gain.
Delivery of detailed thermal performance analysis
to optimize curtain wall layouts (opaque-to-vision)
and to maximize thermal performance of system
detailing.
Extensive performance mockup and site testing for
façade and roofing systems, including participation
in enclosure verification, testing and commissioning
process.
The sustainability efforts of the building were
designed to align with the University’s broader Climate
Action Plan, which aims to make BU net-carbon
neutral by 2040.
RENEWCANADA.NET
