Stratford Emergency Services Facility

About this Project

Working with the Town of Stratford’s sustainable initiatives, the newly built Stratford Emergency Service Centre was designed to be as energy-efficient and eco-effective as financially possible.  

The building’s shape and location not only address the immediate need in providing emergency vehicles with direct access to the surrounding roads, it was also designed to take full advantage of the passive and active solar gain to the south. Glazed garage doors on the south side of the apparatus bays provide ample natural light and passive solar gain during the winter months. The sun penetrates deep into the space, heating the air and the exposed concrete slab as a heat-sink. Building Integrated PhotoVoltaics (BIPV’s) as Solar Panel shades have been planned into the design for future installation that will provide shading above these glazed doors during the summer months. Large south / southwest facing windows onto the second-floor event space, lobby and large meeting rooms provide for increased views, natural light, and passive solar gain.  Shade fins have also been worked into the façade for further protection from the south and westly summer sun. The expansive roof above the apparatus bay has also been designed to support a future installation of a 100kw solar panel array. This will help lower the buildings overall energy consumption, bringing it closer to a net zero build. 

The building envelope was designed and tested to be as energy efficient possible. It comprises of effective R-values of R40 for the walls, R50 for the roof, R10 under slab, and fibreglass window units throughout.   The building underwent a full air-barrier testing process that helped isolate areas of potential air-leakage for correction and surpassed the desired specifications during final testing. The envelope, structure and systems were also been designed as a ‘post-disaster’ building to help protect it during extreme weather events, so it can continue to operate when we need it most. 

The 29,000 sq.ft. building is fully heated and cooled with use of a geothermal ground-source heat-pump system.  Heat is extracted and deposited into the ground through 52 vertical wells on the north side of the apparatus bay. The building’s ventilation system is equipped with Energy Recovery Ventilators for the distribution of energy-efficient pre-conditioned fresh-air. Low-flow toilets, facets and adjustable LED lighting was used throughout the interior and exterior of the building to help lower its overall energy and water use. Interior millwork, paint, and wall finishes where specified with low-to-no VOC contain for improved indoor air-quality, while most of the flooring is recyclable or contains recyclable materials.

These many sustainable design features have helped to make the Stratford Emergency Service Centre one of the most energy efficient and eco-friendly public buildings in the Town of Stratford and Province of PEI.

Social / Community Impact

State of the art Emergency Services and Operation Centre.

Environmental Impact

Energy efficient design features and ready for future PhotoVoltaic panels.