The $29-million building is one of the most environmentally progressive structures built by the Government of Canada.

The facility, designed by the architectural team of HOK and Bergmark Guimond Hammarlund Jones, is a flagship project for new national initiatives to create sustainable designs, supportive work environments and workplace connectivity. It has the potential to achieve a LEED Platinum rating and is on track for Gold.

Through a collaborative process initiated early, the project team developed sustainable solutions designed to function as true systems rather than as amalgamated components. The integrated team comprised consultants from architecture; interior design; structural, mechanical and electrical engineering; landscape design; and commissioning. The client team included a project manager, architect, interior designers, discipline engineers, commissioning agent, and operations representatives.

Located in an underused "gateway" to downtown Charlottetown, the site offers the potential to revive a neglected part of the city. The building, which will house offices for various federal government departments, is designed to serve as a public showcase for sustainable building technologies and to create both a landmark building and a model for urban revitalization within Charlottetown.

To reduce its visual impact on the surrounding urban fabric, the four-story, 186,260-square-foot building is articulated as two distinct components: an L-shaped north wing that defines the urban street edge and a south wing that accommodates a sun-filled urban park. All elevations reflect and reinforce the surrounding streetscape. A three-story glazed bay at the building's north corner, for example, echoes one of the city's major gateway intersections. Regional red brick on the north wing and Wallace sandstone on the south create visual links to the area's historic architecture.

Massing and orientation are designed to optimize access to natural light, solar energy, and natural ventilation. The south wing, with its large areas of glazing, is skewed 45 degrees off the city's diagonal grid to take advantage of the higher sun angle in the south and to maximize exposure for daylighting and a roof-top solar array. Massing of the two wings also creates a central 3-story atrium, providing additional daylighting and natural ventilation. In-floor venting will carry stale air to the atrium, where it will then be released through the roof using natural convection currents.

Source: "Canada Sets New Sustainability Standard," Environmental Design + Construction, October 2006. Read the story.