University of Northern British Columbia’s Wood Innovation Research Laboratory will soon be the first certified Passive House higher education building in Canada – a particularly impressive feat due to the cold climate in Prince George. The facility features a wood structure and has been conceived as a modest building inspired by passive design principles and wood innovation.

The laboratory responds to and compliments its surrounding building forms, orienting itself in response to the urban landscape. The south side of the building is a source of heat, views, and natural light for the office and seminar spaces within the building, with the windows of the facility being shaded by external devices to reduce unwanted solar gain. It’s also where outdoor air for the building will be drawn from, with the future park providing higher air quality than the road and laneway to the north and east.

Because the lab is designed to meet Passive House standards, it will use very little energy for heating while at the same time providing healthy amounts of outdoor air for ventilation. Students will have a beautiful, modern facility for research on new uses for wood, creating new jobs and markets in the forestry industry and help British Columbia secure a sustainable future.

Editor’s note:
Watch the video on Stantec’s website.