Edmonton’s McKernan Community Centre held its grand opening on Sunday, February 23. Over 140 families celebrated alongside government officials and community groups at the re-opening of the facility, which underwent significant reconstruction to address health and accessibility issues.
Tang Lee, the building’s architect and a professor at the University of Calgary, designed the Community Centre, incorporating sustainable technologies into its heating and ventilation systems to make them considerably more efficient and practical.
Using solar-heated air ducted inside under a solar metal roof, a concrete floor slab in the basement is heated to warm the entire building. The water supply is also preheated by solar power, while an earth tube around the facility draws in outside air, heating the air in the winter and cooling it in the summer. On opening day, with an outdoor temperature of -22°C, the solar roof discharged 38°C under the floor slab, creating warm radiant heat that was evenly distributed throughout the building.
On hand to help celebrate the opening were NDP Member of Parliament Linda Duncan and Counselor Ben Henderson, who visited the site several times during construction. Mr. Kevin Taft, former leader of the Alberta Liberal Party, also attended and was inspired to incorporate the sustainable features designed by Professor Lee into his own community.
Professor Lee has been designing solar heated buildings since 1975 and teaches a solar energy course in the Faculty of Environmental Design at the University of Calgary. To view Lee's Faculty profile and to learn more about his research, click here.
For the full article by Doug Johnson in the Edmonton Examiner, click here.
Image: EVDS PhD student Godo Stoyke and Professor Tang Lee at the McKernan Community League Centre opening.