New Faculty of Management Centre demonstrates sustainable design

Malaspina University-College's new Faculty of Management Centre is good for business and the environment.

Ric Kelm, Director of Facilities and Campus Development, said the high tech facility “is the most environmentally-friendly and technologically advanced building on the Nanaimo campus.”

The 36,000 square-foot building, which opened December 6, includes energy efficient lighting, heating, air conditioning, water and ventilation systems, and many other environmentally-friendly design and operational features.

The new building is so unique that Malaspina is applying for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification, which certifies sustainable building features, systems, materials and design.

“This is a Malaspina first,” said Kelm. “The choice to participate in this process means the four-storey building had to be designed and operated with energy and environmental elements in mind.”

Kelm said washroom fixtures in the new Centre will reduce water consumption by over one million litres of water per year – a reduction of more than 40 percent - compared to a building of conventional design.

“The building’s electrical consumption will also be 31 percent more efficient than a conventional building design,” he added. “That’s over 356,600 kilowatt hours of electricity - enough power to run over 40 households per year.”

Natural gas consumption will be 38 percent more efficient. That equates to 339,800 kilowatt hours worth of natural gas, or enough energy to power another 38 homes.

Kelm said during the construction phase of the new Centre (including demolition of the old building), over 75 percent of construction waste was recycled or salvaged and diverted from the Nanaimo landfill. Materials used during construction were chosen for their high recycled content, low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions and local availability.

Lighting systems in the Centre were also designed with conservation in mind. Lights will turn off automatically when a room is empty, Kelm said, and access to natural daylight and views have been incorporated in more than 80 percent of the building’s spaces. “We’ve installed windows that open because the theory is that access to fresh air is good for the health of employees, and therefore reduces sick time,” Kelm added.

Building designers also incorporated new options for how Malaspina recycles and removes waste from the Centre. “The Faculty of Management Centre is Malaspina’s first facility to introduce organic waste recycling,” Kelm said. “Organic collection bins are located in each kitchenette on the third and fourth floors.”

Paper recycling bins have been placed in each office, classroom and general areas with main recycling stations located on each floor. “Garbage cans are smaller because we want students and faculty to think carefully about what they throw away,” Kelm added.

Change rooms and showers are also available to encourage students, staff and faculty to use alternative forms of transportation to and from the campus. Bike racks and lockers will be installed close to the new building, and a bus stop is in close proximity, Kelm said.

“The goal from the beginning was to construct a facility that minimizes the environmental footprint,” said Kelm. “It’s Malaspina’s way of showing leadership and setting an example in the region we serve. In this day and age, anything you can do to protect the environment during the design/construction and operational phase of a building makes good business sense. It’s good for employees and students.”

The Faculty of Management Centre will house 1,100 students and their faculties in Accounting, Economics, E-management, Financial Services, Hospitality Management, Human Resource Management, International Business Management, Marketing, Masters of Business Administration and Recreation and Tourism Management, providing a common home for diploma, undergraduate and graduate studies. The Centre will also allow development in international and domestic undergraduate and graduate programming and research.

Windley Contracting Ltd. of Nanaimo, the design/build contractor for the new Centre, brought together a team of designers, subcontractors, and suppliers predominately from Nanaimo and the surrounding region. The Province of BC contributed $7-million towards the project, while Malaspina's investment was $2-million.