Located on a narrow 15-meter-wide plot, the Edge office building rises ten stories high and currently features the largest solar wall facade in Canada. Its facade is equipped with 560 photovoltaic panels that generate approximately 80% of the building’s electricity needs. Additionally, the building is connected to the local urban power grid, allowing it to feed excess electricity back into the system.
The design incorporates two types of insulated glass systems: triple-layer and quadruple-layer glazing. North-facing windows allow ample daylight to illuminate the interior during daytime hours without requiring external louvers, as they are shielded from the intense summer heat. At the rear, the building features a thermally insulated balcony and sunshade to better manage solar exposure.
The building dedicates seven floors to educational infrastructure, while two floors are allocated for private office spaces. The ground floor features an open hall that seamlessly integrates indoor and outdoor environments. Users can access the building’s 18 underground parking spaces via an adjacent apartment, eliminating the need for ramps at ground level.
The solar facade wall system in the office building represents a sustainable design prototype. In comparison to a nearby renovated warehouse, also designed by Dub Architects, which is expected to remain unchanged for the next 50 years, the solar facade offers a much shorter investment payback period of 5 to 8 years. Furthermore, this solar design helps reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 26 tons annually.
The office’s interior features an open-plan layout with a minimalist design, helping to keep construction costs reasonable. The architect incorporated heat pumps and lighting fixtures into the exposed ceiling design, facilitating easy cleaning and maintenance. Ventilation ducts run along exposed beams, while electrical conduits are embedded within the concrete flooring.
Technical Drawings
Project Information
Architectural Design: Dub Architects
Area: 5250 m²
Project Year: 2019
Photographer: Doublespace Photography, Younes Bounhar
Manufacturers: Toto, Allwest Furnishings, American Standard, Cascade Building Supplies, Christensen & McLean Roofing, DIRTT Modular Wall System, Eaton Halo, Envision Building Innovations, Halfen HIT, JA Solar, LumenWerx Via 2 Direct, SkyFire Energy, Teknion, thyssenkrupp
Chief Architect: Gene Dub
Design Team: Walter Di Tommaso, Norman Kloever, Stephen Smolski
Electrical Engineer: Design North Landscape Architecture
Structural Engineer: T.C. Biggs Construction
Mechanical and Electrical Engineer: Vital Engineering
Landscape Design: TWS Engineering
Municipal Engineer: Read Jones Christoffersen
City: Edmonton
Country: Canada
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