Most paramedic stations are utilitarian facilities that bustle 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with ongoing activity. Departing from the norm was a key concept for the design team at KMA Architects who wanted to create a building that reflected a duel-type night & day personality
Peel Regional Paramedic Service Station
Year: 2016
Location: Peel, Ontario
2016 CanSIA Project of the year
A key component of the both the architectural façades and the mechanical ventilation system is the SolarWall® air heating technology. It is building integrated into three exterior façades and it preheats incoming make-up for the facility. This is the second SolarWall® project for KMA Architects and it was the winner of the 2016 Solar Thermal Project of the Year Award from the Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA).
Background
Peel Region Paramedics Services Reporting Station No. 6 is a new facility servicing the growing region outside the City of Toronto. The building includes a vehicle bay for up to 20 ambulances, administration offices, training facilities, cafeteria, a work-out room and a landscaped courtyard with water and vegetation to provide a place of relaxation in a stressful environment. As an emergency services facility, No. 6 is operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.
Solution
The SolarWall® air heating technology was specified to preheat the incoming ventilation air for the building. In total, 5,200 ft2 (490 m2) of black SolarWall systems were installed on three walls, including the vehicle bay and the courtyard wall. Collectively the systems heat 20,000 cfm of air. “The integration of SolarWall into a complex façade, such as the courtyard of the R#6 project, or into a simplified façade like that one on the Vehicle Bay, is an indication of the versatility and adaptability of the product. Detailing is no more difficult than with any metal siding product and the benefits are extraordinary, given the straight forward detailing of the installation and operational ideals presented by the SolarWall [technology]. The assimilation of the SolarWall façade within the architectural language of the project is a welcome relief to other solar technologies that tend to overwhelm the design and budget constraints that most projects need to respect. And given that we must provide a skin to the exterior wall assembly, the fact that SolarWall provides a “working” skin, makes this choice an easy and responsible decision.” –Carol Kleinfeldt, Principal, KMA Architects
Peel Regional Paramedics Service Station(PDF)
