TELUS Spark
TELUS SPARK
DIALOG
MANUFACTURERS
Kingspan Insulated Panels
MECHANICAL
DIALOG
ELECTRICAL
Stebnicki Robertson
CIVIL
Morrison Hershfield
INTERIOR DESIGN
DIALOG + Kasian Architecture Interior Design & Planning
LANDSCAPE
O2 Planning + Design
STRUCTURAL
Stantec
DOME SUB CONSULTANTS
Kasian Architecture Interior Design & Planning
CATEGORY
Museum, science center
DOME SUBCONSULTANTS
Kasian Architecture Interior Design & Planning
Text description provided by architect.
One of the most challenging aspects of this 13,500 sq m project was to provide a facility that is memorable, youthfully exuberant and dynamic, both from a distance and up-close, within a limited budget.
To this end, the building was conceived as an exhibit platform where the usual boundaries of inside and outside are blurred and the building itself takes on new, colourful forms as exhibits come and go.
The building skin is layered. The envelope itself is simple; a neutral, high-performance building system that acts as the canvas for the exhibit platform.
The scrim, in front, is peeled away in different places around the building, revealing temporary exhibits, graphics and artwork.
When viewed from a distance it will provide a rich patina of colour and movement and when viewed up close a detailed framework of identifiable objects and images. Extensive energy modeling assisted in optimizing the building envelope and scrim.
Telus Spark is LEED® Gold Certified, and in keeping with the Science Centre’s core values, aims to educate and inform its visitors on the importance of protecting the earth.
Porous paving, bio-swales, on-site water retention/reuse and wetland areas are integrated with a high performance building envelope that uses solar shading, natural light and has a solar ready roof.
Rather than a typical, forced-air ventilation and cooling system, the building incorporates displacement ventilation and radiant panels to distribute fresh air and highly effective heating and cooling for visitor comfort.
