La TOHU's Pavilion: An architecture in harmony with nature and the environment
Visiting the LaTOHU's Pavilion means entering a universe where environmental concern permeates every space and every experience. In fact, the Pavilion is "green" not only in spirit but in body. Many of the concepts put forth raise awareness and inform visitors about the principles, values and specific applications of creating durable buildings.
Construction team
- Architects – Consortium: Schème Consultants inc., Jodoin Lamarre Pratte et associés architectes, L’Architecte Jacques Plante
- Staging-desing: Trizart Alliance
- Acoustics: Octave Acoustique
- Construction management: Construction Vergo inc.
- Museology: Daniel Castonguay
- Treatment of soils: Solrol
- Engineers – mecanic and electric: Martin Roy et associés Groupe Conseil inc.
- Engineers – structure: Martoni, Cyr et associés inc.
- Civil Engineers: Vinci Consultants inc.
Special thanks to the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications du Québec, the City of Montréal and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Green Municipal Fund for their contribution.
A matter of "LEED"ership!
Being so focused on using ecological construction methods has had its rewards and La TOHU has been awarded the "gold" level in the international LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certificate program. This program imposes the strictest standards of environmental respect, not only during construction, but also in the management of the completed building. The principles and practices that we put into effect won us this honour, making the Pavilion one of the first projects in Eastern Canada to achieve such a high level of ecological performance.
© Alex Legault
Green roofs
Gardens were set up on two roofs of la TOHU. In order to facilitate the growth of these green roofs, the plant selection and arrangements were decided by taking account of various elements of the site that will promote their expansion: wind, rain, snow, temperature, exposure to the sun, etc. This pilot project in urban environment of the City of Montreal is studied by professionals and is seen as a promising sustainable development tool.
© Ville de Montréal
Ecological heating
One of the ways that durable development was put into effect at the Pavilion came from an agreement with Gazmont, a business right next door to La TOHU. Gazmont converts biogas from an excavation site at the Saint-Michel environmental Complex into energy. The combustion of biogas makes water boil; this produces steam which then turns a turbine... electricity is created!
A portion of the hot water produced in the machinery's cooling process is routed to the La TOHU's Pavilion and circulates through a network of ducts throughout the floor of the building.
This energy, also called co-generating, does not emit any greenhouse effect gases and saves 20 % to 35 % compared to the cost of a conventional heating system.
© Alex Legault
Natural / Hybrid ventilation
Natural / hybrid ventilation consumes 70 % less energy than traditional ventilation systems. This system uses the funnel effect of the performance hall which is 23 meters high, to evacuate the hot air. The air injected at low velocity to the hall warms up gradually, goes up and exits through the evacuation chimney located on the roof.
© Ville de Montréal
Natural basin
A natural basin with aquatic plants bordering the building receives and retains rainwater, which gradually flows into the Ville de Montreal rain sewers. Thanks to this basin, La TOHU eliminates the need to construct a traditional underground retention system of massive concrete ducts.
© Alain Laforest
Recycled architectural elements
The main stairway is adorned with recycled pieces from an old La Ronde bumper-car ride that have been transformed into a ramp. Recycled metal beams from Angus factories are also integrated into the structure of the Pavilion. The wood of the terraces comes from the CN railroads, which was decontaminated and painted. Finally, the external wall of La TOHU is made of fibrocement, a mix of cement and wood.
These objects, prominently displayed in the reception hall, symbolize the metropolitan industrial heritage.
© www.jeromedube.com
Interactive screen
La TOHU owns a unique educational tool : a giant interactive screen. Movement detectors allow visitors to navigate through various virtual environments simply by moving their hand in front of the screen. At La TOHU, the interactive screen is a window looking into the history of the Saint-Michel Environmental Complex; the organizations that inhabit La TOHU; and the Saint-Michel community.
© Alex Legault
Ice bunker
To regulate temperatures in its hall during the summer season, La TOHU turns to an "ice bunker" that visitors may observe through a window on the floor of the reception area. The ice bunker acts as an alternative to conventional air-conditioning systems and is used to keep the performance hall cold. A liquid, kept below the freezing point (an antifreeze called glycol), travels through tubes in the bunker, slowly transforming the water inside to ice. This way, a cooling capacity is stored over an extended period of time to be used during shows. By spreading demand over many hours, the process requires very little energy overall. This energy is renewable and do not emit greenhouse effect gases. Moreover, the cooling machines use HCF (refrigerating gas) gas which does not contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer, instead of the traditional CFC.
© www.jeromedube.com
Geothermia
The principle of geothermia is based on the simple fact that the temperature under ground is different from the air on the surface: the summer, the air is cooler and in the winter, it is hotter there. In 2007, la TOHU dug five 325 feet geothermic pumps. There, the temperature is always around 50 Fahrenheit degrees. In summer, the system is in air-conditioning mode: the geothermic pump absorbs the interior heat of the building and sends it 325 feets under ground, where the air is naturally cooler. There, it circulates in a closed loop and, once cooled, returns to the building. In winter, since the air is hotter under ground than outside, the same process is applied to heat the air before it circulates in the building. This way, the temperature can be changed of 7 to 8 Fahrenheit degrees in La TOHU building. This system is particularly successful because, for every used electric kilowatt, it produces 3 to 3,5 kw.
The realization of this geothermal system was made possible thanks to a contribution of :
Guided tours of La TOHU and the Saint-Michel Environmental Complex
Green Pavilion