Madoc Performing Arts Centre
Madoc Performing Arts Centre
Project Details
Project Name: Madoc Performing Arts Centre
Location: Durham St. & Livingston Rd., Madoc, Ontario
Year Completed: 2008
Program and Context:
Project Type: Performing Arts Centre (Assembly Occupancy)
Project Site: Previously Undeveloped Land
Physical Context: Rural
Other Building Description: New
Statistics
Site Area: Approx. 54,000 SF [5,015.82 m2 ]
Building Gross Floor Area: 2000 SF [193 m2 ]
Energy Intensity = Designed for net zero energy consumption
Executive Summary
The Madoc Performing Arts Centre is a 2,000 SF public events building located in the small community of Madoc, Ontario. The project objective from the start was to create a structure that reduced immediate and future impact on the environment by using locally sourced and low processed materials and systems, while enhancing the social and cultural fabric of the town. The The Madoc Performing Arts Centre employs many sustainable building methods, and makes use of non-toxic, low-embodied energy materials like hemp straw bales, milk paints, and local earthen plasters. The completed project represents a significant advance in structural and natural building technologies in Canada, and serves as a best practice example for Southern Ontario. The project considers aspects of sustainable design that go beyond the current criteria for LEED platinum, and it represents the best available choices for building materials in our northern climate.
Madoc Performing Arts Centre
1. Strategic Decisions
The octagonal-shaped Arts Centre will be a central gathering place for the people of Madoc who will not only enjoy the Centre as patrons, but were included in many aspects of the design and erection of the building. The Centre includes an indoor performance area with seating capacity for up to ninety people; a canteen; washrooms; a green room and a storage/utility room. There is also an outdoor theatre under a living roof with festival seating capacity for up to four hundred people.
Core fossil-fuel-free energy systems featured in the project include a rainwater collection system that provides flushing water for toilets, a SOLAR fresh air ventilation system , and a geothermal heating and cooling system with electricity generated through a GRID TIED photovoltaic power system.
Technical Excellence and Innovation: Firsts for Canada
Specific technical achievements for this project include a number of Canadian firsts; the first use of plastered round straw-bale STRUCTURAL columns, [NOT the first nonresidential use of] compressed earth bag foundations, the first use of HEMPCRETE foundations, and the first use of gerber girder style timber framing with wood peg joinery. This project has received an award from the Consulting Engineers of Ontario for these innovations. The building was built by the Fleming College Sustainable Building class, who will also introduce these technologies into Canadian construction.
2. Community
The Madoc Performing Arts Centre is an addition to the already existing Centre Hastings Skate Park. The park is the focal point of the community and is the result of the town’s fundraising, charitable work and contributions. The park features an extensive playground, a splash pad, bunny park, skate park, picnic area, tensile shaded structure, 2 strawbale canteen washrooms, a timber framed tourist building, and now the performing arts centre. Apart from the town churches, this centre is the only place where the members of the town can come and congregate for a myriad of functions and events.
It is located directly off of highway 62, north of Bellville, Ontario, which is the main road that runs through the town, making it easily accessible to all and on average the shortest overall possible distance for driving. The buss terminal is directily across the street from the centre. Within the park, there are two free parking lots.
The intention of the building is to provide an interior performance and workshop space that can seat up to 90 people as well as create a raised outdoor performance stage under a large front porch roof with festival seating capacity for up to four hundred people. The building is barrier free and fully handicapped assessable.
As the building was created as part of the Fleming College Sustainable Building and Design and Construction course (2008), the community only needed to pay for the materials. All of the labour was provided for free by the students as part of their training. Thus the final cost to the community was half that of a typical building – and it was entirely sustainable.
The students hosted weekly tours for members of the community who had questions and special interest in the construction of the building, as well as visitors from various places in Canada who had heard about the project. Progress of the building was tracked by the local paper and radio station.
3. Site Ecology
In preparation for the site, no harm or disruption to ecology or natural habitat was necessary. The location chosen for the building was directly over an old baseball diamond which was no longer in use. Upon excavation for the foundation, the ground beneath the park was found to be high in clay content, which ultimately was recycled directly back into the building as the main ingredient of the earthen plaster. This was used to seal and create the exterior layer of the bales. Also, as means of recycling, the foundation resting on the rubble trench was created with earth bags, which were also filled and tamped with a soil combination obtained from site excavation. This eliminated the need for extra labour and the embodied energy of outside materials to be shipped and delivered.
In order to encourage local insect wildlife to play a role in the building, a living roof of approx. 74 m2 was built on top of the outdoor stage area roof of the main porch. This roof consisted of a soil medium that was made from recycled crushed brick and compost. The vegetation was planned such that only native species were involved, eliminating the need for any watering and maintenance that is typical with most current living roofs where they feature plants such as non-native sedums.
The future benefits of the site’s ecology in comparison to a conventional building were the highest in consideration on this project. During the course of the buildings life, there will be a 0% of toxic chemicals leeching from the building in the ground or water stream, or carbon emissions created from energy that is not renewable. Most importantly, when the building’s lifetime has expired in the distant future, a majority of the materials used can either be safely returned into the ground, or have been designed to be removed and recycled for life is cyclical in nature, such as aluminum, for future production and reproduction.
4. Light and Air
In order to provide maximum lighting in the space without the use of supplementary light in the daytime, 8 windows throughout the main octagon assembly space were placed evenly along the perimeter of the large interior space as well as and three large Solatube skylights. This completely eliminated the need for artificial lighting during the daytime. The lighting for installed into this main space consisted of 10 Par 38 warm white screw base retrofits, with 5W consumption, and 16 Par 30 warm white screw base retrofits, with 3W consumption.
For the other three side wings of the building, which include a greenroom, storage room and facilities, 9 x 9W and 2 x 26W compact fluorescent lights were used. The lights in the bathroom were on Sensors, and the other areas received relatively low overall traffic and usage. If all lights were operating at any given moment, only 1.36W/ m2 would be consumed for lighting power.
For emergency lighting systems, a conventional battery backup low voltage system was used, consisting of a battery pack large enough to accommodate six individual heads.
Outdoor lighting included three (3) solar powered motion sensor security lights, and seven (7) par 38 cool white screw base retrofits, with 5W consumption. Power from phantom loads such as exit signs was saved using Lumonall, which is a photo-luminescent material used for emergency egress signage. It requires no wiring, bulbs or electricity to operate, thus reducing manufacturing waste, pollution due to manufacturing and distribution, and saves valuable energy.
Energy savings in the bathroom included using LEED approved & GreenSpec listed, GXT ExtremeAir. This product has automatic sensors and uses 88% less energy than a conventional hand dryer.
For ventilation, 88% of the building was within seven (7) metres access to an operable window. The remaining 12% is allocated in places such as the storage room, mechanical room and a bathrooms were mechanical ventilation is required regardless. 100% of the main space is within seven (7) metres of access to an operable window.
A solar hot air panel was installed for renewably heated VENTILATION AIR in the winter. Solar powered ventilation units were installed in THE GREEN ROOM AND THE STORAGE ROOM, capable of functioning WITH very low amounts of sunlight.
5. Water Conservation
In total, as an Assembly Occupancy for 90 interior seats, three (3) toilets were required and all were ultra-low flow from the TOTO company. The water used to provide water for flushing is collected from the recycled metal roof into a rain water collection tank under ground. The sinks in these washrooms were equipped with automatic sensors, which also aid in saving a considerable amount of water. There are washroom canteens very close by in the park were already hooked up to watery supply, so continued conduit was received from there. It was decided not to use a whole water filtration system for a few sinks that didn’t require large amounts of water beyond simple hand washing, as it didn’t make very much sense economically or ecologically.
6. Energy Present and Future
The main source of electrical power for the building are PV panels that are located on the site, beside the building rather than on top of it. On the ground, the panels were carefully oriented in the direction of solar south. The PV system is tied to the electrical grid through the Ontario Standard Offer contract. The municipality paid for all power generated by the PV systems at a rate of 42 cents per kilowatt hour. Designed to have net zero electrical consumption, the Building should provide the municipality with a small net income from the difference in price.
The heating and cooling of the building is accomplished using a ground source heat pump supplying a hydronic radiant in-floor system. The pump is the only component which consumes power in the system, and in comparison to any conventional heating and cooling system, it requires significantly less power output.
Ultimately, the building is free of fossil fuels and polluting emissions and has a net zero energy factor. Because it is currently connected to the grid, electrical reconfiguration would have to be put in place to accommodate a battery bank in the case of total fossil fuel depletion or major grid failures in the future. However, in such a case, it would be capable of sustaining itself in terms of power production.
7. Materials and Resources
The building is supported structurally with round strawbale stacked columns, supported on an earth bag foundation, and standard FSC certified wood framing in-between the columns with an octagonal box beam ‘ring’ to tie it together at the top. A truss based roofing system is used with steel sheathing which comes from an 80% recycled source.
The framework for windows and doors was a standard stick frame, with rectangular hemp straw bale infill, which was provided by a local hemp farmer.
Structural Systems
Structural systems include simple, hand-buildable solutions such as earth plastered straw bale walls and columns, compressed earth bag foundations, lime hempcrete foundations, shallow frost protected rubble trench foundations, and locally sourced timber framing with wood peg joinery.
Level of Difficulty
Supported by testing programs at Queen's University, and on-site load tests, we went to extra lengths to establish information for systems not specifically covered in the building code and the level of research went far beyond a typical design. Innovations include:
- the formulation of new structural design methods for unconventional systems and materials
- the creation of custom details for the connection of different technologies to one another
- verification of the design through the specification of stiffness and strength for unconventional materials such as hempcrete and earthbag
- the creation of transfer mechanisms in the structure above to relieve overturning loads from the foundation below
- the use of metal roofing itself as the roof diaphragm, without plywood sheathing
- the use of capacity design principles (per the new requirements of OBC 2006) for seismic design, including unconventional technologies which involved an investigation into the dynamic behaviour of each element, and the selection of an appropriate over-strength factor for each element
- the elimination of hold downs for shear walls by reinforcing walls around openings and tying into weight of the bale columns
- the means and methods for a rammed earth slab
Hemp Straw Bales
The building sits on eight load-bearing columns made of large, round, straw bales. These 4×4 foot round bales are very tightly compacted and stacked three high. They make for stable and strong columns that can hold up to 30,000 lbs. The straight wall sections between the round bales are infilled with regular, rectangular hemp-straw bales. Hemp was preferred as it is a stronger, more durable fibre than any other type of straw. Clay plastered straw bale walls are one of the most environmentally friendly building systems available. The combination of locally-grown, minimally-processed straw and locally harvested clay means that the embodied energy in the wall system is a tiny fraction of any other wall system. Combined with excellent thermal performance over the lifetime of the building, this system saves energy in every possible way, and is comparable in time and cost to most conventional building systems.
Hempcrete
Hempcrete was used for grade beams as opposed to standard concrete. Hempcrete is a mixture of chopped hemp, hydrated lime and a small amount of either portland cement or quick-set gypsum. A reaction between the lime and the hemp results in a lightweight material that has reasonable compressive strength. The advantage of hempcrete over regular cement is that the hempcrete is both structural and insulating, so both ends are achieved in the same pour. It is also lower in embodied energy. The disadvantages are a longer set time (2-4 weeks) and lower strengths. However, where the high ultimate strength of concrete is not necessary, this option works well.
Earthbag
Earthbag building is a modern adaptation that combines the traditional technique of rammed earth in conjunction with high-tech woven polypropylene bags and tubes that act as a flexible form to contain the earth.
The main octagonal space at the Arts Centre is supported by Earthbag grade beams. The Earthbag tubes are filled with a site soil mixture of gravel, sand, silt and clay and then compacted firmly. Barbed wire is run between each course of earthbag to prevent slippage.
Energy Systems
The building uses available technologies to drastically reduce its resource consumption and waste production. Technologies include a geo-thermal heating and cooling system that allows the building to maintain a comfortable temperature year round without relying on fossil fuels; PV panels that provide electrical power; solar ventilation systems that provides the building with prewarmed fresh air; and a rainwater collection system that provides flushing water for the toilets. The Centre is in effect a living, breathing structure.
For insulation and added strength, rectangular hemp bales (which were provided by a local hemp farmer) were fit between the frame work. The straw/hemp bale walls have a thickness of 21” providing a superior R value of +R35, thus enhancing the energy conserving abilities of the exterior walls. These were plastered with an earthen plaster which act as a sealant as well as added superior lateral structural strength. For its exceptional structural and insulative properties, this method of building uses the lowest embodied energy of any other currently known. It is also comparable in time and cost to most conventional building systems. The hemp that was used in creating the hempcrete was from a local hemp farmer and was used for the hempcrete foundation and hembcrete wall insulation on the canteen wing. Insulation in the green room is a light clay/straw infull, and the storage room uses recycled denim batt insulation. Cellulose insulation was blown into the ceiling space.
Sustainable Features
In order to create an un-permeable layer surrounding the rubble of the trench below the foundation, re-cycled/reclaimed carpet was used from local landfills. All wood and lumber used during the building process was FSC certified, including the roof trusses, plywood and interior bamboo flooring.
The ‘lumber’ used for the exterior front stage under the porch was manufactured using 100% recycled plastics. The edge of the stage was finished with a sinuous curving 2’ high dry stone stacked wall.
Finishes
Off-gassing and VOC’s in new buildings caused by synthetic chemical compounds used in things such as paints and lacquers, vinyl materials and furnishings, etc are a major concern with poor air quality. As the performance arts centre used only natural material without chemical alteration, off-gassing due to volatile organic compounds was non-existent. In addition, clay minerals in the plaster finishes are known to have an ion exchange capacity, enabling them to absorb ions for cations or anions, in turn creating healthier air and energy in whatever environment they occupy.
To create the finished skin layer on the strawbale biofibre insulation,( which also provides significant structural benefit), a one (1) inch thickness, comprising of three (3) layers of earthen plaster on the interior and exterior walls was applied and then was air dried to cure. The plaster on the interior was enhanced with added straw to create a bit of a texture to the natural clay colour. This plaster was then not painted, but sealed with a 3 coats of linseed oil.
Interior wood cedar vertical board siding was finished with a natural clear coat stain and the edges were trimmed with a natural jute rope. The exterior plaster walls where also painted with a natural white milk paint and the exterior walls where clad in vertical wood board and batten, stained with a dark blue milk paint as well.
Canvas was used for the ceiling secured with wood batten painted with milk paints. The finished floor in one wing of the building (12%) of the building, as well as a two and a half foot high wainscoting throughout the main space was created using compressed earth blocks, which were a product of the material from excavation and compressed with a specialized hydraulic press brought on-site for immediate use.
Ceramic mosaic tile was used for the baseboards and a very beautiful artistic broken mosaic tile feature was used in the staff washroom sink backsplash and mirror surround.
Compressed clay with a black natural pigment was used for the countertop and desk in the reception/office room. The clay top was carefully hand compressed with 14 layers of linseed oil between each press. A mosaic tile was used for the return edge.
During construction of the building approximately 85% of the waste produced on-site was diverted from landfill and either recycled or re-used. We are also proud to say that 90% of the building materials were sourced and shipped from a 80km radius of the building location.
8. Life Cycle Considerations
With proper care and maintenance, the oldest bale houses currently are standing with over a 100 years of service. The number of years of service required by the Madoc Performing Arts Centre are undetermined, and completely dependant on the town’s development and growth. However, because the space is an open design with no partitions throughout the major part of the space its adaptability is vast, should the function of the building change.
Because the heating and cooling is determined by the temperature of the ground below 4 feet (which is always constant), and not by the current supply of oil, natural gas or cost of power, there is little threat of it becoming inhabitable due to extreme temperature rise and falls throughout the season.
The building consists of no materials that are not capable of returning safely back into the earth (such as the earth bags, earth floor, strawbale, etc.) unless they are products used from a recycled source and ready to be demounted and sent back for recycling once again, or resold and reused.
9. Education and Information Sharing
This building was part of the Fleming College's Sustainable Building Design and Construction course (2008). This course trains +2 dozen students each year how to conceive and construct buildings using materials and methods with the least possible environmental impact. They develop strategies to design and build beautiful, healthy, and ecologically sound homes and public buildings. The buildings mix low impact, low technology materials with high-tech mechanical and energy systems. Previous projects have included a thrift store, a food bank and a classroom. Every participant in the construction of the performing arts centre has been a receptacle of knowledge for sustainable construction and has become a conduit for further expansion of the knowledge they’ve obtained throughout the course. Whether it’s through family members, friends, current employers or future work endeavors, the education received throughout the building course becomes a form of paradigm shift reality that is very contagious and which the students pass on with great enthusiasm and passion. The course is extremely popular and the waiting lists to get in get longer each year.
During construction, the Fleming students invite the public to come watch them build using sustainable methods. They also hosted free guided tours each Thursday at 5:30 pm.
Every year that the course has a graduating class, the more sustainable design and building advocates are introduced into the world who are able to give a first-hand account of the power and benefits that sustainability possesses as well as become potential natural builders to further build and promote future sustainable buildings.
The initiative to include this building into the LEED standard of buildings was discussed and considered. Though in the end, it was decided to not participate in the program for the following reasons;
- This 2000 SF building was designed as a teaching project for the Flemming College, Sustainable Design Program. There was a preliminary investigation to see if LEED certification would be possible.
- The costs to assess for LEED were estimated at $20 - $25,000.
- There would need to be a LEED certified consultant as well as other consultants to test the heating, ventilation, etc, at about $5 – 7,000 each, to see how the building’s components would meet the assessment criteria.
- As the City of Madoc, did not need a LEED certification for any marketing promotion, it was decided to not spend the extra money to go through this process.
- Additionally, the building has a number of unique sustainable components that in our opinion, goes further than a typical LEED project, which would not be able to be included. For example, LEED gives points for proximity to public transport, but has no criteria for the number of components that where chosen to be virtually fossil fuel free in it’s manufacturing or transportation (e.g. lowest embodied energy). Or points are credited for being energy efficient, but then no points are allowed for using local clay or no concrete for the floor.
- Also, it costs the same amount of money for a huge Walmart store to go through LEED certification as it does for a small building. There is no consideration for the size of project, or for small projects for that matter, to cost less to go through this process on a pro-rated scale.
As the Madoc Performing Arts Centre is a public building, it is open to the public during all performance events and is also available for free guided tours by appointment.
TEAM MEMBERS
Project
Name: Madoc Performing Arts Centre, Municipality of Centre Hastings
Address: Durham St. & Livingston Rd., Madoc, Ontario
Telephone: (613) 473-4030
General Contractor
Name: Fleming College Sustainable Design and Construction Program, Chris Magwood, Lead Instructor
Address: PO BOX 839, Halliburton ON K0M 1S0
Telephone: 705-457-1680
Email: cmagwood@flemingc.on.ca
Program & Building Design
Name: Chris Magwood
Address: 41 Edgewater Blvd., Peterborough, ON K9H 1A1
Telephone: 705-876-0569
Email: cmagwood@KOS.net
Website: www.chrismagwood.ca
Project Architect
Name: soma earth ARCHITECT, Ingrid Cryns, BES, B Arch, OAA
Address: 248 Benson Ave. , Toronto, Ontario, M6G 2J6
Telephone: 416-656-4444
Email: info@somaearth.com
Website: www.somaearth.com
Owner/Developer
Name: Municipality of Centre Hastings
Website: www.centrehastings.com
Structural Engineer
Name: Blackwell Bowick, Anthony Spic, P Eng.
Address: 19 Duncan St, suite 405, Toronto-ON
Telephone: 416 593 5300
Email: info@blackwellbowick.com
Other contributors
Name: Generation Solar
Address: 136 Maria St, Peterborough-ON
Telephone: 877 747 6527
Email: info@generationsolar.com
Name: Havencraft Natural Homes (Geothermal Design & Install)
Telephone: 613 332 5872
Email: info@havencraft.ca
Website: www.havencraft.ca
Photographer/Use of photos
Name: soma earth ARCHITECT, Ingrid Cryns, BES, B Arch, OAA
Telephone: 416-656-4444
Email: info@somaearth.com
Website: www.somaearth.com
and
Name: Chester Rennie
Telephone: 613-608-4647
Email: crennie@connect.carlton.ca