The C. K. Choi Building is an educational building on the campus of the University of British Columbia (UBC) known for its sustainable design features.[1][2][3] Named for businessman and philanthropist Dr. Cheung-Kok Choi,[4][5] the building houses UBC's Institute of Asian Research. The architecture of the building implements Asian motifs.[6][7][8][9]

C.K. Choi Building
C. K. Choi Building, street facade, c.2010
C. K. Choi Building is located in Canada
C. K. Choi Building
UBC Campus, Vancouver, BC, Canada
General information
TypeUniversity Office Building
Address1855 West Mall, UBC, Vancouver
CountryCanada
Coordinates49°16′02″N 123°15′30″W / 49.267132°N 123.258405°W / 49.267132; -123.258405
Current tenantsInstitute of Asian Research
Completed1996
OwnerUniversity of British Columbia
Technical details
Floor count3 storeys
Floor area34,400 sq.ft.
Design and construction
Architecture firmMatsuzaki Wright Architects
Website
www.iar.ubc.ca

Institute of Asian Research

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The Institute of Asian Research, headquartered in the C. K. Choi building, is a research institute founded in 1978 as a major Canadian research centre for Asia.

Design team

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C.K. Choi Memorial Bell at the building's south plaza
  • Architects + Sustainability: Matsuzaki Wright[7]
  • Landscape Architects: Cornelia Hahn Oberlander
  • Structural Engineers: Read Jones Christoffersen
  • Mechanical Engineers: Keen Engineering Co. Ltd. (now Stantec)
  • Electrical Engineers: Robert Freundlich & Associates Ltd.
  • Owner: University of British Columbia, Freda Pagani, Campus Planning and Development
  • Owner's Sustainability Advisor: Bob Berkebile, BNIM

Sustainable features

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West elevation and preserved stand of evergreen trees providing afternoon shade
 
Graywater trench around the building

The C. K. Choi building was designed to be sustainable and energy-efficient.[10][11] Its sustainable features include:

  • Location: built on an existing parking lot surrounded by large trees to reduce heat gain
  • Form: narrow profile to minimize site impact and provide natural light inside
  • Recycling: approximately 50% of building materials were recycled or re-used
  • Sanitation: composting toilets were initially used,[12] but were removed when the compost was found to be detrimental to the environment
  • Stormwater: the building's gutters collect water in a tank for irrigation purposes[13]
  • Energy: sensors turn off lights when not in use, heavy use of insulation preserves indoor temperature, steam vault utilizes waste heat
  • Finishes: most interior surfaces use minimal material, such as unpainted metal and a lack of suspended ceilings
  • Air quality: carpet adhesives and solvent finishes were not used in construction, to minimize air pollution
  • Ventilation: ventilation is non-mechanical and provides fresh air from windows
  • Heat: surplus heat radiating into the ground is collected and utilized
  • Electricity: uses only surplus electricity from adjacent buildings[8]
 
Exposed structure and minimal use of applied interior finishes can be seen

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ "UBC press release 1996-10-06". Archived from the original on 4 April 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
  2. ^ "Cascadia Building Council" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 October 2007. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
  3. ^ Cole and Steiger, p.7
  4. ^ IAR In Memoriam Archived 14 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "Community Leaders". Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  6. ^ "UBC Sustainability". Archived from the original on 14 November 2010. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  7. ^ a b "Eva Matsuzaki". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  8. ^ a b IAR History Archived 2 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ CascadiaBC Archived 6 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ Gudrun, Will. Retrieved online October 2010
  11. ^ C.K. Choi Building evaluation Archived 6 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ Clivus Multrum composting toilets
  13. ^ Seeds of Sustainability: B.C. Lower Mainland Buildings
  14. ^ a b "Green Value case studies" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  15. ^ "BOMA BC". Archived from the original on 29 November 2010. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  16. ^ University of Waterloo - case study
  17. ^ AIA/COTE top ten Earth Day Award 2000. Retrieved 2013-12-12
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