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Sunset Nursery and Operations Yard (2025)
Project Name
310 East 51st Ave, Vancouver, BC
Location
Industrial, Office Building
Type
Pro-Can Construction Group Corp.
Construction Company
Carscadden Stokes McDonald Architects Inc.
Architect
Design, Thermal Simulation, Shop drawings
Scope of Work
About Sunset Nursery Building
The Sunset Nursery, owned by the City of Vancouver since 1929, is a critical facility responsible for cultivating plants and flowers for use in Vancouver’s public parks and green spaces. Located at 310 East 51st Avenue in the Sunset neighbourhood, the new two-storey facility sits adjacent to the Sunset Community Centre. The project emphasizes sustainability and carbon-conscious construction. It is targeting both Passive House and LEED Gold certifications, with a strong focus on reducing embodied carbon. The building will support both nursery operations and administrative functions, representing a step forward in the City’s green infrastructure goals.
Project Challenges
⚠️ Passive House Standards
Meeting Passive House requirements demanded exceptional attention to building envelope performance, airtightness, and thermal efficiency. As one of the relatively few Passive House industrial/commercial facilities in Vancouver, the project required innovative design coordination and component selection, particularly for high-performance glazing systems.
⚠️ Thermal & Aesthetic Demands
The selected glazing systems had to deliver extremely low U-values and contribute to a continuous airtight envelope, while also aligning with key architectural design objectives:
- Exterior finish in RAL 9011 (Graphite black)
- Interior finish in Clear Anodized Aluminum
⚠️ Door Hardware Complexity
Integrating Passive House-certified doors with local building code and safety requirements presented a technical challenge. Combining airtight thresholds, robust hardware, and emergency egress functions was achieved using custom door configurations and leveraging Aluprof’s system capabilities.
Solution & Execution
✔ Passive House-Certified Glazing System
At the tender stage, Aluprof MB-104 Passive SI, MB-104 Passive SI+, and MB-SR50N HI+ systems were proposed and accepted due to their outstanding thermal performance and Passive House certification:
- MB-104 Passive SI (windows): A top-tier window and door system certified by the Passive House Institute. Featuring high-performance thermal breaks, and optimized profiles, it meets stringent insulation demands.
- MB-104 Passive SI+ (doors): Provided the same high level of insulation with additional options suited for doors.
- MB-SR50N HI+: Excellent thermal performance, flexibility in façade design, and the ability to integrate operable elements while maintaining airtightness and thermal continuity within a single Passive House-certified system family.
✔ Advanced Thermal Efficiency
The high-spec glazing systems provided:
- Low U-values, compliant with Passive House envelope targets and contributing to the overall project-weighted U-value
- Solar control and daylight optimization for better energy performance. The project utilized five different glass types, including fritted patterns, to align with both energy and design specifications
✔ Quality Assurance & Engineering
- PE-stamped shop drawings were submitted for permitting and fabrication
- Thermal simulations verified compliance with Passive House energy models
Results & Impact
✔ Energy Efficiency & Sustainability
- The newly constructed facility features high-performance glazing systems that significantly reduce heating and cooling energy consumption
- The use of certified, long-life components contributes to lower embodied carbon and long-term sustainability
✔ Enhanced Indoor Environment
- Improved comfort for staff through consistent indoor temperatures and excellent acoustic insulation
- Abundant daylighting reduces dependency on artificial lighting
- Better indoor air quality through improved enclosure airtightness
✔ Aesthetic, Safety & Functionality
- The exterior/interior finish split achieved the architect’s design intent
- Custom hardware solutions met stringent fire, safety, and Passive House requirements
- Final result balanced technical performance with architectural expression, contributing to operational excellence and community-focused design
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