Coolearth Architecture
 | This article reads like a press release or a news article or is largely based on routine coverage or sensationalism. (April 2022) |
| ISIN | 🆔 |
|---|---|
| Industry | Architecture |
| Founded 📆 | |
| Founder 👔 | Sheena Sharp |
| Headquarters 🏙️ | , |
Area served 🗺️ | Canada |
Key people | Sheena Sharp (Principal Architect) Colleen Whyte (Project Manager) Laura Tobin (Architectural Designer) |
| Members | |
Number of employees | ~6 |
| 🌐 Website | www |
| 📇 Address | |
| 📞 telephone | |
Coolearth Architecture is a Canadian firm founded in 2008. The firm is spearheaded by Principal Architect Sheena Sharp and her small team of five others; Colleen Whyte, Krupa Patel, Geoff Christou, Kunaal Mohan, and Laura Tobin.[1] The company has two main offices, one in Parry Sound, a smaller northern community in Ontario, and one in Toronto, a major metropolis city in southern Ontario. Their design focus centers around sustainability in multiple building scales. This includes common sustainable philosophies such as PassivHaus, permaculture,[2] LEED and Net-Zero practices, etc.[3] Additionally, based on their listed projects, Coolearth Architecture often partners with other firms on projects to provide services for passive design alongside other independent projects.
Principal Architect
Sheena Sharp: A graduate of the University of Manitoba and the University of Washington, Sharp holds a Bachelor of Environmental Studies in Architecture and a Master of Architecture.[3] She first worked with Young + Wright Architects before starting her own firm of which she is now the Principal.[3][1] She is associated with the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) as a past council member as well as past president of the organization.[3] Her focus during her time with the OAA, both as president and otherwise, was on policy regulations on housing and energy consumption as well as sustainable environmentally conscious design.[3]
Associations
Coolearth Architecture is associated with a number of different sustainability focused organizations such as Passive House Canada, the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve, the Canadian Green Building Council, and the Net Zero Coalition. All are organizations that work to mitigate the effects of buildings on the climate and promote sustainability in design at multiple scales.[4][5][6] The partnership between Coolearth Architecture and each of these organizations varies. Its relationship with the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve, for example, is close with the firm acting as a Charter Member in the Reserve and having created designs for the organization in the past.[7]
Awards and Writing
Over their short time as a firm, Coolearth Architecture has earned and contributed to a small number of awards through their design and consultation work. In their Alton Mills heritage and restoration project, their contribution led to a Heritage Canada National Achievement Award and a Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals Award of Merit in 2009.[8][9] The firm has also won the Landmark da Vinci award as a member of the honor roll and best emerging practice in 2012.[10]
Exemplary Projects
Mount Dennis Early Learning and Child Care Centre
The Mount Dennis Early Learning and Child Care Centre in Toronto Ontario is a joint project between CS&P Architects and Coolearth Architecture.[11] The building will be the first publicly owned Net-Zero building in Toronto and uses a number of passive design strategies in order to create a net zero design.[12] Based on renderings and updated photos provided by the architects,[13] the Mount Dennis child care centre has a number of passive design elements. This includes the use of large windows for daylighting and passive solar gain, as can be seen in the render above, to capture light and bring heat into the space.
Renders demonstrate a use of natural materials such as wood, however the extent of the use and where the wood is sourced from will cause a variation on the overall ecological footprint of the building. Additionally the use of concrete is suggested within the design based on elevations and renders, which would have an environmental impact on the building's carbon footprint as the creation of cement is a substantial source of carbon emissions.[14] Updates provided on the construction of the facility also show insulation being installed below and surrounding the building foundation. If done correctly, this will stop thermal bridging from the base of the building into the ground below. As stated by the principal architect, Sheena Sharp, rooftop solar panels, heat recovery systems, heavily insulated walls, and modifications to window panes will be used to achieve a net zero carbon building.[12][15]
Sammon Passive House
Located in Toronto Ontario, the Sammon Home renovation is set to earn notoriety as one of the first renovated homes in the region to receive the Passive House Certification. Renovated for Toronto couple Tracy Johnson and Kevin Mc Kenny, the home is built primarily “without VOC-emitting products” [16] as well as being built with a focus on as little a carbon footprint as possible as requested by the couple. Systems like an ERV (energy recovery ventilator), a heat pump, and solar panels were added into the design to create an energy efficient home. Other renovations added heavier insulation on the roof to prevent heat loss and thermal bridging, a known Passive House strategy, as well as sealants used to ensure air tightness.[17] All the renovations aim to have the Sammon home to be recognized as a Passive House within the EnerPHit model of Passive House Canada’s certification.[16][17][18] This certification is for renovated buildings which meet certain criteria standards which are achievable with an already existing structure.[18] In short these elements include better insulation, a reduction in thermal bridging where it can be found, better air tightness, efficient windows and ventilation in accordance with Passive House design, use of renewable resources, etc.
Portfolio
A brief look at other designs featured within Coolearth Architecture’s current portfolio.
- 450 Pape Multi Unit Residential Condominium and Heritage Building, done in partnership with Catherine Nasmith Architects. [19]
- Coniston Seniors Affordable Housing [19]
- Parry Sound High Performance House [19]
- Net Zero Energy Retrofit of Semi-Detached House [19]
- Pritzker Mak House [19]
- Off Grid Net Zero Ecocabin [19]
- Malagash House [19]
- University of Toronto Gull Lake Camp [19]
- Shawanaga First Nation Community Library and Archive [19]
- Teach me to Fly Daycare [19]
- Barrie and Minden Co-Housing [19]
- Bombardier Aerostructure and Flight Test, the firm acted as consultants and reviewers for LEED certification and code regulation. [19]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Team | Coolearth Architecture Inc". www.coolearth.ca. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
- ↑ "Permaculture Design: Integrating People, Nature and Buildings | Coolearth Architecture Inc". www.coolearth.ca. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Ontario Association of Architects announces 2011 OAA President Sheena Sharp". Canadian Architect. 2011-03-19. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
- ↑ Nations, United. "Net Zero Coalition". United Nations. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
- ↑ "Canada Green Building Council", Wikipedia, 2021-06-20, retrieved 2022-04-24
- ↑ "Our Organization". Georgian Bay Biosphere. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
- ↑ "Coolearth Architecture Inc". Georgian Bay Biosphere. 2016-04-07. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
- ↑ "CATHERINE NASMITH ARCHITECT—About—Awards". www.cnarchitect.ca. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
- ↑ "CATHERINE NASMITH ARCHITECT—Projects—Alton Mill Rehabilitation". www.cnarchitect.ca. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
- ↑ "Ontario Association of Architects announces 2012 award winners". Canadian Architect. 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
- ↑ "Mount Dennis Childcare Centre – Net-zero Carbon | Coolearth Architecture Inc". www.coolearth.ca. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Mirror, Lisa Rainford | Scarborough. "New Mount Dennis daycare will be first city-owned net zero energy building". Toronto. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
- ↑ "City of Toronto's first Net-zero Childcare Facility – Mount Dennis Childcare Centre | Coolearth Architecture Inc". www.coolearth.ca. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
- ↑ "The Environmental Impacts of Concrete". www.greenspec.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
- ↑ "Child care centre Toronto's first net zero facility - constructconnect.com". Daily Commercial News. 2018-12-21. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 "A Toronto Renovation Gets Modern Architecture and Passive House Certification". Rise. 2020-10-15. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Writer, OCN Staff (2019-08-13). "First Passive House Certified in Toronto to be Featured in Project Tour". Ontario Construction News. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 "EnerPHit Certification – Passive House Canada | Maison Passive Canada". www.passivehousecanada.com. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
- ↑ 19.00 19.01 19.02 19.03 19.04 19.05 19.06 19.07 19.08 19.09 19.10 19.11 "Portfolio | Coolearth Architecture Inc". www.coolearth.ca. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
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