Endress+Hauser Canada is investing in a sustainable, $28 million, Customer Experience Centre in Burlington, Ontario. Designed by mcCallumSather, the new two-storey, 47,000 square-foot facility will target net zero energy, the Zero Carbon Building Standard and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold through the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC). This endeavor will make Endress+Hauser the first private company in Canada to pursue all three certifications at once. 

"We're pleased to see the continued momentum for both LEED and the new Zero Carbon Building Standard," said Mark Hutchinson, vice president of green building programs at Canada Green Building Council. "Endress+Hauser, like many other forward-thinking organizations, recognize the value of third-party certification as a demonstration of their commitment to sustainable, green building. By pushing for zero carbon, they are on the leading edge of sustainable design and development." 

Endress+Hauser is a global leader in process measurement and instrumentation and this project represents a changing attitude within the private sector. 

"Our goal is to create an exceptional facility in all respects that will not only be sustainable on the day it opens, but will still be considered as such decades from now," says Anthony Varga, CEO and General Manager, Endress+Hauser Canada Ltd. 

The new facility will be built on a four-acre site, a stone's throw from Endress+Hauser's current site, and unlike its former facility has targets to effectively function off the hydro grid. The facility will be a full-fledged Customer Experience Centre featuring the company's second Process Training Unit (PTU) in Canada and world-class customer experience features, including a calibration laboratory, an expanded workshop and a training center. 

Plans to achieve net zero energy and zero carbon emissions include the integration of a high-performance building envelope, triple-glazed curtain wall, and a reflective roof with double-sided solar panels. At night, most electrically-powered systems will be turned off rather than drawing standby power. The building environment will be maintained by heat pumps supplemented by a geothermal system. An exterior water feature will use the rainwater harvesting system, a visible reminder of the power of sustainable solutions. 

The Construction Management project, led by Maple Reinders, is designed to exemplify Endress+Hauser's iconic brand. Inside of the building, the design team created an open plan concept incorporating interactive client zones, demonstration installations, and calibration labs which showcase the company's equipment solutions. Working with energy-intensive environments, the design team collaborated with the Endress+Hauser team to intimately understand the facility usage and where energy savings may be achieved. 

Drew Hauser, Director, mcCallumSather adds, "typically institutions have pioneered highly sustainable buildings. For a private company to make the investment in zero carbon design shows incredible ambition and foresight. The key to completing a project of this complexity is to work as an integrated team. This specialised approach and commitment from our client will result in a one-of-a-kind net zero facility that changes the standard for this global company." 

The integrated design team's decisions were driven by an energy budget, an innovative process in which energy is given equal weighting to a financial budget. The process accounted for the energy consumption of all building sub-systems, including lab equipment, mechanical systems, and an allowance for unregulated plug loads. During the design process the architecture team created an immersive 3D Model which allowed the team to virtually walk the space to better understand the design implications and opportunities, resulting in a well resolved, functional design. 

Working in a net zero facility involves change management and shifts in office culture. This facility offers Endress+Hauser a unique opportunity to educate employees and clients about their commitment to the environment and allows visitors to interact with buildings of the future. 

The new facility broke ground on August 29th, with occupancy planned in the fall of 2020.

Endress+Hauser Canada | https://www.ca.endress.com/en

mcCallumSather | https://mccallumsather.com