unama'ki institute of natural resources head offices

The Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources (UINR) Head Offices project is the first Net-Zero office building in Unama’ki (Cape Breton Island). UINR is the Mi’kmaw voice on natural resources and the environment. Much more than just an office building, this facility provides UINR with the space needed to support their growing environmental research, stewardship and community education and outreach programming. 

The two-storey 7000sf building is located on a waterfront site on the Bras d’Or Lake in Eskasoni, NS. The entrance is marked by a covered porch that wraps around the East side of the building towards the water. Upon entry to the main floor there is a reception area that leads into a central open collaboration space with a large lightwell above that brings natural light into the center of the building. This area is used as breakout space and to host community gatherings and events. Around the perimeter of the atrium is a boardroom, private offices and research and aquatics labs. The second floor is composed of a south facing open office space, as well as staff kitchen and rooftop patio.  

In line with UINR’s ethos, the building was designed to reduce both its embodied and operational carbon. It has an efficient, rectangular plan designed to maximize daylight and passive solar. The high-performance exterior envelope provides high insulation values and airtightness for the building. It was important that the materials selected had a low embodied carbon. The structural system is wood with a light frame double stud exterior wall and locally harvested heavy timber columns and beams with an NLT floor system, which provide both a low carbon structural system and a beautiful interior finish. The building’s HVAC system is a high-performance air source heat pump and heat recovery ventilation system. 70% of the buildings electricity is projected to be supplied by a 38.5 KW rooftop photovoltaic system. 

The project is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.   

Project Team:  

  • Builder: Lindsay Construction 

  • Project Manager: Livingston Engineering Associates Ltd 

  • Structural Engineer: Andrea Doncaster Engineering Ltd. 

  • M&E Engineer: A.H. Roy & Associates Ltd.  

  • Civil Engineer: Strait Engineering Ltd.  

  • Energy Consultant: LMMW Group Ltd.    

  • Landscape Architect: Vollick McKee Petersmann & Associates Ltd.    

  • Renderings: Solterre Design