On site: Why is excess heat blown into the atmosphere through the thermosyphons, instead of being collected and recycled. Wayne Guy: We looked at reclaiming the heat from the thermal siphons during design develop- ment, but as the pool was sitting on up to 600mm of insulation, we found we were dealing with very low-grade heat (ground temperatures of -3°C to +2°C) — not enough to make it worthwhile to collect at source. We do recover heat from the air exhaust system which takes the lion’s share of energy out of the air before discharging it.
security. What is the trade-off necessary in a beleagured community such as Inuvik between fantasy oasis and technological expenditure? Wayne Guy: The technology makes the exotic possible within feasible means. The winters are very long and Inuvik is at the end of a very long road. Having year-round activi- ties is very important for the residents of Inuvik, especially the youth who tend to get into trouble if they are not engaged in more healthy activities. This facility provides an amenity to support and reinforce community-building so that those who came to Inuvik will stay and not be transients go- ing elsewhere to satisfy lifestyle needs. D
On site: The exotic charm of this swimming pool centre doesn’t strike me as being very sustainable without mas- sive energy expenditure. Wayne Guy: When one speaks of energy consump- tion, one has to look at the bigger picture. Our food travels 2000km before hitting our plates. Similarly, the energy expended to fly a northern family and their luggage to the tropics for a winter reprieve is enormous. We use local gas, piped from the Beaufort delta 60km away (no refin- ing required) in the gas turbines that were in the facility before the pool was added. The turbines provide heat and the electricity for the pool. This is extremely efficient given that the new pool addi- tion didn’t require additional heating equipment.
On site: In the south we are bending over backwards to make every building sustainable, to be thinking of energy
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