As the new home for the faculty of business and economics, and its division of continuing education, along with the Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art, the Buhler Centre at the University of Winnipeg in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada called for an eco-friendly and modern design. The ability for the center to blend art, education and business at one of the more important intersections in Winnipeg was a unique challenge for the architects, Winnipeg-based DPA+PSA+DIN Collective.
The 50,000-square-foot LEED Silver certified facility features 25,000 square feet of Deland, Fla.-based Kingspan Insulated Panels Inc.’s Micro-Rib wall panels. The reflective tabs on the building’s façade are designed to capture the activity of the city. The façade also helps in reflecting shifts of light that are particular to the Prairies. The light effect acts as a veil over the building’s exterior cladding comprised of Kingspan’s insulated metal panels, and resembles snow crystals in the summer. The general contractor was Manshield, Winnipeg; and the installer was Thermo Design Insulation Ltd., Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
