Red Deer Polytechnic’s studio residence building has received plenty of national and international recognition since 2019.
On Monday, the post-secondary institution celebrated a number of sustainability awards: 2019 Canadian Wood Council Award, 2020 Prairie Wood Design Award of Excellence, 2021 Canada’s Clean 50 Top Project and 2022 Canadian Green Building Award for a Large Residence.
The building was also a contributor to RDP earning Colleges and Institutes Canada’s 2023 Excellence in Sustainable Development silver, and was named a 2021-22 International Union of Architects 2030 Award finalist.
The names of these awards and celebrations are now displayed on six panes of the studio residence building’s south-facing windows.
“At Red Deer Polytechnic, our studio residence building employs globally recognized sustainable technologies and contributed to our institution’s larger Alternative Energy Initiative,” said Jim Brinkhurst, RDP finance and administration vice-president and chief financial officer.
“While this innovative facility provides a modern living and social space for RDP’s learners, it also creates education and applied research opportunities for students to gather and analyze data about solar general in the Alternative Energy Lab.”
The five-storey building features 145 studio suites, including 19-barrier-free suites, and is constructed to optimize solar exposure. There are 545 vertical photovoltaic solar panels on the south, east and west outer walls – these panels produce more than 12,000 kWh of electricity annually.
Hailey Ripley, a recent graduate of RDP’s Social Work Diploma program, spent two years living inside the residence space.
“I loved it. I was in two different rooms in two years and I have nothing bad to say about this place. I enjoyed my time here,” Ripley said.
“I like having my own space, but still having the option to pick and choose when I wanted to hang out and socialize with my friends. In a conventional residence you can’t always have that option and you don’t have the luxury of having your own space you’re in control of. That was super important for me.”
RDP’s studio residence building, as well as all components of its Alternative Energy Initiative, are part of RDP’s Green Campus Master Plan, which reinforces the institution’s commitment to become a net zero institution over the next decade by producing enough energy on main campus to power its infrastructure.
sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com
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