CECA U of T Hosts 2020 Building Case Competition

From L to R: Niloufar Ghaffari (CECA UofT Exec), Rose Zhang (CECA UofT Exec), Paul Go (participant), Bo Zhao (participant), Pavani Perera (CECA UofT Exec), Ziyi Wang (participant), Jiating Lou (participant), Professor Brenda McCabe (faculty advisor), Greg Penuik (IESO), Professor Ian Sinclair, Noah Cassidy (CECA UofT Exec), Gregg Whitty (CECA)

The CECA U of T Student Chapter hosted their third annual Sustainable Building Design Case Competition from January 16th to January 25th. We challenged student teams to present a short proposal to a judging panel on how the Christie Refugee Welcome Centre in Toronto can reduce 60% of its energy use and educate the community on the value of these retrofits.

The participants this year were Civil Engineering students Jiating (Chelsa) Lou, Ziyi (Jason) Wang, Paul Go, and Bo Zhao. They came up with some innovative solutions, such as a heat recovery ventilator, smart power strips with digital timers, and electric furnaces. They also integrated strategies to get the community engaged through social media platforms and interactive games.

The panel of judges included U of T Professor Brenda McCabe (faculty advisor); U of T Professor Ian Sinclair; Greg Peniuk (IESO, also CECA U of T alumni); and Gregg Whitty (CECA). They gave the participants constructive feedback on improving their analyses and presentation skills. Also, they emphasized the importance of educating end users on how these buildings function.

Congratulations to all the participants! We were quite impressed with your effort, and we can’t wait to see what you achieve through our upcoming ELECTRI International/NECA Green Energy Challenge. Finally, a huge thank you to all the judges for taking the time out of their Saturday to support our learning and growth with your industry insights and expertise.