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During the Wetland Discovery Centre construction, over 30 years ago, many environmental aspects were taken into consideration to limit the impact of the building on its environment. The award winning green roof is a good example of this. The green roof offers numerous benefits, including natural insulation, stormwater management, and habitat creation. The vegetation absorbs and filters rainwater, reducing runoff and alleviating pressure on drainage systems. Additionally, the green roof provides thermal insulation, reducing energy consumption for heating and cooling. It also creates a habitat for wildlife, supporting biodiversity and contributing to ecological resilience. Furthermore, the green roof enhances air quality by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, while its aesthetic appeal adds to the overall beauty and tranquility of the environment.
The architecture of the building incorporates passive design principles to maximize natural light, reducing the need for artificial lighting as well as a series of berms to aid in cooling or heat retention of the building. Large windows allowed daylight to penetrate deep into the interior spaces, but those windows were double pane and heat loss was becoming a concern and do not reflect today’s standard.
By moving to triple pane windows, the Centre will benefit from superior insulation, sound reduction, condensation resistance, grater durability, and aesthetic appeal. While they may entail a higher initial cost compared to double pane windows, the long-term savings on energy bills and improved comfort make them a worthwhile investment for anyone looking to enhance the performance and efficiency of their windows.
Window replacement is well underway. Large windows located in the Bay Deck area are being replaced first in order to take advantage of the ease of access while ice is still covering Cattail Pond. Notice the structure added between the two decks to allow machinery to move back and forth and help in replacing windows.
Glass panes are an invisible threat to flying birds; this is particularly true during spring and fall migration, when birds are most active near dawn and dusk. Twilight’s low sun angles make it especially difficult for fast-moving birds to distinguish between actual habitats and mere reflections of vegetation. Window strikes are the third leading cause of avian mortality, behind only habitat loss and outdoor cats. It is estimated that glass collisions take the lives of at least 600 million birds in North America each year. That’s roughly two birds for every single building; it is also between 5 and 10% of the total bird population of the continent.
Even if our building was designed to minimize window strikes, we had a few happening over the years. To address this, we decided to add a grid of dots on approximately 50% of the Wetland Discovery Centre’s windows where most of the bird strikes occurred.
While it minimally affects our ability to see out, it enables flying birds to see a barrier, instead of a thruway. So, the next time you swing by the Wetland Discovery Centre, you’ll likely be seeing spots—not because you’re having problems with your vision but because of our bird-friendly upgrade.
