RJC’s restoration work at Triffo Hall represents the rebirth of one of the most historic buildings at the University of Alberta.
Originally constructed in 1915, the Hall was an underused and neglected building in the heart of the main campus. The existing envelope consisted of an uninsulated brick wall, single-pane wood windows and sloped, single-pane clerestory windows, which run the length of the building.
The redesign exposes previously hidden windows and aligns the new interior street with the clerestory of the south bay, which provides circulation on the main floor and a view corridor on the second. Interesting interior spaces maintain the elegance of the building and make delightful use of natural light.
Portions of the Second Floor structure were replaced to address areas of significant deterioration. Modifications to remove areas of the Second Floor provided a new feature stair at the main entrance of the building.
Fully restored and back in service, Triffo Hall is a high quality work environment, and a fine example of sustainable design principles applied to the restoration of a heritage structure.
Sustainable design elements include the reuse of an existing historic structure, maximal use of daylighting, minimal application of additional materials, capture and reuse of rainwater, and high performance heating and cooling systems. Ninty-eight percent of the existing building fabric was retained.
Triffo Hall is both the first project and first major renovation at the University to be registered with the CaGBC and has achieved LEED® Gold status.
