The Currents Eastern Canada’s first mixed-use LEED Platinum certification for residences.
Location
Ottawa, ON
Type
Mixed-Use
Size
44 units
11 storeys
70,000 sq. ft., including a 20,000 sq. ft. theatre
Status
Completed 2007
The Currents is a mixed-use infill project developed on a former brownfield site. Combining a performing arts centre with a modern condominium tower, the development has become the new anchor in Ottawa’s Wellington West neighbourhood.
Developed on the site of a former gas station and dry cleaner, The Currents is an example of the transformative power of partnerships. For years, due to fears of contamination, this site at a prime Ottawa intersection, was underused as a car wash. Windmill Developments worked with the City of Ottawa and community members to design and build a 44-unit condominium and a new community asset – a home for the Great Canadian Theatre Company.
Equity and Local EconomyWindmill worked closely with the City of Ottawa to turn The Currents into a model for new municipal development incentives. The Currents incorporated a Green Loan™, which leverages life cycle operating costs savings from energy efficiency to invest in cost saving green technologies and design approaches.
Culture and communityIn redeveloping the brownfield site, Windmill asked the local community what they would most like to see alongside the planned condominium tower. With “the arts” being the #1 choice, Windmill opened dialogue with the Great Canadian Theatre Company. Although the theatre company was a non-profit, coming to the table with no capital, the two entities were able to make the development work through a unique funding arrangement. The result was a new home for the theatre company and a vibrant new addition for theatre and dining for the community.
Zero Carbon EnergyThe Currents is oriented to maximize views and daylight penetration. The south façade is dominated by a unique solar wall. In the cold winter months this allows warmth from the sun to be harvested; the air is then pre-heated and used to ventilate the residential units. This clever design feature is a model for inexpensive but effective passive solar design, offsetting up to 5% of the buildingʼs energy demand during the winter months.
